AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 411 



would rapidly reach, and very hr surpass, this city in population, owing to 

 its admirable location, facilities, &c. 



Mr. Sykes thought that a lofty and splendid building of glazed brick, of 

 variegated color, should be erected on Broadway, seven stories high ! 



Dr. Holton described the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers of Paris, as 

 worthy of imitation as a permanent exhibition. 



Mr. Seeley liked that plan, and premiums for best articles could always 

 be awarded. 



Mr. Sperry spoke of the permanently great leader of the country as 

 being New York. Nature decreed it. It is leader, and should prove its 

 pre-eminence by siiitable institutions of such character and magnitude as 

 became the most illustrious city in the world. 



Mr. Sherry exhibited is new propeller, a scy'eiv of foiir blades within, 

 and attached to a suitable cylindric section, to give much greater strength 

 to the blades, contract the body of water while acted upon by them, and 

 defend them from floating logs and other things to break the blades. 



Mr. Stetson. — This propeller band is not new. The points of screw 

 blades have been secured by bands. The Philadelphia propeller blades are 

 inclined towards the point of delivery, and their points are slightly curved 

 towards the immersion, the propeller being something tunnel formed. 

 England has talked of and used in propeller blades the parabolic form, 

 which have found patents. 



Mr. Sewall. — It is found that a small number of blades is best, for fric- 

 tion must be avoided, and in rapid revolution the screw has little power, 

 for it breaks the water all to pieces ! Two blades are probably better than 

 four, up to a certain velocity. 



Mr. Haskell held the same opinion, assigning manifest reasons for that 

 fault in screw propulsion. 



Mr. Seeley justified in some measure the title Archimedean, given to a 

 propeller. 



Mr. Sewall. — When our distinguished citizen, John Stevens, of Hoboken, 

 first used a screw propeller, he called it a scull, the blade of the oar act- 

 ing alternately like the blades of the screw. 



Rev. Dr. Adamson proposed, as a good question for the Club, " Escapes 

 from buildings on fire." "The telescope," " A suitable edifice for the 

 American Institute," and " Motors," continued. 



At 10| o'clock P. M. adjourned. H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



January 26, 1859. 



Present — Messrs. President Pell, Rev. Dr. Adamson, Chambers, 

 Bruce, Butler, Stetson, Cohen, Leonard, Dr. Holton, Tillman, Seeley, 

 Manning, John Johnson, Breisach, Brower, Sykes, Fitz, and others — 33 

 members. 



Mr. Pell in the chair. Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



