AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 429 



new, not to waste tlieir time and money on this coal oil, or any other great 

 object, without first calling in all the help to be obtained from thorough 

 science — the chemist, the miner, &c. We want effective and cheap retorts 

 for making light, even more than we do those helps of humanity, the modern 

 sewing machines. 



Mr. Veeder. — Bituminous coal yields about ten gallons of oil, Cannel is 

 reported to give 100 gallons, per ton. May not the coke be rendered of 

 value to the oil extractor — both are wanted. 



Mr. Mason. — We cannot bring coal to market to get the oil out of it. 

 The coal at the mouth of the mine is worth but a shilling a ton, or a little 

 more. We must make the oil at the mine. Anthracite has none ; it all 

 hardens as we near our sea coasts. Bituminous coal has too little. 



Mr. Tillman. — The veins of the Breckenridge mine are shallow. 



Mr. Mason.— Only 2^ to 4 feet thick. 



Mr. Dwight. — Some 5 feet. 



Mr. Veeder. — The Kerosine oil is now somewhat in market, and is valued. 

 The New Brunswick coal costs $18 a ton. There are not many suitable 

 mines — even those Breckenridge veins are rather limited. 



Mr. Johnson. — How is it as to coal oil patents ? 



Mr. Haskell. — I know but the one mentioned by the Secretary that is of 

 much value. 



Mr. Mason doubted whether nature will submit to some of the jyatentsl 

 "Si naturam expellas — tamen usque recurrit." 

 , Mr. Veeder moved that the main subject be the exclusive one next meeting. 



Mr. Leonard from the committee on questions : " Coal oil,^^ only^ for 

 next meeting. 



The Club adjourned. H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



February 16, 1859. 



Present— Messrs. R. L. Pell, Bruce, Witt, John Johnson, DavoU, Ben- 

 jamin Pike, Butler, Seeley, Veeder, Conolly, Finell, Lawton, Palmer, 

 Pierce, Breisach, Prof. Mason, Prof. Hedrick ; Engineers Stetson, Cohen, 

 Tillman, Everitt, Haskell, Reid and others — fifty-five members in all. 



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



The Secretary read the following papers prepared by him, viz : 



He called attention to the pamphlet of the Engineer, Charles B. Stuart, 

 on Civil and Military Engineering, Feb. 1859, Buffalo. 



He states that the United States have expended during the present century 

 not less than three thousand millions of dollars on their public works. He 

 proposes to publish at the earliest day practicable, The History of Ameri- 

 can Engineering, with the biography of Engineers, with illustrations. He 

 desires to ascertain the names and residence of all American engineers, 

 that he may send his circulars to them, and he will return to them, before 

 the first of July, a printed directory of all the civil and military engineers 

 of America. All communications to be addressed to Geneva, Ontario cc, 

 New York. 



