The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-16
LAND GRANT COLLEGES.
SCHOOLS SUPPORTED BY GOTERN-
MENT FOR MILITARf TRAINING.
The Engineering Societies Taking Much
Interest In the Proposed Experiment
Station and Post-Graduate School.

/ taking a decided interest in The proposed
! Engineering Experiment Station and Post
| Graduate School TO b. established az the
! Cover ment reservation at New London,
! Conn.
Many scientific men have believed that
| such an institution already exists, and
| this belief has been probably due TO the
| valuable dssultory work which has neen
| done under the direction Of Commodore
| Melville, but which he has been unable
TO continue by reason OF lack OF FUNDS;
The bill introduced in the Senate by
| Senator Squire and ia the House by Rep
| resentative Francis H. Wilson, OF Brook-
| lyn, proposes 10 supply this omission IN n
| satisfactory and highly economical man
ner. ana do for the vast engineering IN
| teresis Of the navy and the nation "hat
| has already been done for other branches
\ OF the Government service.
| There Is now in operation for the army
/ an engineering postgraduate school az
! Willits Point, an artillery school AT foIt
| Monroe, an ordnance testing STATION az
/ Sandy Hook or Fort Hancock, cavalry
| and infantry school at Fort LeaNen-
| worth. and a medical museum IN the Guy
/ OF Washington-al intended for the better
| instruction OF military officers
THE NAVY SCHOOLS.
| The navy has several schools where
| post-graduate instruction is afforded the
| line officers There IS a war college ana
| torpedo school at Newport, r. l. an ord
| nance instruction school IN connection
| with the great gun shop at the Nashlns-
| ton navy-yard. and an ordnance testing
| station at Indian Head. on the Potomac.
| There is also postgraduate school OF
| laboratory work for the surgeons at the
1 BROOKLYN naVy-yard, az well as museum
| of hygiene for the same corps az the
| capitol. The marine corps has an eN-
| c0llent postgraduate school OF instruc-
| tion al the Washington barracks.
BY reason Of the exceeding Jealousy en-
q .fgf. f.tsf hg
| engineer there has been no school pro-
| vided for the officers Of the most nlghly
;trasned and scientihc branch or me
! navy. The expert in mechanical matters
| Is, therefore, without suitable means OF
! place for doing experimental work or
| for securing an advanced education IN
| his profession. Ia no field OF professional
work is the assistance Of experiment Oh
| SO much consequence and OF such great
| value as In the field OF the engineer, ana
! more especially with the engineer VINO
deals with dynamic problems, which con-
| Germ the existence Of the navy.
| The bills OF Senator Squire ana Repre-
| sentative Wilson, which make an eA-
| pertinent school one OF the features OF
| the reorganization OF the naval en2l-
neering personnel, has been supplemented
| by special bills. for. the maintenance OF
| such stations, by Senator HaWley anu
| Representative Russell, OF Connecticut
Since the introduction of these meas
ures many Inquiries have been mace az
7
| experimental research, affecting not only
| the navy directly, but all the large NOR
! caLtiie shipping int ,ts as We'll VIII
! be carried on AZ said sci col
QUESTIONS To RE SOLVED.
| Some Of the questions 20 be- solved at
such a station are the following.
The D,st form Of water-tube boilers FOR
| marine purposes. the shape ard siz. OF
NCpcilcrs fer different lCIms Ol fessei /,
! the best type OF pump cor the manifold
relative merits OF natural, forced, and
| induced draft. the theory and best man
| ner OF lubrication. tie relative value g'
various fuels: the advantages ana disai-
yantages Of LIQUID fuel. ia determining
of tn best means of working the tutrets
| Of modern hattleships' the conditions un-
| der when hydraulic, pheumauc, ana elec-
| tic appliances are best adapted.
These are only few OF the questions
| which must be solved BY the eng l>er,
| and which are beyond the province Of
others TO investigate
TO the credit OF the corps Of naval en-
gineers il may be- said that pressing
questions OF engineering science nave
| been met with willing spirit. To secure
| the fun measure OF his talents, however,
systematic work is required. and this
! can only be done IN "a specifically ap-
pointed place. given up entirely 10 expert
mental work
There are questions relating TO marine
engineering which are beyond the means
of private research, and those affecting
the navy can only be satisfactorily set
tied by experiment at such an instiiu-
As it is now realized that the work OF
the Naval Academy must be supplement-
ed by reason OF that institution being
unable 10 send out suilcient men, ie-
course must be had 10 the scientlnc ln-
stitutions of our land. A post-grauuhte
course of instruction must be gwen thraf
young men. There will be no necessity
10 teach them mathematics ana the piih-
cipies of chemistry. but the instruction
required must be- Of a more prdctcitl
character. which can only be given by the
WHAT IT WILL BE.
AT the experiment station. al New Lon
don. there will be a corps Of highiy-tFain-
ed professors, who VIII give properly
prepared course Of lectures on the man
agement and the care Of machinery. me
Young men VIII be taught how 10 estimate
the Tine and cost OF work. They VIII
aid In The practical Work OF trial hipa.
assist i'm the numerous experiments a.lu
keen carefully prepared notebooks. lhtN
viii visit the great machine DuilNihe
plants in the vicinity OF this industrial
centre ana actively cooperating WIN
them viii be the young men ana pro-
fessors OF the scientific colleges of our
land The cadets WO I'D thus not only
acquire knowledge Of incalculable benent,
but they would also secure that SELL
posses sion. which knowledge gives.
For years the great engineering soclc-
ties of the United States have been hop-
ing for the establishment OF such an IN
stitutfon IL has been reserved FOR eena-
tor Squire OF Washington, and Repre-
sentative Wilson. OF New York, in connec-
ton with the members from touuccl-
cut TO lay out a plan Of work which -
essential TO the engineering needs OF the
service, and which May have an I'M
portant effect In building up our com
nercial marine The great ship-building
plants OF America look with favor upon
the measure The patient investigators
at the great scientific schools hope that
The bill will soon become law. Com
modre Melville and his trained assist
ants are In need OF such a station, where
engineering tests can be carried on.
COMMODORE MEL WILLIE.
The great works at Essen. Germany
which employ 2OOD0 men, are under the
administration OF an engineer and there
are scores OF plants IN America where
the executive ability OF an engineer di
rects the energies Of thousands OF men
The gratuitous insult that Commodore
Melville bv reason OF being a trained
scientific engineer. is not competent 10
take charge OF the station at New London
will be resented not only by the excellent
technical schools of the country with their
many thousands or students, but the great
manufacturing Industries OF the nation
will highly commend that law which
places IN his charge a station which has
been neglected in the past and which
gives promise Of great things IN the
future. II utilized as an experiment sta
ton. Not only tine representatives OF New
London but the Representatives Of the
surrounding States. should give this meas
ure immediate consideration. for the
establishment of such a school viii trans