24 Professor Gordon on Locomotive Carriages. 



brought together. When again brought in contact, the current is estab- 

 lished, the motion reversed, the points are withdrawn from each other, and 

 again the light shines out. The light so produced is of the most intensi,- 

 brilliancy, and is overpoweringly dazzling. It is beautifully pure and 

 white, and exactly resembles in power and properties the solar light. Mr. 

 Glassford employed a variety of electrodes, such as of common coke, 

 plumbago, and mixtures of these, and explained the methods of preparation, 

 and their comparative properties for conducting the fluid. The battery 

 employed on this occasion, consisted of sixty-three large-sized Maynooth 

 cells. Mr. G. displayed its extraordinary heating power by the fusion of 

 pieces of steel, iron, and copper. The chemical and magnetising powers 

 of this battery he described as being also very astonishing. There are 

 several disadvantages in the use of the Maynooth battery, which Mr. G. 

 thinks will be overcome, and which will render this the most effective, 

 cheap, and useful electrical instrument known. Much of the success in 

 the application to ordinary illuminating purposes of the electric light, 

 depends on the economy with which the electric power can be got up and 

 maintained ; all the other obstacles are trifling compared with this. 



Zlst January, 1849. — The President in the Chair. 



The following members were elected, viz. : — Dr. James Jeffiray, Mr. John 

 Jefiray, Mr. Andrew Stein, Mr. Andrew Laughlen, Mr. Robert Anderson. 



The Librarian announced the presentation of Transactions of the Royal 

 Scottish Society of Arts, Parts II. and III. of the third volume ; and the 

 Third Report of the Dublin University Museum. 



The second vote was taken on the proposal to grant £7 for the reprint- 

 ing of the Library Catalogue, which was finally agreed to. 



Professor Gordon made some remarks on the proposal to substitute 

 Locomotive Carriages for Locomotive Engines and Passengers' Trains on 

 Railways. He commenced by describing Mr. Samuel's Express Engine, 

 on which he (the Professor) last year travelled from Loudon to Cambridge 

 at the rate of 32 to 44 miles an hour, and which, with an engine weighing 

 18 cwt., together with boiler, wheels, framing, seats for 7 or 8 passengers, 

 &c., weighed altogether between 22 and 23 cwt. It was this engine that 

 suggested to Mr. Adams of Fairfield, the practicability of the plan for 

 which he took out a patent last year ; for observing that the express 

 engine could do so much more work with a 3 inch cylinder, a 6 inch 

 stroke, and .3 feet wheel, he supposed that an engine not veiy different in 

 its proportions might be attached to a carriage ; and hence he projected 

 the combination of locomotive and carriage. The locomotive carriage 

 constructed by him, and which Mr. Gordon next described, weighed, the 

 locomotive 6 tons, and the carriage 7 or 8 tons, and carrying 50 passen- 

 gers — the total weight was about 1 8 tons. This he contrasted with the 



