OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE OF THE State of Pennsylvania: AND MECHANICS' REGISTER. DEVOTED TO MECHANICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE, CIVIL ENGINEERING, THE ARTS AND MANUFACTURES, AND THE RECORDING OF AMERICAN AND OTHER PATENTED INVENTIONS. EDITED BY THOMAS P. JONES, M. D. MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, OF THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES, PHILADELPHIA, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, MASSACHUSETTS, AND CORRESPONDING MEM BER OF THE POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY OF PARIS. NEW SERIES. VOL. XVII. PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE, AT THEIR HALL; THOMSON & HOMANS, WASHINGTON CITY; E. I. COALE & CO. PROSPECTUS OF THE JOURNAL OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE, OF THE State of Pennsylvania, AND MECHANICS' REGISTER. DEVOTED TO Mechanical and Physical Science, CIVIL ENGINEERING, ARTS AND MANUFACTURES, AND THE RECORDING OF AMERICAN AND OTHER PATENTED INVENTIONS. EDITED BY THOMAS P. JONES, M. D. &c. &c. THE Committee on Publications avail themselves of the commencement of a new volume of this Journal, to address their patrons and the public in regard to the improvement and extension which it is proposed to make in the Journal. These have reference to the requirements of Mechanics, of Civil Engineers, and of the scientific friends of the Journal, which have been made known to the Committee. To designate fully their intention in the first particular, the additional title of Mechanics' Register will be assumed for the Journal, which will hereafter be designated as the Journal of the Franklin Institute of Pennsylvania, and Mechanics' Register. The second and third will also be expressed in the title, the Journal being devoted to Mechanical and Physical Science, and to Civil Engineering, as well as to the Arts, Manufactures, &c. It is the intention to distinguish the portions of the Journal in such a way, that each reader may find readily that which suits his taste or calling. While mechanical information will be diligently sought for as heretofore, and even elementary discussions invited, the scientific reader will find that additional exertion is made in his behalf. L 2 Besides the original matter connected with Mechanics, with Engineering, and with Physical Science, which may be obtained, general views of the progress of Theoretical and Practical Mechanics, of improvements at home or abroad, and of Physical Science, will be given by appropriate selections or abstracts from foreign or domestic transactions and journals. The Mechanics' Register will present the valued labours of the Editor in his list of American Patents with remarks, the specifications of patents, and the selections of foreign patents. Miscellaneous selections, or condensed statements of an interesting and useful character, will also be given under this head. To provide for this enlarged plan of the work, the page will be increased both in breadth and length, and will contain one-sixth more matter than the pages of the previous volumes. Each number will contain, therefore, what will be equivalent to twelve additional pages. The volumes will, however, when bound, be of uniform size with the past volumes. For the additional matter thus furnished it is not proposed to make any additional charge, and should mechanics or men of science extend further patronage, the means which will be thus furnished will be applied to extend the amount of matter in the journal, and to carry out more fully the plan which will now be attempted. Not only will no extra charge be made, as just stated, but to subscribers out of the city the present charge for postage will be diminished by printing the work on medium and a half paper, by which means it will contain but three sheets to the number, instead of five, and the postage will be diminished one-third. The Committee invite the contributions of Mechanics, of Civil Engineers, and of the votaries of General Science, to the pages of the journal. These will, when published, be liberally compensated, unless when special request is made to the contrary. From the public the Committee respectfully solicit an increase of that patronage heretofore accorded. If each subscriber would endeavour to procure an additional one, he will enable the Committee to give a full development to their plans for the advancement of Science through the means of the Journal, and the original subscribers will thus receive benefit from their exertions. ALEX. DALLAS BACHE, J. C. TRAUTWINE, Committee on Publications. |