AMERICAN INSTITUTE. • 613 



Mr. Lamotlie has patented railroad cars, on the some principle 

 which he now applies to vessels. 



Subject, " Steamships," ordered continued. 



The CJub adjourned, at about one o'clock p. m. 



HENRY MEIGS, Secretary. 



May 21, 1857. 



Present — Messrs. Haswell, Stetson, Coates, Godwin, Haskell, 

 Fisher, John G. Bell, Leonard, Prof. Nash, of Vermont, Heckrotte, 

 Hall, Butler, Birdseye, Knight, Bingham, Webster, and others — 

 thirty-nine members. 



The chairman, Mr. Haswell, being obliged to be absent, James 

 K. Fisher was appointed chairman pro tern. H. Meigs, Secretary. 



According to rule, the first hour of a session is for miscellane- 

 ous business. 



Price's new patent arrangement of car couplings, so that when 

 ■one diverges off the rail it is self-uncoupled, and also Heckrotte's 

 analogous coupling and bumper, were examined by the members. 

 And it appeared to be the opinion of members, that these con- 

 trivances to release the locomotive, (at least) were valuable. 

 Mr. Sawyer explained the bat wing wind mill, patented and in- 

 vented by Solomon W. Ruggles, of Fitchburgh, Mass., which was 

 admired. It is a horizontal mill of ten bat wings, forming so many 

 angles from centre to periphery, inclined about five degrees— 

 their amount of opening to the wind perfectly regulated or en- 

 tirely closed, if required, from inside the mill. It appears 

 remai'kably effective, safe, and of moderate cost. 



Mr. Leonard gave it the fit name, bat wing, from the movement 

 of the triangular wings. 



Tower's patent elastic ball pump and fire engine, capable of 

 pumping up water containing three quarts of Indian corn in 

 every gallon, was exhibited and examined in that operation, and 

 found perfectly successful — it could not choke. 



Mr. S. W. Ruggles, exhibited and explained his new patent 

 machine for extracting stumps, by lifting power, which also 

 acts in pressing hay, cotton, &c., with a force of one hun- 

 dred and sixty tons. This machine is in very compact form^ 



