496 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



him to say, that since the last meeting he had constructed a bat- 

 tery which was now performing its work satisfactorily without 

 the use of the sand box ; but that as it had not met with any 

 rainy weather while making the experiment he could not arrive 

 at any definite conclusion on the subject. He had made the ex- 

 periment by attaching 54 cars to the locomotive instead of 45, 

 which was the usual number used. He stated that the parties 

 would be ready to come forward and explain everything con- 

 nected with them as soon as they found what the results would 

 be. They informed him (the Chairman) yesterday, that they 

 were moving forward with the work, and hoped to be able to 

 give the railway company a dry wheel without the use of the 

 sand box, and will be able to make the engine perform its work 

 as well on a wet rail without the sand box, as it would with it. 

 All the engines have to draw 54 cars, instead of the usual num- 

 ber, 45. This company, by the increased economy, are now 

 bringing coal to this market and selling it at as low a price as it 

 can be delivered at in Philadelphia. 



The Chairman stated it at his opinion that, by the time the 

 next census would be taken, Brooklyn would contain as many 

 inhabitants as New York, and that the Island of Manhattan 

 would be given up to first class houses and large manufactories. 

 A gentleman of his acquaintance who wished to establish a large 

 manufactory had told him that he had travelled West street for 

 four blocks and was unable to find one. He thought that the 

 machine of Eli Whitney had done more for the cotton crop than 

 all the negroes of the South. 



Mr. Seely said, in reference to the subject which was set down 

 for discussion at this meeting, that magnetism makes a locomo- 

 tive take better hold of the rail than anything else, but that one 

 serious objection to the use of it was that there must be a bat- 

 tery on board, and that that would be very unpleasant, and 

 would be clearly in the way ; but, at the same time, it would 

 only be a practical difficulty. There is also a practical difficulty 

 in making a magnet of the form of a wheel. If you magnetize 

 the spokes of a wheel you will get very little magnetism in the 

 rim. If your magnet is rusty it may only raise a pound, but if 

 you rub the two ends together you may raise 500 pounds. Take 

 a body that weighs four pounds on the earth and bring it up to 

 a mountain and it will weigh the same.(?) 



Mr. Dibben. — By a law of attraction which was in existence, the 



