562 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



at night. 1 used to be much subject to colds, but for a few years 

 have been quite free from them. I think that standing in this salt 

 water is a good thing for the health. 



The subject of " Surface Condensers " was selected for a fort- 

 night hence, and the subject of " Glass " for the next meeting. 



Adjourned. 



American Institute, Polytechnic Association, ? 



April 24, 1862. ] 

 Prof. Chas. A. Joy in the chair. 



reduction of iron. 

 Mr. Churchill. — I was not present at the meeting on the 10th 

 inst., but I see by the records that Prof. Seely stated that the 

 iron in the cylinder of Mr. Rogers' apparatus could not be re- 

 duced from the ore by the carbon. This would not be necessary. 

 I have here on the blackboard the formnlte of the reactions 

 applicable to Mr. Cooper's furnace. I will take the protoxide of 

 iron, as that will illustrate the changes just as well, though this 

 is not the oxide operated on. A little atmospheric air would get 

 into the cylinder, and this, with the carbon and the oxide of iron, 

 will give us C, Fe 0, and O+Ng. The carbon would combine with 

 the oxygen of the air to form carbonic oxide yielding CO and 

 Fe 0, (throwing out the nitrogen as producing no effect.) Then 

 the iron would be reduced by the carbonic oxide, which would 

 be converted into carbonic acid yielding CO.^ and Fe. The car- 

 bonic acid being in a nascent state, would be immediately re- 

 duced, by the free carbon present, to carbonic oxide. This reac- 

 tion takes place several hundred degrees F. lower than the reduc- 

 tion of free COg, and yields 2C0. This would reduce two more 

 atoms of iron, and thus the process would go on. 



NAVAL WARFARE. 



On the call for the regular subject, a desultory discussion 

 arose, and continued for some time, having regard chiefly to the 

 struggle betAveen the Merrimac and the Monitor. 



Professor Renwick then stated that, in conformity with the 

 notice he had given, he had brought to the meeting a model of 

 an iron-plated vessel. He then Avent on to say, that his reading 

 of the late battle in Hampton Roads is, that there is an end to 

 all the modern rules of naval tactics ; that artillery will here- 

 after play a very secondary part in naval warfare ; that hence- 



