Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-07
A SITE SELECTED
Ground to Be Purchased for the
Bureau of Standards.
PLANS FOR TWO BUILDINGS READY
Daily Applications From Manu-
facturers for Tests.
WORK IN PROS P E G T

With the approval of DR.. Henry S.
Pritchett, president of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, who is now in this
city as the guest of Secretary Gage, the
details of the selection of the site for the
new government bureau Of standards have
been completed, and as the Attorney Cen
eral has approved the title Of the land the
purchase was made today. The site Sc
lected is known as the Childrens Home site,
and consists Of eight acres situated about
quarter of mile west of Connecticut ave-
nue. on Pierce Mill road. The site was Sc
lected on account Of it's location, as 1t is
free from mechanical and electrical dis
turbances of all kinds, besides having an
elevation sufficient to meet the require
ments Of atmospheric conditions, all of
which will be necessary in the delicate and
accurate work which is to be done by the
new bureau. The total amount Of the ap-
propriaton-$25 OOO-is to be used in acquir-
ing the land.
Two Buildings Authorized.
The plans for the two buildings which
have been authorized will be ready for sub
mission to the board Of visitors for its ap-
prevail when 1t meets in this city in Decem-
Der for that purpose. ..,.-,.
These buildings are to be a laboratory
and power house, and will cost about $780,
600. Work on them will be begun, it Is ex-
pected, by January and completed within a
year.
The new bureau however, which was au-
thorized at the last session of Congress, has
already been organized and Prof. 5. W.
Stratton appointed as Its director 1t has
temporary quarters in the Butler building
and is already doing much work for which
it was created although on limited scale
on account Of lack of laboratory room and
equipment. The demand which is being
made on the bureau by the manufacturers
of the country for it's certificate on various
articles shows that its creation was COM
mercial necessity which was recognized
none too soon.
So far, however, the work Of the bureau
has been principally that of organization.
The more important branches have already
Stratton predicts that every detail Of the
work will be perfected and in shape to be
Immediately carried on by the time the
new quarters are ready.
Already Making Tests.
Prof. Stratton states that the bureau is
receiving daily inquiries from manufac-
turers throughout the country in regard to
the testing Of standards and measuring in
struments, and also as to what methods are
to be employed for making. tests and meas
urements in order that the facilities of the
bureau may be available to the various
branches of manufacturing.
So far the most important piece Of new
work which the bureau has been called
upon to perform has been the testing of
clinical and medical thermometers, glass
measures used by chemists and druggists
and photometric standards for electric and
other lights. Heretofore American glass
manufacturers have been compelled to send
their products abroad to be tested, and
naturally the foreign-made article has had
the advantage in the trade in this country.
In making all tests the bureau will charge
small fee, sufficient to cover the actual
cost of the test
The personnel Of the new bureau has been
very carefully selected, by the aid of the
civil service commission, from people hav-
ing had experience in the various lines Of
work to be developed by the bureau
The personnel of the visiting committee
which has in charge the selection of site.
approval Of buildings and general advisory
jurisdiction is such as to insure the best
professional world. This committee is COM
posed of President Ira Remsen, Johns Hop
kins University, baltimore, Md; President
Henry s. Pritchett, Massachusetts Insti-
tute of Technology, Boston Mass; Profess
sor Elihu Thomson, electrician, General
Electric Company; Professor Edward L.
Nichols, professor Of physics. Cornell Uni
versity; Mr.. Albert Ladd Colby, metal
lurgical engineer, Bethlehem Steel Com
pany, South Bethlehem, Pa.
Work of the Bureau.
By the law creating the new bureau the
office of standard weights and measures of
the Treasury Department was on July l.
1901 superseded by the national. bureau Of
standards, the functions Of which are as
follows: The custody of the standards; the
comparison of the standards used in scien-
tific Investigations, engineering, manufac-
turing, commerce and educational institu-
lions with the standards adopted or recoe-
nized by the government; the construction
when necessary, of Standards their multi
pies and subdivisions; the testing and cali
bration of standard measuring apparatus;
the solution Of problems which arise in con-
nection with standards; the determination
Of physical constants and the properties Of
materials, when such data are Of great i'm
portance to scientific or manufacturing in
terestS and are not to be obtained Of suf-
ficient accuracy elsewhere.
The bureau is authorized to exercise it's
functions for the government of the United
States; for any state or municipal govern
ment within the United States, or for any
scientific society, educational institution
firm, corporation or individual within the
United States engaged in manufacturing or
other pursuits requiring the use Of stand
ards or standard measuring instruments,
length measures, used by engineers, manu-
facturers and scientists; weights used in
commercial transactions. chemical analysis,
prescriptions, manufacturing; capacity
measures of all kinds; ordinary and elm
ical thermometers, hydrometers, alcoholom-
eters, salinOmeters and saccharometers
electrical standards for measurement of re-
sstance, electro-motive force and current;
also electrical measuring instruments and
photometric standards for light.
Transfers of Real Estate.
Twelfth and H streets northwest-James
w. Barker to Ella J. Stockstili, part lot 8.
square $40; SO.
Twelfth and H streets northwest-James
w. Barker to Bloretta Laporte, part lot 8.
square $40; SO.
Hartford place-John H. Dwyer, trustee,
to Jerome Bradley, part lot Z; $3.50.
Reno-Edward s. York ct ux. to Samuel