Morning journal and courier., 1881-05-06
Engineers in Council.
American Society Of Mechanical En
 neerR.

American Society of Mechanical EnSi-
 neers.
 The first regular meeting of this associa- tion for 1881 was held in the council cham Der, City Hall, Hartford, Wednesday even- ing. Members of the society were present from all parts of the country. The presi- dent of the society, Professor R. H. Thurs ton of the H oboken Institute of Technolo- gy, called the meeting to order and intro duced Acting Mayor D. c. Pond, who made brief address of welcome on behalf of Mayor Bulkeley, who is i'll, extending the Inequalities of the city to the visiting mem bers. Professor Thurston made a cordial and humorous response, in which he alluded to the high position held by Hartford in some branches of manufacture as well as banking and insurance. He stated that although only one year old the society has 26O members. and subsequently, the following additional members were declared elected:
 John Ericsson, New York Erastus W. Smith, New York; J. Vaughan Merrick, Philadelphia; Samuel eriutendent Standard Oil company, New York Ste Phen F. Babcock, superintendent engineer Troy Boston John W. Cloud Altoona Pa. Alfred Colin, New York; James E. Denton, stevens Institute of Kesson & Robbins, New York; John Fritz, general Forsyth. superintendent North Chicago Rolling Mill Chicago; H. P. Gregory, San Francisco S. N. Hart well, Hartford; F. G. Talman and John T. Henthorn. Cleveland Hicks, New York; C. O. Hill, Chicago Jo seph J. Illingworh chief engineer Utica Steam Cot Iron works Johnstown, Pa. <; Henry 6. Jones, HI les Jones, Wilmington, Del. William R. Jones, gen = Pittsburg Louis D. Laureau. New York William A.. Levitt PhiladeiPhia; A1saandeE Miller Delemater tendent Washington Moen Manufacturing compa- ny, Worcester James Park jr., Black Diamond Steel N. J.; Oberlin Smith, president Ferracute Machine company Bridgeton, N J.. Horace g. Smith, general Snyder, Pardee Snyder O., Watsontown, Pa. /: James Thomas. Davies Thomas. Catasuqua, Pa. :; company, Cleveland; William Oliver eber, assistant engineer Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad,
 For Associate-w H. Bailey, American Tube works New York city.
 The treasurer's report showed surplus in the treasury of $3, 4O8, all properly invested Invitations to visit points of interest were and F. A. Pratt verbally offered the courte- sies of their respective establishments. The president read the first paper on the Ratio of Expansion at Maximum Efficiency" He illustrated it by blackboard diagrams and tables. The second paper was read by Mir. pansion." Ibis paper was the joint produc- tion of Prof. Denton and Mir. Wolff Some discussion ensued on the subject of expan- sion, participated in by Messrs. C. E. Emery of New York, E. D. Leavitt of Cambridge, Mass, Allen Stirling of Drifton, Pa, W. F. Durfee of Bridgeport, Conn, and W. H. Harrison of Newcastle, Pa The meeting ad- journed at II p. m.
 MORNING SESSION, THURSDAY.
 The subject of Expansion of Steam. ,, treated by the two papers read Wednesday evening, was discussed yesterday morning by several members. Professor Thurston be. lieved that the rule for the expenditure of fuel, and the consequent resultant of heat in the production of steam for economic effect must be drawn from comparisons of ascer- ta1ned facts, and must be necessarily empyri- cal and not absolute. And the inference from his remarks in that absolute certainty of results cannot be guaranteed in the plan ming, building and starting of steam engines: that much must be left to the judgment of the designer, who must be guided by experi- ence and observation rather than controlled DJ :nvarying law. But he believed that flu ture progress would enable engineers to sp- proach, very nearly, to perfection in the planning of engines, so that they could cer- tainly guarantee the action of engines for certain purposes.
 The next paper was on the Superior, en- zine built for the Calumet and Hecia mines for pumping and .hoisting purposes, the pa- per being read by it's author, E. D. Leavitf jr., Illustrated by several full-size drawings and number of diagrams. The apeculiari ties of this compound engine were fully ax- plained. The engine is of 4, 700 horse DOW CT, one of the largest stationary engines in use.
 In the resultant debate some interesting facts were elicited in regard to the propor- lions of parts of large engine, the advan. .tages of experimenting, the form and size of steam receivers between the two cylinders of a compound engine, and the value of steed as compared with iron. An interesting stats- ment was made by one member to the effect that steel casting was preferable to steel forging in the element of strength, a state ment that is quite at variance with ge herally accepted belief, and which was not in conso- nance with the experience of other ms smbers
 paper criticising the vertical JEprm of crosshead closed the morning sessjon.