560 TRANSACTIONS OF THK AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Mr. Garvey exhibited a new kind of refrigerator, the construc- 

 tion of wliich, was very simple. It consisted of three boxes 

 inside of one another, with a. space of only three-fourths of an 

 inch between each box. leaving a layer of cold dry air between 

 the outer and middle box, and charcoal between the middle and 

 inner one, with ice in the centre. It had a tube over the ice, 

 through which the air passed in, and went out at the other side. 

 It contained a fan wheel, which is worked by a kind of clock-work 

 inside, and thus a current of air is kept up for a period of thirty 

 hours. It also possessed an advantage which was very useful to 

 farmers, which was, that it could be used without any ice. He 

 believed it would prove a very successful article. Mr. Wm. 

 Symms, of Ohio, ho stated, was the inventor of it. 



The Chairman. — Do you think it can be used successfully 

 without ice ? 



Mr. Garvey. — I do. 



The Chairman asked why people placed their provisions in 

 wells to preserve them ? 



Mr, Garvey said it was on account both of the low pressure 

 and the occasional presence of carbonic acid. 



T. D. Stetson said that carbonic acid does not collect in wells 

 that are constantly used. He stated that simply drawing up a 

 pail of water two or three times and throwing it down the well 

 again would make any well healthy enough for a person to go 

 down with perfect safety ; also, that if a well is left idle for a 

 length of time the carbonic acid may collect in such a quantity 

 that it will cause it to be fatal. 



Mr. Garvey. — In wells which have not been used for a length 

 of time it would be better not to go down into them. If it is a 

 deep well it may take months to get the carbonic acid out of it. 

 Unless a lamp let down lighted into a well would continue 

 burning for a length of time I would not let a man go down into 

 it. I am in favor of agitating a well in the manner described by 

 Mr. Stetson, and then letting down a burning candle. 



Mr, Seely said that carbonic acid was one and a half times 

 heavier than air, and that it generates in wells. He saw a well 

 in Saratoga county in which carbonic acid had generated. If two 

 gases are brought in contact with one another they will mingle 

 together. 



Mr. Garvey stated that it was dangerous to keep at a given 

 altitude in brass factories. He had seen it absolutely necessary 



