281 



Mr. Haddock being present, on invitation of the presi- 

 dent, gave an account of his balloon ascension with La 

 Mountain from Waterloo. 



He estimated the highest altitude attained to have been 

 3£ miles. During 34 minutes, the thermometer sank lj de- 

 grees per minute. The distance traversed was 286 miles in 

 3 J hours: this was at the rate of about 85 miles per hour ; 

 and yet with all this speed, they were entirely unconscious 

 of motion. 



Mr. Haddock gave it as his opinion that balloon ascension 

 was not destined to attain any useful end. Its scientific re- 

 sults were about on a par with kite-flying. 



Adjourned. 



January 31, 1860. 

 In the absence of the president, Mr. Munsell was appointed 

 chairman. 



The Secretary announced donations to the Institute col- 

 lections, of an iron coin of the time of Antoninus Pius, and 

 an old Greek coin, from W. B. Sprague, jr. ; also from J. W. 

 Stearns, a specimen of variegated anthracite coal, and a 

 Canada halfpenny. 



Mr. Hickcox, from the State Library, then presented a 

 communication upon the Early Paper Currency of New 

 York. 



Mr. Hickcox's paper was a complete history of paper cur- 

 rency in New York, giving minute details of the various 

 acts issuing paper, and redeeming it. It closed with a 

 summary of the amount of bills of credit issued in New 

 York, with their respective dates. 



At the close of Mr. Hickcox's paper, George P. Jackson 

 presented a communication in regard to the defects of hol- 

 low cast iron columns. He showed the difficulty of casting 

 them, and asserted that for small columns, solid were pre- 

 ferable. 



