AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 615 



motives, to as great if not greater benefit than to stationary en- 

 gines, by which the power of steam expended, and fuel used, 

 would be daily known. This dynamometer is simple in construc- 

 tion, easily applied to the cylinder of any description of engines, 

 with the registering dial which may be located in the office of 

 the engineer, or cabins of vessels, showing on its face at all times 

 the amount of steam that has been used, as also the power at the 

 time being. If the variation of power used is too great, the cause 

 will naturally be looked for, and may be found in the neglect of 

 the firemen in applying fuel to the boilers, derangement of parts 

 of the engine, want of lubrication. The latter is often found on 

 railroads to the great detriment of the running gear, as well as 

 the loss of power. 



Mr. Fisher proceeded by drawings on the black board to illus- 

 trate its power to measure arid register powers — steam, railroad, 

 land carriages, &c., and the great advantages resulting from accu- 

 rate knowledge of the several powers used. 



Mr. Butler mentioned the great importance of trials of power 

 recently on the Erie railroad, and that they would have been far 

 better done by Leonard's dynamometer. 



Mr. Fisher described it at length. 



Mr. Storms, by request of the Chairman, applied his illustra- 

 tions of the action of steam on piston valves, &c. 



President Pell was requested to continue his remarks from last 

 meeting, on the construction of steam boilers. He had acci- 

 dentally left at home a paper which he had prepared on that 

 subject. 



Mr. Pell made the following observations on steam. 



If you would have an admirable condenser, perforate the cyl- 

 inder, fasten one end of a pipe in it, pass it through the side of 

 the vessel into the water, and let it encircle the ship, and enter 

 a proper receptacle on the opposite side, which should be par- 

 tially open, to permit steam that has not been condensed by the 

 cool ocean to pass off. 



If you wish to superheat your steam, form a circle of upright 

 boilers, and adapt a furnace to each. 



To prevent explosion, place a fusible metal plug in a pipe at 

 the level in the boiler, below which you do not desire the water 

 should fall, and let this pipe connect with the principal flue, the 

 moment the water falls sufficiently to expose the pipe to intense 

 heat, it will melt the plug, and the steam will rush through and 

 put the fires out. When you take into consideration the fact 

 that if you have a pressure of 100 pounds to the square inch, 



