AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 621 



unoccupied, except by lamps, trees, and in some cases openings 

 to vaults; the operations in omnibuses, carriages, carts, and of 

 pedestrians^ would not be disturbed, and you would have convey- 

 ances in the cars for as great a number of individuals as are now 

 earned in omnibuses. 



J. K. Fisher remarked, that if other avenues, or wide streets, 

 should be opened parallel with Broadway, they would tend to 

 great increase of the value of the property there, and diminish 

 the value of the Broadway property. He was not satisfied with 

 our stone pavements — he preferred the iron to all methods 

 known. He preferred some mechanical power to that of animal, 

 it was cleaner, takes less space. 



The Chairman stated, that as to sidewalks, where our law au- 

 thorizes the breadth to be seven feet, many are eight feet, and 

 many of them more than that. The committee of the common 

 council propose widening Broadway three feet and three inches, 

 leaving the sidewalks five feet wide ; to take the sidewalk in front 

 of the City Hall park for a carriage-way, take three feet from the 

 walk in front of St. Paul's church, place the hydrants in the side 

 streets, remove gas posts, etc., and affix the gas Ian thorns to the 

 walls of the buildings, so as to project over the sidewalk. 



The same subject was ordered to be continued at the next 

 meeting, and the club adjourned. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



^pril 8, 1857. 



Present — Messrs. Tillman, Fisher, Dr. Smith, Roberts, of Phila- 

 delphia (colored), Mons. Auguste D'Ourville, of Philadelphia, 

 Harvey, Butler, Godwin and others — 26 members. 



The regular chairman, Mr. Haswell, being absent, Mr. Tillman 

 was appointed chairman pro tern. Henry Meig>, Secretary. 



Mons. D'Ourville exhibited a corn planting machine, patented 

 by Messrs. Jefifers, Sparks & Jeffers, of Philadelphia, which is 

 drawn by one horse, and guided by a man holding plough handles 

 behind. The machine drops as many grains of corn, of any size, 

 and at any distance desired. It can plant twenty acres in a day. 

 It will cost about $25. It is peculiarly suited.to our vast prairies. 



Aaron Roberts, of -Philadelphia (a colored man), exhibited and 

 explained a machine for aiding in throwing water upon fires 

 which men cannot approach. It is a metallic telescope, whose 

 several parts are r-^adily hoisted by means of a winch to the suit- 

 able height, carrying up within it the hose, from whence a more 

 full and solid stream is thrown upon the fire, the pipe being 



