180 Intelligence and Miscellanies. 



10. Patent '■'■for an improvement in the construction of 

 ships, steamboats and other vessels and boats as respects 

 their metallic fastenings, and sheathing, by John Revere.'''' — 

 At the meeting of the Lyceum of Natural History of New 

 York, March 17th, 1829, Doctor Revere communicated to 

 the Society the results of an experimental investigation of 

 the electro-chemical relations of iron and some of the other 

 metals with a view to their application to the useful arts, es- 

 pecially ship building. After adverting to the different sub- 

 stances that have been employed for the fastenings and sheath- 

 ing of vessels, and the advantages and disadvantages of each, 

 ho pointed out the great superiority of iron for the fasten- 

 ings of that stupendous, moveable fabric, a modern ship, in 

 every respect, except its liability to oxidate in sea water, es- 

 pecially when the vessel is sheathed with copper. He re- 

 marked that with this exception, iron combines for this pur- 

 pose all the valuable properties of all the other metals. It 

 is most abundant; its malleability is sufficient for all useful 

 purposes ; in strength or tenacity it surpasses them all, being 

 in this respect to copper as five hundred and forty nine to 

 three hundred and two, and it possesses the property of be- 

 ing welded, which is peculiar to it and platinum. Having 

 pomted out the cause of the rapid oxidation of the iron fas- 

 tenmgs of vessels when sheathed with copper, which was 

 first suggested by Fabroni, viz, a galvanic influence ; and 

 having spoken particularly of the admirable researches of Sir 

 H. Davy on preserving the copper sheathing of ships, he ob- 

 served that since it was so desirable an object to use iron 

 fastenings, and inasmuch as the cause of the rapiddecay of the 

 iron fastenings in copper-sheathed vessels was understood, 

 it seemed to him surprising that no one had attempted to cor- 

 rect this defect by means founded on this knowledge. In 

 the autumn of 1826, he formed the resolution of undertaking 

 the solution of this problem but did not commence his exper- 

 iments until thespringof 1827; andfrom that time to the pres- 

 ent, this experimental investigation had occupied all his leis- 

 ure. He observed, that the problem first proposed to himself 

 was the preservation of the iron fastenings in copper sheath- 

 ed vessels, but that as he advanced in the inquiry, he be- 

 came satisfied of the practicability not only of preserving 

 the iron fastenings under these circumstances, but also of 

 employing iron sheets for sheathing. He added that he 

 now thought himself authorized to announce to the Society 



