396 TRANSACTIONS OF THL 



coDsists of an iron plate projected in front of the boat, edgewise, under the 

 water, and then drawn to the boat, causing little or no commotion in the 

 water, and yet having powerful hold of the water. 



Mr. Sceley observed that side paddles have one advantage, which is to 

 break up and destroy the wave always raised by the bow of the boat, thus 

 doing little if any damage to the banks of the canal. That the movement 

 of that wave is estimated at from 9 to 10 miles per hour ; that if the boat 

 could be propelled at that speed, it would ride on the wave and do very 

 little if any injury to the banks. The experiment has been tried in Great 

 Britain recently. Perhaps a horizontal engine, with pisto7i acting horizon- 

 tally, might be found best to gain motion through canals. 



Mr. Leonard mentioned a machine he had seen at Albany, having belts 

 over drums, causing a steady pull of the paddles, vertically dropt into the 

 water. We do not hear of its practical utility, although it gave no back- 

 water. He reminded members that the Eotary Engine, on Barrow's plan, 

 has been tried. The perfect compactness of this form of engine greatly 

 recommends it for canal boats, if in all other respects suitable. But the 

 Club well knows the very great objections found to all engines formed on 

 the principle of rotation. 



Mr. Seeley. — Some of the sections of our Erie canal have banks of so 

 firm a character that they sustain far less damage from commotion of the 

 waters than others — the swamps, for instance, where the banks are much 

 more easily damaged by commotion. Perhaps locomotive engines on a rail- 

 road along the sides of the canals, could tug the barges through the canal ! 



Chairman. — Philadelphia tried that and it proved a total failure. 



A member remarked that if our canals require locomotives on rails we 

 had better take the cargo out of the boat and put it on freight cars ! 



Subjects for next meeting. — "Canal Steam Navigation" continued, 

 and, by Mr. Seeley, " Motors." 



The Club adjourned at 9 o'clock, P. M., to Wednesday next, at 7 o'clock, 

 P. M. H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



Janiiary 6th, 1859. 



John Johnson in the chair ; Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



Present. — 27 members. 



The Secretary read an article from the London Society of Arts, speak- 

 ing of the ability of Mr. Soule in steam machinery. 



Frederick W. Gcissenhainer, Jr., read the following paper prepared by 

 him on the propulsion of vessels, viz : 



HISTORY OF PROPULSION OF VESSELS PRIOR TO 1810. 



Although no means of propulsion for vessels had ever come into exten- 

 sive use, except in connection with the steam engine, yet we are not to 

 imagine that the ancients cast no thoughts on this subject. 



The Jirst method of moving a vessel against wind and tide, seems to 



