62 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



In 1804 tlie Philadelphia society was revived, and in the follow- 

 ing year it resumed its practice of offering premiums of gold and 

 silver medals. It offered tliat year the large number of fifty for the 

 best essa3's upon designated subjects ; for the finest specimens of 

 certain products, and for the best linen, woolen and cotton fabrics. 

 In 1824 it awarded premiums of money and plate. This society 

 existed until 1850, and between 1811 and 1826 it published five 

 valuable volumes, embracing matters relating to agriculture, man- 

 ufactures and the mechanic arts. 



The charter of the New York Society for the promotion of agri« 

 culture and the arts having expired by its own limitation in 1807., 

 the Society was renewed by an act of the Legislature of that year 

 under another name, " The Society for the Promotion of Useful 

 Arts," and as such it published four volumes of its transactions, 

 embracing a variety of subjects. 



In 1807jit presented a piece of silver plate to a Mr. William 

 Briggs, of Schoharie, for five specimens of woolen cloth of a superior 

 quality, manufactured in his family ; it appearing that his daugh- 

 ters manufactured 1200 yards of woolen cloth annually; a model 

 example certainly of domestic industry. It will also be interesting 

 to mention that I find in looking over its transactions that in 1808 

 a Mr. Abraham Bloodgood exhibited to the Society a model of a 

 floating battery, involving substantially the principle of the turret 

 in Erickson's monitor, a drawing and detailed description of which 

 is given. The vessel was designed to be anchored, and in the 

 center of it was a revolving circular battery pierced for eight guns, 

 above which was a turret pierced for musketry, the whole moving 

 upon a pivot attached to the keel of the vessel, a rotary motion to 

 which could be given by hand, by horse power, or by sails attached 

 like those of a wind mill. The description sets out its advantages 

 in these words: " By its rotary motion the cannon can be brought 

 to bear successively as fast as they can be loaded upon objects in 

 any direction. Being circular, the shot that strike it will glance 

 off. The men within are entirely protected from the enemy's fire. 

 Boarding would be impossible, and it can be made so strong as to 

 be impenetrable to a cannon shot." 



Between the years 1790 and 1816 the Legislature of the State 

 of New York passed many acts, at difi"erent periods, loaning the 

 money of the State to individuals upon security, to enable them to 

 establish or carry on various kinds of manufactures, such as woolen, 

 linen and cotton goods, earthenware, leather, cut nails, glass and 

 the fabrication of iron. In 1808 it passed an act giving premiums 

 annually for the best specimens of woolen cloth manufactured iii 



