The Indianapolis journal., 1890-08-21


tree that overshadows the whole earth and
reaches up into heaven. The individuals
we compose occupy the terminal twlgs OF
that branch, not being related directly.
but only as sprlnglng from common
stock. The races of men rose far back in
prehistoric night. Each in it's own way
fought the struggle for existence. The re-
suits of the erect position. of increased size
are almost intellectually great so great that
they affect the whole life OF the animal,
control his habits. direct his actions in war
and in the chase and finally mold peoples,
nations and races"
Professor Denton on Lubricants.
One of the intensely practical papers OF
yesterday was the address of Vice-presi-
dent Prof. j. G. Denton, of HobOken, n. D..
before the section on mechanical science
and engineering. His topic was the His
tory of Attempts to Determine the Relative
Value of Lubricants by Mechanical Tests"
EXPERIMENTS to determine the cOefficient
of friction between fabricated rubbing
surfaces have been prosecuted for two hum
dred years." said Professor Denton, land
have resulted in the existence of many
forms or satisfactory apparatus for such
measurement which are now known as oil
testing machines. Such machines are now
being resorted to by large consumers of oil
as a means of discriminating between the
lubricating value of the multitude of oils
offered by manufacturers. and which.
while practically alike in huidlty and gen.
eral oily qualities. are nevertheless claimed
to differ in their respective abilities to
afford satisfactory fabrication. The only
difference of behavior of all these
lubricating oils shown by the oil-test-
ing machines is simply such differences OF
frictional resistance as are ascribable to
the variation in viscosity of the substances
in the fluid condition, and this difference
of friction fails to account for the well at
tested fact that some of the oils are unable
to prevent excessive heating and cutting
on heavy machinery bearings, which ex-
hlblt no such action when fabricated with
other oils. Experiments were described
which have been made with special ap-
paratus constructed for tho lubricating
committee of the Standard Oil Company,
proving that the Overheating of bearings IS
surfaces, due to the gradual and inevitable
variations of the smOOthness of these sur
faces by metallic wear. This abrasion gen
crates a comparatively intense heat at
some point of the bearings. and tends to
vapOriZe some oils more than others.
"Oils which are incapable of resisting ex-
cessive vaporization by such accidental
heating" continued the Professor, "are
those which permit bearings to more fire.
quently overhead than do others not so af-
fected by the heat. The prevailing oil
testing machines fail to reveal such differ
ences in oils because they have invariably
been operated with artifcially smooth sur
faces. and. also. because whenever acci-
dental abrasion takes place observations
are suspended until the heating tendency
due to abrasion has been eliminated. This
is impossible in machine work. Moreover.
in these so-called testing machines the oil
supply to the testing journals is artificially
abundant instead of being restricted by
feeding through practical forms of oil-cups.
Thereby accidental deficiencies OF supply.
which are frequently the initial cause of
abrasion and Overheatlng, are eliminated
in the testing experiments. and differences
among oils, depending on their ability to
feed more or less uniformly by virtue
Of capillary action, cannot be noted
enable mechanical Oil-tests to reveal the
actual differences of lubricatinG value
tested with series of conditions of the
EG6b,ns s%rfacss and practical feeding de
abrasion and Overheatlng"
The lecture illustrated by lantern
views OF various new devices for testing
lubricants under the actual conditions of
service and also by samples of bearings
which lad been in service under various
conditions representing unsatisfactory lu-
bricatiOn. Explanations were also offered
| of the paradOXlca fact that Overheating is
often relieved by supplying sand or emery
| a car is cooled off by ramming SOME mud
| or weeds into the box. The sand grains
| make grooves around the wearing parts,
| and as a result the oil is uniformly distrib
| limit of safety. The main thing in lubri-
| eating is uniformity of feed. Whatever
| insures this secures smooth runNing and
| enhances the force of the machine.
Professor Abbe on Terrestrial Physics"
| ssrhe earth WAS made i'm six ,lays
| And finished on the seventh;
| When, accOrdin' to the contract,
1t should have been OH the 'leventh.
But the carpenters went on a strike
And the masOns wouldn't work,
And so they called the Paddles i'll
And filled IT up with dirt,
| Was the version of the Georgia darkey
about earth structure and creation. but this
does not satisfy the inquiring mind of Prof.
Cleveland Able. of Washington. ID. c.,
vice-president of Section b. Physics, who
would apply the principles of molecular
physics and chemistry, to the study Of the
| earth as unit as well rs the principles of
mathematics and astronomy.
He comprised his subject-"Terrestria
| Physics"-under the term geO-physics, di-
viding this again into geognosy. the study
of the entire phenomena of the earth's
crust; vulcanolOgy. or the study of the
interior of the earth as related to heat and
contraction; seismolOgy, or the study of
| earthquakes and the allied phenomena of
faulting and mountain forming; gravita-
! tion phenomena, and its variations as re-
| lated to latitude and altitude: the relations
| of the land and water areas, and lastly the
total of knowledge comprised under
| meteoroloNr. The essayist closed with a
| plea for Il laboratory not less in size than
the earth itself. for the consideration of
these topics. America has two hundred
astronomical obServatories and hundreds
| of chemical and physical laboratories but
no institution for the study of the larger
| and profounder secrets of the globe. We
should go into the land and possess it." in
the largest sense. so that year by year We
may. come nearer and nearer to eternal
| truth. Professor Able was listened to,
| with the keenest attention, by an audience
| of nearly two hundred members. He car
! ried the impression of power and full
mastery of his subject.
! Professor Branner on Geologic Cooperation.
Prof. John c. Branner. the State Geologist
of Arkansas and vice-presdent of section
+, Geology and Geography. discussed the
Relations of the State and the National
Geological Surveys TO Each Other" No
one could be more competent for this topic
than Professor Branner. Ho is an able
teacher. was for several years on the
Brazilian surveys and the State survey of
| Pennsylvania. He has by his course as
State Geologist of Arkansas proved that q
man of science can oppose and expose cor