26 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



event. During a long life lie stood prominently forward among the 

 literary and scientific men of his day, and numbered among his 

 intimate literary friends Irving, Cooper, and many other bright 

 ornaments of American literature and science. The removal of 

 such a man is an event of special interest to the community cf 

 which he was so long a useful and prominent member. 



His contributions to science, and the aid and encouragement that 

 he so long gave to the American Institute, make his death no ordi- 

 nary event. He has passed away, but although the sun of life iias 

 gone down and the grave has closed over all that was mortal of James 

 Renwick, his example and his works are left as a legacy to his friends 

 and co-workers in the cause of science. Although we claim not for 

 him a rivalship with a Newton or a Laplace, nevertheless he attained 

 an honorable place among the scientific men of his day. His contri- 

 butions to science, at least many of them, will probably remain a 

 secret, yet he has contributed many valuable articles that may be 

 found in the American Quarterly, published in this city. 



Many of his leisure hours were employed to fill the fointain of 

 scientific knowledge that is sending forth its streams to bless the 

 world. How largely has human toil and suffering been mitigated by 

 the labors of the student of science, and how largely have human 

 comforts been increased by them. Little, too little, do nen around 

 the dwelling of the patient and unobtrusive student in the wide field 

 of science, know their indebtedness to the man who is iidustriously 

 exploring it or laboring to spread abroad its already collected stores. 

 Many who now reap the rich results of a Fulton's discovery of the 

 eteam engine, never reflect upon the nights and days that his mighty 

 mind labored, before his creative intellect brought to perfection and 

 laid the noble trophy of his genius before the world. Its vast, its 

 beautiful combinations, culminating in such a power to bless the 

 world, lie far beyond the reach of common observacion. It is the 

 person whose mind has been enlightened by sciertific knowledge, 

 that can follow the workings of such a mind, or rghtly appreciate 

 the triumphs of such a genius. To carry men up to such a point, and 

 to open such a rich field of intellectual wealth and enjoyment, was one 

 of the constant efforts of the late lamented Prof. Benwick. His time 

 and the resources of his mind, that many years o:' patient study had 

 made rich in scientific knowledge, he not only with a free will, but 

 with a peculiar pleasure, gave to advance the noble purpose of the 

 clubs connected with this Institute. The energy of youth, that years 

 were naturally making less powerful, seemed to be kindled anew, 

 when he spoke of the purposes of these clubs, especially the Poly- 

 technic. He hailed it as one of those powerful agencies that would 

 foster and keej^ alive the ardor with which he desired to see young 



