Intelligence and Miscellanies. 181 



that he had demonstrated the practicability of accomplish- 

 ing both these objects, by electro-chemical agency. He then 

 exhibited to the Society two iron spikes which after being 

 jfiled bright, had been driven into a block of wood, and kept 

 immersed in sea water smce June 14th, 1827. A part of 

 one of the spikes had been accidentally exposed in chipping 

 the block m consequence of a knot m the wood ; the heads 

 and the parts of the spike exposed were bright as at first, 

 and without the slightest appearance of corrosion. He also 

 placed before the Society a small iron plate which had been 

 scoured bright and fastened with iron nails to a piece of 

 board. This had been likewise immersed in sea water since 

 June 14th, 1827 — the iron plate exhibited its metallic lustre 

 without having undergone the slightest oxidation. Dr. R. 

 concluded by remarking, that the chief merit to which he 

 could aspire was having perceived the practical value of the 

 inquiry and perseveringly followed in the path indicated by 

 Sir Humphrey Davy; that the practical importance of the 

 subjects as connected with many of the useful arts must be 

 apparent to all ; that his object at present was merely to an- 

 nounce to the Society some of the results, but that he pro- 

 posed at a future period to publish an elaborate account of 

 this investigation. He invited the Society to examine bis ex- 

 periments made on a larger scale, and among others a boat 

 sheathed with iron, and placed at the Navy Yard at Brooklyn. 



1 1 . Steam Pump. 

 CommuoicatioQ. 



West Point, Feb. 15, 1829. 



Sir — T take the liberty of laying before you the result of 

 some experiments made with the steam pump, an invention 

 described in this Journal, Vol. XIV, p. 169. 



The experiments were made at the West Point foundry, 

 where a machine has been constructed of cast iron. The 

 boiler used is fifty inches in length and fifteen in diameter ; 

 giving a surface exposed to the fire of about ten square feet, 

 or sufficient for a one horse engine of the usual kind. The 

 cylinders or receivers are each of about three cubic feet or 

 twenty four gallon capacity. The pumps are fifteen feet 

 high and four inches in diameter. The escape tubes are ten 

 inches long and of diameters the same as the pumps. The 

 operation of the machine was to make five strokes per min- 

 ute, or to fill and discharge one receiver three times and the 



