The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17

lives only for truth and the dis
covery of natures laws; the inventor
eager to apply these discoveries to money
making machines and processes, and the
engineer, trained in mathematical inves-
tigation and in knowledge of the physical
conditions which govern his profession,
which is the mechanical application of
the laws of nature.
Engineering is sometimes divided into
civil, military, and naval engineering. The
term civil engineering, which will he here
described, is often used by writers as
covering structural engineering only, but
1t has a much wider meaning.
The logical classification is; Statical
engineering, including that of all fixed
bodies. and dynamical, covering the
movement of all bodies by the develop
nent and application of power.
Statical engineering can be again sub
divided into structural engineering, or
that OF railways, highways, bridges,
foundations tunnels, buildings, etc; also.
into hydraulic engineering, which gov
ems the application of water TO canals,
river improvements harbors, the supply
of water TO towns and for irrigation, dis
posal of sewage, etc.
into mechanical engineering, which COW
ers the construction Of all prime motors,
the transmission of power. and the use
of machines and machine tools. Closely
allied is electrical engineering, the art
of the transformation and transmission
of energy for traction. lighting. teleg-
raphy, telephoning, operating machinery,
and many other uses, such as its cleo
nd a4.1c
Then We have the combined application
Of statical mechanical and electrical en-
gineering TO what is now called indus
trial engineering, or the production of
articles useful TO man. This may he di-
vided into agricultural, mining, metal
lurgical and chemical engineering.
Surely this is a vast field. and can only
be hastily described in the sketch which
We are about to give.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
This is the oldest of all. We have not
been able to surpass the works OF the
past in grandeur or durability. The
pyramids of Egypt still stand, and will
stand for thousands Of years. Roman
bridges. aqueducts, and sewers still per-
form their duties. Joseph's canal still
Of China. running for 1599 miles over
mountains and plains, contains 100000
cubic yards OF materials and is the great
est of artificial works. No modern build
ing compares in grandeur with st. Pet
er's. and the medieval cathedrals shame
our puny limitations
These mighty works were built to sho"
the piety of the Church or to crafty the
pride of Kings. Time and money were oil
no account All this has now been /
changed Capital controls, and the ques-
tion of time, money. and usefulness rules
everything. Hence come scientific ue-
sign and labor-saving machinery
The engineer of our modern works hrst
calculates the stresses on all their parts,
and proportions them accordingly, SO that
there is no waste of material Hand labor
has given place to steam machinery. All
parts are interchangeable, so that they
can be made and fitted together in the
least possible time as is seen every day
IN the construction OF a steel-framed Of
fee building. Our workmen receive much
higher wages than in the past, while time
and cost have been diminished.
RAILWAYS
The greatest engineering work Of the
nineteenth century was the development
of the railway system which has changed
the face of the world. Beginning in 1880
with the locomotive of George Stephen
son, it has extended with such strides
that, after seventy years, there are $4,000
miles Of railways In the world Of which
10000 miles are in the United States.
Their cost is estimated at forty thousand
Of of hfph ton
sand millions belong to the United States |
The rapidity with which railways are !
built in the United States and Canada |
contrasts strongly with what has been |
done in other countries. Much has been |
written Of the energy Of Russia in building |
5000 miles OF Siberian railway in five or |
six years. In the United States an aver |
age Of sls7 miles was completed every |
year during ten successive years, and in I
1857 there were built 12.9S2 miles. The |
physical difficulties overcome in Siberia |
are no greater than have been overcome |
here.
This rapid construction is due to sew !
eral causes. the most potent Of which 4
has been the need Of extending railways |
over great distances with little money. |
Hence they were built economically. and /
at first in not as solid a manner as those |
of Europe. Sleeper gradients. sharper |
curves, and lighter rails were used. This
rendered necessary different kind Of
rolling stock suitable to such construc-
ton. The swivelng-t truck and equal
izing- beam enabled our engines to run
safely on tracks wher,. the rigid Euro
pean engines would soon have been in
the ditch.
our cars were made longer and by the
use Of longitudinal framing much strong
er. a great economy came from the use
of annealed cast-irOn wheels. with hard
ened tires. all in one piece, instead of be-
ing built w OF spokes, hubs. and tires
IN separate parts. These wheels now
seldom break. and cost much less than
wheels As there are some
eleven million carwheels in use IN the
United States the resulting economy is
great.
II was soon seen that longer cars would
carry greater proportion OF paying
load, and the more cars that one engine
could draw in a train the less would be
the cost II was not until the invention
by Bessemer IN 1854 Of a steel Of quality
and cost that made it available for rails
that much heavier cars and locomotives
could be used Then came a rapid in
crease. AS soon as Bessemer rails were
made in this country the cost fell from
sl75 per ton 10 $50. and now TO $26
Before that time a wooden car weighed
sixteen tons, and could carry a paying
load Of twenty-five tons. The thirty-ton
engines OF those days could not draw on