152 REPORT— 1867. 



Meeting. The use of the jet-propeller, first put in practice in 1839 by Messrs. 

 EutliTen, lias lately been revived and extended ; and in future reports it is highly 

 desirable that examples of its performance should be recorded. 



Conveyance. — 1. Railway Brakes, 1859, by Dr. Fairbairn. 2. Soimd Signals at 

 Sea, 1861, by Prof. Hennessy. 3. Fog Signals, 1803, 1866, by a Committee. All 

 these reports contain results of great importance to the public safety. The atten- 

 tion of the Association was called last year to Mr. Fell's method of ascending steep 

 gi-adients on railways by the help of a central rail. 



Metallurgy. — Although no report upon metallurgy has been presented to this 

 Section within the period to which this summary refers, I consider that it woidd 

 be incomplete were I not to mention two ordinary communications to the Sec- 

 tion, in 18-56 and 186-5, by Sir. Bessemer, on his method of making ii'on and steel, 

 a subject to which the Section might well devote a large share of its attention. 



Ayricultitral Machinery. — No report on this subject has ever been laid before the 

 Section, but an ordinary paper was read in 18-53 on the history of reaping machines, 

 by Mr. Crosskill. The inventor of the first practicalh' successful reaping machine, 

 the Rev. Patrick Bell, resides at no great distance from Dimdee ; and Ihope that 

 the Meeting may, if possible, be favoured with the presence of so great a benefac- 

 tor to agriculture. 



Reports were made on the following subjects at the instance of the Mechanical 

 Section, in conjunction -with various other Sections of the Association : — Weights 

 and Measures, 1864-66. Patent Laws, 1858-59, 1861. Scientific Evidence in 

 Courts of Law, 1866. 



Considering the number, the variety, and the extent of the researches — of which, 

 in the limited time at my disposal, I have only been able to give an account so 

 brief that perhaps it deserves the name of a catalogue rather than that of a sum- 

 mary — the labour and skill expended in these researches, and the scientific interest 

 and practical utility of the results to which they have led, I think that the Me- 

 chanical Section of the British Association maj^ fairly claim the credit of having 

 exerted itself, not only for the advancement of science,' but for the improvement of 

 practice, with industry and with success. 



On ilie Difficultij of ohtaininr/ Local Information after reaching tJie Summits 

 of Eminences from which extensive Vieivs are obtained. By J. Van-Nokden 

 Bazalgette. 



To supply trustworthy topographical information, the author proposed that local 

 indicators should be placed upon summits which are periodically visited by tourists. 

 The Local TopogTaphical Indicator would consist of a circular table of stone or metal, 

 engraved with radial lines pointing in the direction of any object of interest. 

 LTpon the line would be engraved the name of the object, its distance from the 

 point of view, and, in the case of mountains, giving their coiTect height above the 

 sea. _ A table of three feet in diameter would be sufliciently large to embrace a 

 district of thirty miles- in radius, which would generally be found sufficient. To 

 facilitate reference, concentric lines, at distances of fi-\-e luiles, would be engraved 

 upon the table, ■v\-itliin which circles the names of places at such distances would 

 appear. Upon an outer circle, the names, directions and distances of large cities, 

 cathedrals, dockyards, headlands, and other objects of interest beyond the thirty- 

 mile circle would be shown. In the centre of the table may be placed a telescope, 

 with an indicating hand, arranged so that on placing the hand m the direction of 

 any object, the object itself, if within the range of sight, would be brought within 

 the field of the telescope. Arrangements are now being made by the author for 

 the erection of a local indicator, with a telescope and light ornamental shelter, 

 upon the summit of the Malvern Beacon Hill, in Worcestershire. The form of 

 the local indicator may be varied according to circumstances. It may be cheapiv 

 constructed in cast iron, and with or without the telescope and building. The 

 local indicator would aflbrd to the tourist much of the interest and information 

 whicli is frequently lost in consequence of fogs enveloping the summit which with 

 difficulty he has reached, and would at once point out the direction for returning 

 — a want which the author has frequently experienced. A smaller and less com- 



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