414 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



work an iron that is more viscid may be better. An advantage 

 possessed by the English manufacturers of steel is that they pro- 

 duce a more uniform article than we do. Their steel may be no 

 better than a large proportion of ours, but being more uniform, 

 we can depend upon it with more certainty. The Sterling iron 

 resembles that obtained by Bessemer's latest process, for it is 

 manufactured of cast iron, into which, when melted, wrought iron 

 is thrown. The Sterling iron is cast iron toughened. 



Mr. Churchill stated that recent experiments show that when 

 iron has been passed through the Bessemer process, and is cold- 

 short, manganese will restore its strength, although the process 

 removes neither the phosphorus, which has been supposed to 

 cause cold-shortness, nor the sulphur. 



Mr. Fisher remarked that in tubes, steel cannot be welded as 

 well as iron. Steel tubes will split in the welding. 



Subjects for discussion. — The subject of " Bridge-building" was 

 selected for the next meeting. 



The subject of " The effect of the present war upon tho 

 Mechanic Arts" was selected as an alternate. 



Adjourned. 



American Institute, Polytechnic Association, 



Sept. 19, 1861. 

 Prof. Cyrus Mason in the chair. 



NEW questions. 



The Chairman suggested, " Novel implements for the culture of 

 the ground." 



Mr. Churchill suggested, " Qualitative analysis by means of the 

 spectrum derived from gaseous ignition." 



The Chairman and Mr. Fisher,* read able and interesting 

 papers on " The effects of the war on the Mechanic Arts." 



Mr. Fisher's paper contained a plan of an organization for the 

 improvement of the Mechanic Arts, from which the following por- 

 tions are extracted : 



" 1. Trustees to be appointed to receive the assignments of 

 inventions and improvements, which they will patent at the 

 proper time. 



" 2. They will invite inventors, engineers, and contractors, to 



* These papers were purely literary and speculative in their character ; and are 

 therefore foreign to the objects and purposes of the Polytechnic Association as defineu 

 by the " Rules established March 2d, 1854." 



