458 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



From Labrador to Grrcenland, 500 miles ; thence to Iceland, 400 or 500 

 miles ; to Faroe islands, 270 miles ; to Norway, 400. 



Mr. ShaiFncr says that he does not believe that the messages declared to 

 have come over the late Atlantic cable, ever came ! 



Mr. Butler wished to know if it were possible to telegraph without wires, 

 or through wire-; havina; breaks of considerable Icncfth. 



The Chairman stated that telegraphing has been effected without wires, 

 even in a recent storm. 



Mr. Secley had read an account of such telegraphing in the papers. At 

 first he did not believe it, but the constant repetition of similar accounts in 

 various papers lead him to believe that it had been done. 



The use of gutta percha as an insulator must be given up, for gutta 

 percha changes and decomposes under the weather, a fact not known at 

 first. Vulcanized rubber is the only reliable material for covering wires, 

 so as to insulate them. It is homogeneous, water tight, and ought to last 

 forever. 



Professor Hedrick. — Several miles of Atlantic cable were taken out West, 

 and were perfect at first. When worked a short time, however, the coating 

 had been destroyed. He suggests that the wire be threaded through glasa 

 beads, which might then be covered with an insulating, water-tight coating 

 of India rubber, or of rubber and pranulated cork. 



Dr. Yanderweyde objected to the use of glass beads, as they would 

 serve to accumulate the electricity. A coating of glass should be continu- 

 ous, and that is impossible. 



Mr. Stetson. — A further difficulty would be that the water under a great 

 pressure would pass through the pores of the rubber, and so destroy the in- 

 sulation. 



Dr. Yanderweyde. — We know next to nothing of the changes which 

 come over materials at great depths. Cork has its specific gravity com- 

 pletely changed. When submerged a mile or two it comes up one and 

 four-tenth times as heavy as water. Wood is aifected in the same way. 



Mr. Butler, to show that gutta percha becomes useless as a cover for 

 telegraph wires, mentioned the fact that a water pipe of it which he used 

 crumbled to pieces in a very short time. 



The regular subject of the evening, '* The Economical Sources of Power," 

 being now called for. 



Dr. Yanderweyde asked if any gentleman present knew of a form of 

 electric motor said to be invented by a Welchman. W hat was its construc- 

 tion, or mode of action ? Magnetism is proved, by well known experiments, 

 to be caused by a current of electricity, and upon this one fact nearly all 

 attempts to make electrical engines have been based. Electricity is not 

 now an economical source of power, but the time may come when it will be, 

 for we. are only in the infancy of the science of electricity. 



Mr. Cohen. — All our sources of power may ultimately be reduced to three 

 heads. Gravity, Heat, and Electricity. Gravity is represented by water- 

 power, which, according to local circumstances, we find economical. Heat, 



