PROCEEDINGS OF THE TOLYTECHXIC ASSOCUTION. 567 



by a relay of rockets of suitable size pointing aft to give to the 

 vessel the appropriate velocity. 



As soon as one rocket was exhausted it set fire to the next, and 

 so on until the object was reached to which the stem of the ves- 

 sel was directed, being first struck by the pin before mentioned, 

 which communicating with the percussion powder and that with 

 the cargo of combustibles, exploding the whole under the ship's 

 counter, while the force of the vessel striking would have fear- 

 fully shattered at first, rendering instant and inevitable destruc- 

 tion to the ship and all on board. The object of the deep keel 

 was to guide the Peace maker in the one undeviating course to 

 the object aimed at. I tried the experiment with a tin model of 

 five feet long in Wallabout bay, setting fire to the rocket myself; 

 on the instant it sped off with a velocity far beyond my expecta- 

 Although I deemed my first experiment a perfect success so far 

 as I had attempted it, but I learned the fact that the rockets, the 

 propelling power, would necessarily have to be so graduated to 

 the resistance to be overcome and the velocity thereby be so 

 regulated that the vessel in a rough sea would not by her too 

 great speed bury herself in the waves. 



Before I was prepared to try another experiment the news of 

 peace between the Allies and Russians arrived that put an end 

 to any further trial on my part. Still I think this description of 

 vessel, without its cargo of destructibles, might be made availa- 

 ble in saving life from wrecked vessels, by carrj^ing one or more 

 lines from shore to a wreck when the ocean was so tempestuous 

 that no boat from the shore could live to reach her, and thus be 

 the means of saving many valuable lives that might otherwise 

 perish. 



Mr. Seely. — In one of your plans you require an inextinguish- 

 able fire. .Have you found it? 



Mr. Bruce replied that he had. 



Mr. Churchill inquired whether malleable iron prepared with 

 zinc afforded a protection against rust ? 



Mr. Johnson stated that he had heard of metal having been 

 prepared in such a manner, but not to any great extent. He did 

 not think it was very successful. 



Mr. Selleck believed it was made by using red oxyde. 



Mr. Dibben said that zinc did not go into any union with the 

 iron. He thought Mr. Selleck's statement was doubtful. Their 

 theory is that when the zinc takes the carbonate from the iron 



