Notices . 
499 
tiller’s hogshead, the principle is the same. This is the reason 
why I did not think myself entitled to a patent for being the first in 
this country who distilled by steam. In the fall of 1809 I adapted 
a lid to a boiler in Dr. Priestley’s laboratory, and soldered it on. 
A safety valve was made of an inch tube of copper soldered in the 
lid. The liquor was supplied by a small wooden cistern above? 
with a pipe going near to the bottom, of the boiler. A tube froirt 
the boiler at right angles, conveyed the steam into the vessel con- 
taining the wash or beer : the tube reached to within four inches 
of the bottom of this vessel. It had a cock adapted in it so that 
the steam could be stopped off at pleasure. M. Schmid, who af- 
terwards conducted Mr. Jos. Priestley’s distillery, assisted me. 
John Hall, Esq. the late marshal of Philadelphia, himself well 
conversant in the business, and Enoch Smith, Esq. of Sunbury, 
dining with me one day while this experiment was going on, I 
shewed them the process itself, as they will testify. I find a pa- 
tent has been taken out for this method by some one who has 
just as much title to the invention as any reader of this arti- 
cle. The right of taking out patents is abused so egregiously, 
that it has become a perfect nuisance. T. C. 
Whiskey . In Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, during a year 
ending with April 1814, six hundred and eleven stills, manufac- 
tured 3,295,500 gallons of whiskey. 
Iron Works. At Cornwall furnace Mr. Coleman made 3351 
tons of pigs and castings from May 3, 1799, to March 21, 1801. 
The same gentleman, at Colebrook furnace, from May 8, 1799, 
to August 8, 1800, made 2033 tons of pigs and castings. 
From September 10, 1800, to October 1 , 1801, at the same 
furnace, 1594 tons. 
From October 14, 1801, to February 14, 1803, at the same 
furnace he made 3350 tons. 
Roofs of Houses. The danger incurred lately by the cities 
of Baltimore and Philadelphia from the near approach of the ene- 
my, suggests the propriety, or rather the absolute necessity of ex- 
changing the shingle roofs for some material of a less combusti- 
ble description. In England houses are covered with plain tiles, 
or with pan tiles, or with blue slate, or with copper, or with lead. 
Zinc and tinned iron have also been proposed. I have also seen a 
kind of plain tile made of thick pasteboard as incombustible ■ as 
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