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THE SCIENTIFIC PAPERS OF 



would be engendered ; whereas if the air were cooler than the walls, 

 the latter must be absolutely dry. That was the great advantage 

 of the open fire, and it endeared it to them, though many did not 

 know exactly where and how the comfort arose. The Americans 

 were very ingenious, but he would not take their word with regard 

 to the comfort of their rooms ; when he was there he suffered 

 severely from the closeness of the atmosphere of the dwellings, and 

 when he travelled at night in the sleeping-cars he was obliged to 

 get up four or five times and step out on the foot-board to get 

 thoroughly cool. The only explanation he could offer was that 

 the attendants were black men, whose standard seemed to be the 

 interior of Africa. But although he could not agree absolutely 

 with the proposal, yet the question of doing away with the smoke 

 and nuisance which now resulted from open fire-places was so 

 important, that any suggestion, backed by a considerable amount 

 of experience was welcome ; and Captain Galton well deserved 

 their thanks for the able manner in which he had brought the 

 subject forward. 



In the discussion of the Paper 



"ON AIR REFRIGERATING MACHINERY AND 

 ITS APPLICATIONS," 



By JOSEPH JAMES COLEMAN, F.I.C., F.C.S., &c., 



DR. SIEMENS * said the question that had been brought before 

 the Institution was one of considerable engineering and public 

 importance, and he was glad to see it brought forward in such a 

 clear and efficient manner. The subject was not one of recent 

 date, but had occupied the minds of many men for a considerable 

 number of years. The author had been good enough to mention 

 his name in connection with a proposal which he had made twenty - 



* Excerpt Minutes of Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Vol. 

 LXVIII. 1882, pp. 176-186. 



