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

tletrap into the most useful machine ever
invented by man. To do this he first dis
covered the science of thermodynamics,
then invented the necessary appliances,
and finally constructed them with his own
hands. He was Il very exceptional man
AT the beginning of the nineteenth CEN
fury there were few engineers who mad
received any scientific education. Most
of them worked by their constructive IN
stincts. like beavers, or from experience
only. 1t took a lifetime TO educate such
an engineer. and few became eminent I'M
I'll they were old men.
Now there is in the profession a great
army of young men, most of them gradu-
ates of technical schools, good mathemati-
clans. and well versed in the art of ex-
perimenting. The experiments Of under
graduates on cements, concrete, the flow
Of water, the impact of metals, and the
steam engine have added much to the
general stock Of knowledge.
One Of the present causes Of progress
is that all discoveries are published at
once in technical journals and in the dali
ly press The publication of descriptive
indexes Of all scientific and engineering
articles as fast as they appear is anoth-
or moGern cuntrivance
Formerly scientific discoveries were con-
cealed by crypto2Tams. printed in dead
language. and hidden in the archives Of
learned societies. Even so late as 1921
Oersted published his discovery Of the uni
formity of electricity and magnetism in
Latin.
Engineering works could have been de-
signed and useful inventions made, but
they could not have been carried out with
out combination. Corporate organization
collects the small savings Of many into
great sums through savings banks life
insurance companies, etc, and uses this
concentrated capital to construct the vast
works OF our days. This could not con-
tinue unless fair dividends were paid.
Everything now has to be designed so as
to pay. Time, labor and material must
be saved and he ranks highest who can
best do this Invention has been encour-
aged by liberal patent laws, which secure
to the inventor property in his ideas at
a moderate cost.
Combination. organization, and scienti-
fc discovery. inventive ability. and engin-
eering skill are now united.
II may be said that we have gathered
together all the inventions of the nine
teenth century and called them works of
engineering. This is not So Engineering
covers much more than invention. 1t in
cludes all works of sufficient size and in
tricacy to require men trained in the
knowledge of the physical conditions
which govern the mechanical application
tific discovery. then invention, and lastly
engineering. Faraday and Henry discov-
cred the electrical laws which led to the
invention of the dynamo, which was per-
fected by many minds. Engineering built
such works as those at Niagara Falls TO
make it useful.
An ignorant man may invent a safety pin,
but he cannot build the Brooklyn Bridge
The engineer-in-chief commands an ar
my of experts, as without specialization
little can be done. His is the comprehen-
sive design, for which he alone is respon-
sible.
Such is the evolution of engineering.
which began as a craft and has ended as
a profession.
In past times civilization depended upon
used only the weapons of the hand. Then
came military engineering, applied both
to attack and defence. and eliminating in
the invention OF gunpOwder The clviliza-
ton Of today depends greatly upon civil
engineering, as we have tried to show
II has changed the face of the world and
brought all men nearer together. II has
improved the condition of man BY sani-
tary appliances and lowering the cost Of
food. II has shown that through machIn-
cry the workman is better educated, and
his wages are increased. while the profits
of capital increase also. 1t has made rep
resentatiye government possible over vast
areas of territory, and is democratizing
the world.
Thoughtful persons have asked, viii
this new civilization last. or will IT go the
way of its predecessors? Surely the an
swer is: All depends on good government,
on the stability of law. order. and JUS
tice, protecting the rights of all classes.
It will continue to grow with the growth
of good government prosper with its
prosperity, and perish with its decay.