106 Steam Boats protected from the Effects of Lightning. 
Caustic potash in strong solution, even at boiling point, has no 
action upon pure chloric ether; but if the ether be considerably 
diluted with alcohol, it decomposes it, and forms a profusion of mu- 
riate of potassa. i 
In my apparatus for preparing chloric ether, I have taken advan- 
tage of the different temperatures at which alcohol and ether boil. — 
The-vapor which arises during the distillation, and which contains 
both alcohol and ether, is made to traverse a worm immersed in wa- 
ter heated to 170°. At the point where the worm issues from the 
hot water, a branch worm, with a modification of Welter’s tube, is at- 
tached to its under side, when both worms are conducted into and 
through a vessel of cold water, issuing from it at a distance from 
each other convenient for placing under them proper receivers. As 
alcohol boils at 176°, of course it must condense at 170°, and will 
be condensed in the main worm above the branch, and be discharged 
at its outlet, whilst the ether, which boils at 166°, cannot be con- 
densed at 170°, and therefore passes around from the insertion of 
the branch, to be condensed in the cold water, the whole affording 
me, whilst the ether lasts, two separate streams, one of ether and the 
other of alcohol. This little addition to the common distilling appa- 
ratus, diminishes very greatly the trouble of making chloric ether. 
As chloric ether is said to have a specific gravity of only 1.22 at 
45°, a boiling point at 152°, and to be decomposed by sulphuric 
acid, evolving chlorine, you may have good reason to doubt the purity 
of my product, or the accuracy of my estimate, but you can very rea- 
dily verify the first, and I shall be found to be very near the truth 
with the latter. I regret my inability to forward to you immediately 
a beautiful sample of pure chlorie ether which I have prepared for 
that purpose, and which I shall send as early as possible. 
Art. VIII.—Steam Boats protected from the Effects of Lightning 3 
y AtexanpErR Jones, M. D. ; 
PROFESSOR SILLIMAN. 
Athens, Geo. January 6, 1832. 
Sir—Havine seen it stated, that there had been no instance 
known of a steam boat’s being struck with lightning, while under way, 
since their use in the United States, I was led to reflect on the cause 
of their exemption, if such was the fact. It was likewise hinted in 
the above statement, that there might be something about a steam 
boat that acted as a non-conductor. 
