Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-23
TEMPLE OF SCIENCE
The New Bureau for Regulating
Weights and Measures.
TO SECURE PERFECT UNIFORMITY
Many New Standards for Arts and
Industries.
BENEFITS TO THE PUBLIC

Written for The Evening Star
The new national bureau of standards is
tbs. largest bureau added to the govern
ment for many years, and will be the
tribunal Of last appeal. whereat disputes
as to the accuracy of weights and meas
ufing instruments can be finally settled.
This new bureau will save millions of
dollars a year to our great industries. will
make the researches of scientists more &C
out our building and farm lots with great
better measure of dry goods. groceries,
gas and electric light; will protect Uncle
Sam in his big contracts, will insure great
err care in the filling of physicians pre-
scriptions, will make our great buildings,
cur bridges and other public works strong
err, and will make railroad and steamship
travel safer. In short, it will increase ae-
curacy and precision in science, manufac-
lures, the arts, commerce and domestic life.
You, of course, know that Uncle Sam
maintains here the national obSefvatO Dry,
which daily telegraphs throughout the
whole country the standard time by which
we set our clocks and watches, that they
may be correct with respect to one an
other. Now, this bureau of standards will
correct our weights and measures, that
they may all be equally uniform. 1t will
test yard sticks, meter sticks, peck meas
ures, liter measures, pound weights, kilo-
gram weights, thermometers, steam gauges
and all kinds of delicate measuring de-
vices. 1t will stamp each with govern
ment stamp certifying it's truthfulness or
error In other words, it will be exactly
for these instruments what the mint is for
our money. AS far as the mere making of
our money is concerned, it might be done
in any suitably equipped shop, but the
government stamp is necessary to assure
its fineneSS and weight.
A representative of each measuring or
weighing instrument to be thus tested
and stamped, will be stored in the new
bureau as the standard of that particu-
lar measure and weight, with which all
others of it's class must be compared.
There will be standard yard graduated
into standard feet and inches. other stand
ards of length, standards of weight, guam
tity, electricity, heat, light, pressure and
so on, with their subdivisions and multi
pies. Today we are dependent upon Ger
many, France and England-which have
standardiZing bureauS-for these correc-
tons. Instruments thus sent on Journeys
of three and four thousand miles often
break in passage and have to pay duty on
their return. Hence it has been cheaper
for Americans to purchase from foreign
Instrument makers measuring devices bear
ing the foreign stamps certifying accuracy.
A Queer Temple of Science.
1t will be difficult for you to realize
the amount of care which will be taken
with these standards installed in the new
bureau. To properly shelter them from the
many disturbing influences which have
little effect upon ordinary Instruments the
new building win cost a half as much
again as would a usual structure of the
same size. l have been chatting with Prof.
s. w. Stratton, the new director Of the
bureau. concerning his ingenious plans for
the laboratory, as the main building will
be known. 1t will be situated III an open
space so large that no other building can
be erected anywhere near 1t.
1t will be far enough from the city to be
out of reach of the vibrations caused by
heavy street cars and wagons. Even
foot fall upon the naked earth produces a
shock which will be felt by the projected
standard instruments more keenly than by
the keen ear Of the Indian wooderaftsman,
who discerns the approach of pedestrians
from great distances. The laboratory must
also be far from electric car lines and the
Wide-spreadlng currents which issue from
them. Many of the walls will be double
to prevent penetration of hot or cold air
and consequent t1uctuation of interior tenn
perature A complicated heating plant
capable of perfect regulation, will cost
twice as much as one used in an ordinary
modern building. In many rooms there
will be automatic heat regulators, keeping
the temperature absolutely constant. When
a man enters one of these apartments the
neat from his BODY Will be Sufnclent to set
these automatic regulators to work to cool
the air and establish the normal tenn
pcrature. There will be a complete liquid
air apparatus and a high temperature ma
chine.
Compressed air and vacuum pipes will
extend throughout the building, as will sew
eral systems of electric wires. There will
be double windows capable of flooding the
rooms with light, also light-proof shutters
making them absolutely dark. There will
be fire-proof vaults for the storing Of the
standards, which will be mounted upon
piers of solid masonry sunk deep into the
ground and surrounded by an open space
protecting against vibrations caused by
employees walking in the apartments. There
will be shops for instrument makers
laboratories for physicists and chemists.
offices, a library and large auditorium
where lectures and meetings may be given
Protection from vibrations and foreign in
fuences will be carried so far that a sepa-
rate building, thousand yards or more
away, will install the engines, dynamos
and other heavy machinery essential to the
work. AS a whole, the institution will be
modern temple of science, of which the
country may be justly proud.
New Electric Measures.
Now, here are some of the new standard
instruments which will be utilized to test
similar devices used in our enterprises
Perhaps the most urgent need along these
lines is for standard measure of electric
lamps; The so-called STANDARD candle is
an unsatisfactory continuance with a flick
cry fame. Today, when we contract for
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