The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-10
RAILWAY ENGINEERING
A BRANCH OF BUSINESS TAUGHT
ONLY BY PURDUE UNIVERSITY.
Practical Railroad Men Approve the
scheme of Education and EncOur-
age 1t by Cooperation.

1t is the leading institution Of the country,
If not of the world, in this branch of in
dustry. When it is remembered that the
railroads represent an investment of $l1, 000,-
O ,000, that they employ over $4,000 of men,
and that the locomotive is one of the chief
factors in these mammoth enterprises. the
Importance of the undertaking is readily
appreciated. Railroad men of the country
have discussed the question of establishing
a railway school by raising a large fund
to be used in connection with one of the
great educational institutions. President
Smart, of Purdue, in speaking of the matter
recently, said: "It occurred to me that
even without the 100000 We could establish
a course of railway engineering and man
agement at Purdue University if / could
secure the cooperation of the railroads.
1t seemed to me that it would take more
money to seura the variety of talent neces-
sary to successfully carry on such an I'M
dertaking as the first than could possibly be
obtained, but that if the railroads would
supplement the theoretical and practical
work already under progress at Purdue by
detailing their experts to give instruction
in various topics connected with railway
engineering and management they could do
a better thing and establish d better school
than by any other process. This SUCCESS
ton met with a very hearty response. and
all of the managers and superior officers of
the great railroads of the country 10 whom
| applied very readily agreed to lend me
their assistance. A glance at the list of
men who have agreed to come to Purdue
and aid us in the work will snow the favor
with which this scheme has been met.
While the railroads are not in any sense
responsible for what is being done at Pur-
due, they are certainly entitled to the
institution"
PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION.
The list DR.. Smart alludes to as having
been engaged to deliver a series of lectures
during the years 1897 and 1898 includes the
following rames and subjects:
Jacob N. Barr, superintendent motive
power G., M, & st. P. Railway Company,
J. T.. Brooks, second vice president Penn
sylvania lines west of P~ittsburg. Prob
lens in the Management of a Railway Sys-
Frederick A. Delano. superintendent
fGrteiight ter9minals G., b. & @, Railway,
Frank G, Darlington, superintendent P,
c. s2o {: & St. L; Railway Company, Indian
Charles b. Dudley, chemist, Pennsylvania
Railway Company, Altoona. THE Applica-
ton of Chemistry to the Railroad"
Addison G.. Harris, attorney at law, In
dianapolis. Railway Law"
Melville E. ingalls,, president of the Big
-Four system, Cincinnati. Railways; Their
George h. Lowell, general superintendent
l., N. A. d G. Railway Company, Chicago.
practical Points in the Operation of a
John w. Noble, ex-secretary of the in
terror, st. Louis, Mo, THE Mutual Obliga-
tons OF Railroad Corporations and the Peo-
pie
Robert Quayle, superintendent motive
power and machinery, G. & N. W. Railway
the Motive Power Department."
Godfrey w. Rhodes, superintendent mo-
AURORA AuT P9W ii. "a (ssu Fl g e e bR Be aHp5u6 Company
Angus Sinclair, editor Locomotive Engi-
neeering, New York city. "Reminiscences
OF a Locomotive Engineer"
Arthur NJ. Watt, general master car
builder, L. S. & NJ. S. Railway Company,
Cleveland. Car Designing and CONSTITUTE
The courses of study which these lectures
are intended to supplement include railway
S 5dd dnI1, locomotive performance, testing
ana Design, railway surveying, construc-
ton, economics, chemistry and sanitation.
Inc Importance Of a special training in
TINS business Is thus set forth by the
American Engineer, one of the leading
railroad journals of the country: IF the
great business of transportation is such
a factor in the engineering, business, COM
merclal. financial and social worlds, why
should it not receive it's proper share of at
tentlon in the regular course of studies in
our colleges and technical schools? That it
mas not been so recognized is evident upon
schools and colleges, for instance, and in
them a student can test stationary en-
gines, steam turbines, gas engines, electric
motors, etc, but there is only one univer-
slty IN the whole world (Purdue) that has
considered steam engineering as applied to
locomotive practice to be of sufficient i'm
p~ortance to warrant it in spending money
Tor a locomotive testing plant as a part OF
its laboratory
ITS FAME ABROAD.
The leading railway journal of France re-
Gently devoted twelve pages to favorable
comment on the work which has already
been accomplished at this university. An
other issue of the American Engineer, quot
cd from ahotrA +o;o L.
comments, showing what is thought of the
practical character of the work: 1--WE pub
fish elsewhere the courses and lectures in
railway engineering which Purdue Uni
Ierslty offers for the year beginning in
September, 1897. We call particular atten-
ton to it because in our opinion it en-
bodies the only practical method by which
our universities can meet the demand for a
special technical training for young men
who intend TO engage in the railway pro-
fesslont not that this excellent course thus
outlined is wholly perfect, but because it
IS based upon a right conception of how the
technical training mentioned snail be given.
and because it represents the best judgment
or a university faculty that has done more
in providing opportunities for railway
technical education than any other.
If ever some of the special courses sug-
gested by several writers, which apparently
aim TO give young men the general knowl-
edge required to fit. them for positions of
we believe they Will fail. Men are not fitted
for positions of responsibility in that man
iSI. CH TIE. Contrary, almost every man
OF nigh position has prepared for his pres
ent duties by labors in one of the several
departments he now controls. He leaves
his narrower field for a broader one. be-
cause in his administrator of the affairs
of one department he has exhibited an ex-
ecutive ability and a breadth of view that
has enabled him to make that department
part of one harmonious whole. Specially
trained in one line of work. he has taken
a comprehensive view of railway operation
as a whole and understands the sphere of
each department and its proper relation to
the others.
ADVANCE BY DEGREES.
able men of that stamp can advance
from the special work, whether that be
traffic, civil or mechanical engineering. or
anything else, into broader fields of use
fulness, and that, too, without a general
collegiate education for the railway pro-
fession.' In fact, we believe that courses
such as Purdue has outlined, particularly if
so administered as to lead the student at
each step to see the relation of his own
chosen calling to the other professions and
to the great commercial and industrial en-
terpriseS of the times, furnish the, best of
educationS to men destined to occupy adj
vanced positions. We are reminded of the
case of the civil engineer of prominence
who, in middle life, found himself at the
head of great railway traffic interests, and
who contded to an acquaintance his opin-
ion that he was then still following his
which made him successful as an engineer
enabled him to view other business prob
lens from all sides. and that underlying the
honest administrator of all great interests
there were the same general principles.
There is another consideration which
muGt NOT he overloaded i'm this connection