The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-14
PURDUE'S STEAM ENGINE.

PURDUBS STEAM ENGINE
In the basement story of the main building
of Purdue University is the mechanical mu-
seum-a room 3Ox40-occupied by an exhibit
of the work done by students in the shops.
There are thirty-six students in this depart
ment. The museum is the outcome of the
four years work as professor of mechanics of
William F. M. Goss. There are examples of
paneling, splicing mortising and dovetailing
in carpentry; of the various kinds of wood
turning, of pattern work in pulleys, straight
and curved pipe fittings miscellaneous work,
and a complete set of steam-engine patterns;
wire work in iron and steel; surface plates
which slip without friction on each other, but
which the strength of two men can not separ-
ate, because OF atmospheric pressure. Forged
work is shown in welded rings, drawn corners,
heading tools, tongs, chains and swivels. In
tempered steel are made centre punches, cold
chisels and lathe cutting tools. All these
are made by the students out of the raw metal,
and made by hand and hand tools. The machine
work is equally varied; there are examples of
chuck boring and turning, screw-cutting and
bevel planning. All of these samples are made
as regular classroom work of the
students, who, with their oily clothes
and rough hands suggest busy lot of shop
men, rather than the typical university stu
dent. The equipment of the room where the
work is done consists of nine wood working
benches, nine vises for iron work, five FORCES
with blast by power blower, five turning
lathes, a machine planer, vertical drilling
machine, emory grinder and, in short, all the
appointments of wood and iron shop with
steam power. The life and center of the me-
chanical museum is the little three -horse-po
er steam engine, made in 1881 by the students.
Some of our Indiana colleges pride them
selves on one thing, some on another Wabash
has her biological laboratory, with Prof. Coulter
animating it, the State University, in spite
of fire and flood, is, through Jordon and Gil
bert, building up great name in ichthyology
DePauw has munifcent donations, and will
build imposing brickworks and collect great
numbers; Rose Polytechnic has President
Thompson, with his constructive system and
machine shops; but Purdue ''bobs up serene
ly' with her little engine-her own little three
horsepower steam engine-the first one ever
made in school-house in the Mississippi val
ley All the visitors see it; they may
even turn on the steam and make it 'Fbudge"
until the floor boards vibrate; they may be
rushed by Professor Barnes electric-light
magic-lantern, may ignore the $1,000
microscope, bestow only passing glance on
the ny-ribbed snake skeleton which a La
fayette lady innocently inquired of Professor
Barnes ''if it was the skeleton of a tape
worm" but they must see Purdues steam en-
CINE that she made all by herself and which
has commended the institution to the people
of Indiana even more than the farm stock or
the dormitory.
Every day the students of the mechanical
observation-disclosures even dozen of them-march
into the museum and take a look at the steam
engine made by their worthy seniors in col
lege life; they steam it up, pat its red sides
affectionately, and hold their hands gently on
the bright mirrored surface of the fy-wheel
The high-art girls sketch it; the class in me-
chanici,l drawing, under Professor Albert
Stahl, U. S. A, know its every detail; the
academy boys stand in awe before this marvel
of steel and iron, and for the time forget how
they giggled in chapel, and what mere trun-
dle-be trash lin the eyes of the seniors at
least) college 'preps" are any way. The
president is assured you have seen it, and
looks like one whose duty is done.
And well may Purdue University be proud
of the little engine, for it shows elimination
of good work III one Of the departments, at
least, for which the college was organized
"a college of science, agriculture and the
mechanic arts" The same spirit and effort
by this class would bridge the Wabash, or
complete the Tippecanoe courthouse. Prof.
Goss, earnest and hopeful, full of enthusiasm