322 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



descent from Duane to Canal street, and an obvious defect on the great 

 thoroug-hfare will be remedied. The proposed improvement can be made 

 without injury to private rights, for it is a remarkable fact that higli base- 

 ments on Broadway command in many instacces almost as high rent as the 

 next story above. The demand for high basements has of late been so 

 great that fine brown stone buildings built in the old style have been taken 

 down during the past year, and edifices have been erected in their places 

 which have two floors equal 1}'' accessible from the street. It seems that 

 the increased rent received from such basements will more than pay the 

 interest on the cost of a new building. The lowering of the grade as now 

 proposed, will secure to the buildings on either side of the street, and on 

 either side of the cross-streets for the distance of one block from Broad- 

 way, high basements which can be finished in the usual style without alter- 

 ing the main structure. Thus all the desired benefits will be gained and 

 the necessity of rebuilding obviated. The increased rents from the high 

 basements would pay the interest on $2,000,000 ; this sum may therefore 

 express the increased value of the real estate in the vicinity of the pro- 

 posed improvement. 



Mr. J. Bull observed that however advantageous a change in the grade 

 of Broadwa}'', so far as regards the more general introduction of high base- 

 ments to the buildings already erected is concerned, Ihere appeared to him 

 some strong, objections to the proposition. No one who is at all familiar 

 with the present style of new buildings on the lower part of Broadway can 

 for a moment doubt that high basements are regarded with great favor, 

 especially' by the landlords, influenced perhaps in some degree by the fabu- 

 lous prices which those basements now command. In illustrai;ion of his 

 ideas, he referred to that beautiful structure erected, somewhat recently, 

 by Dr. Parmley, at the corner of Maiden lane, and others in that vicinity 

 now in the process of erection. But the widening of Worth street and the 

 establishment of a grade in that street east of Broadway, based upon the 

 present establislipd grade of that over-crowded thoroughfare, presented 

 practical objections to the proposition that. seemed to him insurmountable, 

 for the present at least. 



The subject elicited some further discussion, after which the following 

 notes on recent scientific observations and experiments were read by the 

 Chairman, in which we have added some of the comments made by members: 



Conical Hailstones. 



Hailstones fell at Paris on the 29th of March last, having an absolutely 

 conical form. The base of the cone was slightly concave, and the sides 

 were roughened by minute six-sided transparent pyramids inclined toward 

 the base. Some pyramids also emerged from the base. The weight of 

 these cones varied from 180 to 250 milligrams. The diameter of the base 

 varied from 8 to 10 millimeters, and the hight from 10 to 13 millimeters. 

 The minimum temperature of the day was 32° Fah. Rain, hail and snow 

 ha# fallen during the morning, and at three o'clock p. m. fell the cone-formed 

 hailstones. 



Mr. Maj'uard spoke of a severe hail storm which occurred at this city in 

 August, 18G2; it extended as far south as Grand street; he picked up half 



