APPENDIX (A.) PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SCOTTISH SOCIETY OF ARTS, SESSION 1864-65. The Annual General Meeting of the Royal Scottish Society of Arts was held in their Hall, 117 George Street, on Monday, 14th November 1864, at Eight o'clock P.M.— Dr Stevenson Macadam, President, in the Chair. 1. The President gave an address, for which, on the motion of Mr William Lees, seconded by Mr Ivory, thanks were unanimously voted; and he was requested to allow it to be transmitted to the Publication Committee, in the view of being published among the Transactions, to which he assented. (See Address printed in the Transactions, Vol. VI. Part IV. p. 383.) 2. The Report of the Prize Committee, awarding the prizes for Session 1863-64, was read, and the prizes were delivered by the President to the successful Candidates. The Models and Drawings of Inventions, &c., for which prizes have been awarded, were exhibited. The following Donations were laid on the table, and thanks returned to the Donors: 1. A Copying Photographic Camera. Presented by Professor C. Piazzi Smyth. 2. Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India-"Palæontologia Indica.” Nos. 3, 2-5. Presented by the Superintendent, under instructions from the Governor General. 3. Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 1863. Presented by the Association. 4. Annual Report of the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington, 1863. 5. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. V.; and 6. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, Vol. XIII. Presented by the Smithsonian Institution. VOL. VII.-APP. 7. Boston Journal of Natural History. Vol. VII., No. 4; and 8. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History. Vol. IX., April to July 1863, and Dec. 1863 to March 1864. Presented by the Society, and transmitted through the Smithsonian Institution. 9. The Canadian Journal of Industry, Science, and Art. New Series, Nos. 52 and 53. July and September 1864. Presented by the Canadian Institute. 10. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. November 1863, and January 1864. Presented by the Institution. 11. Proceedings of the Royal Society, London. Vol. XIII., Nos. 65– 67 inclusive. Presented by the Society. 12. The Journal of the Royal Dublin Society. October 1863 to July 1864. Presented by the Society. 13. The Assurance Magazine and Journal of the Institute of Actuaries, London. Vol. XI., Part 6, July 1864, and Vol. XII., Part 1, October 1864, with Copy Constitution and Laws and List of Members of the Institute. Presented by the Institute. 14. Proceedings of the Scottish Shipbuilders' Association. and March 1864. Presented by the Association. February 15. The Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal. Nos. 365-368 inclusive. Presented by the Proprietors. 16. The Practical Mechanic's Journal. Parts 197-200 inclusive. Presented by the Proprietors. 17. The Artizan. Nos. 20-23 inclusive, of Vol. II., Third Series. Presented by the Proprietors. 18. The Mechanic's Magazine. Nos. 289-305 inclusive. Presented by the Proprietors. 19. The Journal of the Society of Arts, London. Nos. 607-623 inclusive. Presented by the Society. 20. Visible Speech. By Alexander Melville Bell, F.E I.S., &c. 1864. Presented by the Author. PRIVATE BUSINESS. I. The Minutes of last Meeting were read and confirmed. II. The following Candidates were proposed, balloted for, and admitted as Ordinary Fellows, viz. : 1. John Smith, C.E., 8 Buckingham Terrace. 2. Thomas J. Kelly, schoolmaster, Duddingston Parish School. III. In terms of the resolution of the Society of 11th April 1864, the Council inserted in the Billets calling the first General Meeting, the names of the gentlemen whom they proposed as President, Vice-Presidents, and new Councillors. IV. In terms of Law XV., the Society elected its OfficeBearers for Session 1864-65:— CHARLES COWAN, Esq., of Logan House, Valleyfield, Penicuik, Presi dent. ALEXANDER RAMSAY, Esq., Manager, Edinburgh Water Company, 123 Princes Street, DAVID LANDALE, Esq., M.E., 6 Forth Street, JOHN BEATSON BELL, Esq., W.S., Chambers, 5 Hill Street, Secretary. JOHN SCOTT MONCRIEFF, Esq., C.A., Chambers, 7 North St David Street, Treasurer. STEVENSON MACADAM, Ph.D., F.R.S.E., F.C.S., &c., Surgeons' Hall, Mr ALEXANDER JAMIESON, 71 Adam Square, Curator of Museum. Ordinary Councillors. THOMAS STEVENSON, Esq., C.E., J. REID, Esq., Engineer and Manager, Edinburgh and Leith RITCHIE, Esq., Watchmaker, J. M. BRYSON, Esq., Optician, A. J. ADIE, Esq., C.E., F.R.S.E. The office of Curator of the Library was not at present filled up. V. A List of the Office-Bearers, and Alphabetical List of the Fellows as at 1st November 1864, in the order of admission, accompanied the Billets of the Meeting; as also VI. A Copy of the Report of the Prize Committee for Session 1863-64. VII. The following Resignations as at 1st inst. were accepted, viz.: 1. William Danks, merchant, Salisbury Street. 2. T. G. Dick, lecturer, 1 Claremont Terrace, Glasgow. 3. John Gamgee, Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Edinburgh. 4. Dr Murray Thomson, lecturer on chemistry, Edinburgh. 5. Andrew Findlater, 25 Rutland Street. VIII. The Names of various Fellows were struck out of the List of Members, in consequence of being in arrear of their Annual Contributions. The Society then adjourned. Second Meeting-28th November 1864.-Charles Cowan, Esq., of Logan House, President, in the Chair. On taking the Chair, the new President returned thanks for the honour conferred on him by the Society, in electing him to the office of President. The following Communications were then made:— 1. Suggestions for improvement in the Construction of Telegraph Cables. By William Vivian, Mwyndy, Llantrissant near Pont-y-Pridd, South Wales. In the absence of the author, the paper was read by the Secretary. The author stated that the attention of electricians has mostly been directed to the nature of electricity, its modes of generation and conduction, by numerous experiments with wires in open air; but here the conditions are very different, as the resistance to the passage of the fluid is very much less, as compared with that of a conducting wire submerged in the deep sea. The remarks now to be offered, however, will be founded on, and the result of, long and careful investigations into the molecular structure and arrangement of the medium of conduction. If we examine the structure of copper with a powerful microscope, we shall perceive that the structure is perfectly cellular, and not crystalline, as is commonly supposed. It may be safely affirmed that there is not a particle of the copper of commerce in which any approach to the angular or prismatic arrangement of crystallisation can be detected, and this can easily be proved by any metallurgist who has a good microscope, and is acquainted with the use of it. The cellular structure in copper is well developed, constituting a complete and continuous system of cells, apparently communicating from one to the other throughout. The brilliant reflection of light emitted from a fracture of copper when first broken off comes from the inner surfaces of these cells en masse, for each single cell possesses the highest degree of burnish or brilliancy conceivable. The cells referred to in copper are, in their normal position, perfect vacuums, and, except under intense pressure, are impervious to ponderable matter of every kind. That air has no access to them in this state is shown by the fact that, whenever a fracture is first made in a piece of copper, the light reflected from the cells is then brilliant, but a slight exposure to the oxydising effects of the atmosphere causes it to tarnish quickly, and become dull. It should be remarked that these cells only exist internally; the outer surface of the metal does not show any, and the application of the tool, and of any mechanical force whatever, effaces them, and tends to close them up. It is also worthy of remark, that, next to silver, copper being the best conductor of heat, is also the best conductor of electricity, which seems to indicate that, however different the degrees of speed with which they travel, their lines of transit are here the same. In conclusion, the author offered the following suggestions:First, The diameter of the conducting wire should always be made to correspond with its length. Hitherto this has not been attended to as it should have been. If we suppose the force travels internally through the cells which are vacuums, it is easy to believe there are certain points in great lengths of wire in which there is but an imperfect development of the cells, and, consequently, the natural resistance to the passage of the force, which all metals show, is very much increased in a small wire, if it is not entirely closed against it, to say nothing of the retarding, and perhaps destructive, effects of other contingencies-such as the strain on the cable in laying it, deep-sea pressure, &c. Secondly, If the force travels internally, the mere contact of the outer surfaces of the wire by lapping over, or twisting the ends, cannot be effectual to ensure a proper channel for its passage from one length of the wire to another, wherever a junction is effected. The proper method seems to be to make each piece of wire of the greatest length possible, and whenever a junction of lengths is inevitable, it should be made by fracturing the two ends to be united as evenly as possible-not cutting them—and thereafter bringing the fractured ends into immediate contact. Thirdly,-As we are accustomed to polish metals to prevent the radiation of heat, so the conducting wire should be polished to the highest degree of which the metal is susceptible, before it is imbedded into, or coated with, the insulating medium. Thus, by closing the cells on the surface of the wire more effectually, it will, to a great extent, become its own insulator, which can more effectively be completed by the ordinary mode of insulation in common use. After some remarks by the President, Mr Hurst, Mr Sang, Dr Macadam, and Mr R. W. Thomson, thanks, on the motion of the President, were voted to Mr Vivian for his communication, and he was requested to forward any additional information which he may procure as to the practical results of his proposed improvements. 2. Remarks on the Sheffield Water-Works Failure, and the Report thereon by the Government Engineers. By Robert Aytoun, F.R.S.S.A. Illustrated by Drawings. (See Paper printed in the Transactions, p. 1.) After the reading of the paper, an animated discussion on its subject arose, in which the President, Mr Thomas Stevenson, Mr Ramsay, V.P., Mr Jardine, Mr D. Landale, and Mr Sang, took part,-and the communication was then remitted to the following Committee to examine and report, viz.-Mr William Lees (Convener), Mr R. W. Thomson, and Mr John Reid. The following Donations were laid on the table, and thanks returned to the Donors: 1. Report read by the Astronomer Royal for Scotland to the Special Meeting of the Board of Visitors of the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, on the 4th, and issued 11th November 1864. Presented by the Astronomer-Royal for Scotland. 2. Experiments to determine the effect of Impact, Vibratory Action, and long-continued Changes of Load on Wrought Iron Girders. By W. Fairbairn, LL.D., F.R.S. 1864. Presented by the Author. 3. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. No. 68 of Vol. XIII. Presented by the Society. |