642 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



power used there for keeping out water is the windmill power. 

 Each mill has three men to attend to it. There are different 

 kinds of windmills there, but the smallest one I ever saw there is 

 larger than the largest one I ever saw here. In that way thej 

 compete with steam. 



Adjourned until Thursday evening, Jan. 10, 1861, at 7^ o'clock. 



American Institute, Polytechnic Association, ? 

 January 10, 1861. \ 



Professor Mason in the chair. 



The Chairman proposed the following subject for future con- 

 sideration : "The effect of temperature, and the force operating 

 in crystalization." 



Mr. Haskell submitted the following, for the same purpose : 

 " Artificial members of the human body." 



Mr. Stetson proposed the subject of " Compressed air, and its 

 use in propulsion." 



Mr. Holcomb introduced a new telegraphing apparatus which 

 possessed the power of telegraphing by one or two currents. He 

 introduced permanent magnetism into his invention, and intended 

 to product signals by sound.' By his plan he is enabled by one 

 movement of the key to get both combined. Third and fourth 

 rate operators now operate by sound. Another improvement was 

 the new spring he introduced. When this spring is applied there 

 is not much difference between a weak and a strong current. 

 He claimed the advantage of doubling the motive power by per- 

 manent magnetism. The key connects in such a way that the 

 current is reversed at one stroke. He stated that the generality 

 of operators attributed all their difficulties to permanent mag- 

 netism. 



Mr. Stetson. — Can you telegraph further and faster by this 

 machine ? 



Mr. Holcomb. — You ought to be able to do so. It will take 

 two motions to make one signal. 



Mr. Seely said that if the gentleman's views were correct he 

 had made a valuable discovery. He thought the experiments 

 made were not without objections. In a position without touch- 

 ing the key the current is passing. By pressing the key the cur- 

 rent is broken, and by pressing it still further it is reversed. 

 Then by removing the pressure the current is restored. 



