AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 631 



Speed, so earnestly invoked by all mankind, is a grand point 

 in all motion, but that reckless unscientific method we so gene- 

 rally follow, has marked its tracks here with much of the most 

 precious blood of our citizens ! We especially deplore the bloody 

 agony of the women and tender children killed by this Jugger- 

 naut. 



Habit has astonishing power to blind human judgment; yet, 

 although the results of war are not greater in horror, yet we 

 hail the conquering heroes; lift our brilliant banners to the 

 breeze; enter our cathedrals, and the national voice in " Te deum 

 laudamus " resounds ! Over the victims of speed, the less said 

 the better, we are all hush ! 



Ir. Knight exhibited and explained his patent life preserver, 

 the principle of whicli is a small mask defending the mouth 

 from water and resting upon the buoyant jacket secured to the 

 throat so as to keep the head erect notwithstanding the tiresome- 

 ness of that erect position, after some time, so that without it, 

 persons are known to become so tired with keeping the head up, 

 as at last to be drowned by the drooping thereof. 



Mr. Clough exhibited an apple slicer in full operation, which 

 divides an apple or a potato in twenty segments of equal size at 

 the rate of twenty slices every six seconds of time. Useful for 

 drying for pies &c. Cost about one dollar fifty cents each 

 machine. Invented by E. L. Pratt, of Philadelphia, Nov. 11, 

 1856. The operation of this useful little machine very much 

 pleased the Club. Mr. Clough called it the automaton slicer, 

 but like all automata, a real human muscle lies at the bottom, in 

 androides, automata rappers as well as slicers, chess players &c., 

 like men. 



Mr. J. K. Fisher exhibited excellent drawings of his steam 

 carriage, and he illustrated his furnace and boiler upon the 

 black-board. Adverted to some older efforts in this direction 

 and to several inventors now at work for the prize of steam 

 carriages. One pursues an old idea, that of giving it legs; 

 another l^orrows from Boydell his bits of track to be regularly 

 placed before his wheels, like so many snow-shoes. He adverted 

 to the difiiculty of persuading inventors to let the public into the 



