492 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Mr. Sykc. — The effect of the sulphur of our coal on the boiler iron should 

 be determined. 



Alanson Nash stated the geological history of iron. That the primitive 

 and secondary formations contain iron ; that the first is strong and dura- 

 ble ; that the iron in mica slate and calco, and hornblende slate rocks, is 

 most pure, sustained by the electricity it contains ; while that of the secon- 

 dary rock is oxidyzed, is bad and not as good when deoxodyzed. That the 

 true secret of the superiority of American iron consists in this primitive 

 origin, while that of England is all in the secondary. The Staffordshire 

 masses are but vast heaps of iro7i rust ! Our Jordan Mott, the worker in 

 iron, finds iron in our city rocks of the primitive formation ; the mica slate 

 rocks, of excellent quality. Salisbury iron lies in primitive formation, and. 

 is the strongest known, and so of iron of New Jersey. 



Mr. Sykes. — Can boilers be made, as some gun barrels are, of wire, to 

 obtain toughness, strength ? Might the inside be tinned ? 



Mr. Veeder desired to know the philosophy of the fact that charcoal 

 makes best iron. An ounce of sound philosophy is worth tons of loose con- 

 jecture. I saw the iron boiler of Edson, exploded at Albany — new and 

 apparently strong, was well tested. 



Mr. Haskell. — That boiler was tubular, and was not well braced. 



Mr. Tillman. — Perfectly chemically pure iron is not used in any of our 

 operations. It seems to mn that the problem to be solved is corrosion of 

 iron. The whole subject of boilers is exceedingly important, for we have 

 them at work under our feet, on our sides, by sea and by land, liable to be- 

 ing blown up at any moment. Let us encourage enquiry here ! 



Mr. Veeder. — Can alkalies be used in boilers, against corrosion ? potas- 

 sium or sodium ? • 



Mr. Stetson. — Who will tell us which is the best iron ? 



Mr. Seeley believed that the faults of boilers were far more due to me- 

 chanism than to metal ! Any is strong enough per se if uniform throughout, 

 for the steam could then be made of uniform force ! If we could coat the 

 inside of them so as to prevent the corrosion of boilers, great would be the 

 advantage. 



Mr. Meigs.— Can a boiler be constructed that cannot be burst by steam? 



Mr. Stetson. — Yes ! 



Mr. Seeley. — The more pure the iron the more difficulty from oxidation! 

 Can a suitable boiler be made out of cast iron ? or can a boiler be made by 

 electrotype ? — for that must necessarily be perfectly homogeneous, uni- 

 form ! 



Mr. Robert Simpson, railroad engineer. — A boiler twenty-five feet by 

 thirty-two inch diameter, well tested to 120 lbs. per square inch, after 

 much use, was condemned and turned out of house, when it sustained accord- 

 ing to the indicator thirty pounds pressure per square inch. I took a small 

 hammer, struck the boiler, and the hammer broke easily through it ! We 

 got a new one, and could not start the engine, a ninety horse power — it had 



