New-York tribune., 1903-03-29

The profession Of mechanical engineering as
sunes for It's special function the construction
OF all the aechanisrns and machinery which
are required in diverting the energies Of nature
10 the purposes Of the industrial system. 1t
avails itself Of the latent energies Of our coal
beds. and. by making them active through heat
OF combustion, transforming by means Of the
steam engine. the gas engine and various re-
lated heat motors. applying them 20 the impul-
sion OF machinery. II sets IN motion and main
tains IN operation all the mechanisTns Of all
the industries Its great turbines absorb the
energy Of the waterfall and distribute, as at
Niagara, thousands and hundreds of thousands
OF horsepower over hundreds of miles Of ter
-itory and make Of the rainfall of con-
tinent IN supplying power to a nation. It even
utilizes the energy of the direct rays Of the
sun in rainIess countries and applies II to in
dustrial purposes through its solar engines.
The practitioner designs and builds the loco
motive and its train and its roadbed, and
transports the -four of the Minneapolis mills TO
the homes Of the operatives in the cotton mills
of Lowell He gathers together ore and fuel
and fux and makes possible the production Of
twenty millions of tons OF iron and steel to
supply the needs OF eighty millions Of
people. He builds the transatlantic fleet, and
his giant shuttles weave across the ocean ties
stronger than steel. binding the nations of the
lays down the wire along which messages of
peace and good will and OF commerce and Of
cipIornacy are transmitted between nations sep
srated by the broadest oceans. He gives to the
agriculturist his mower and reaper and thrash
inS machine TO the dweller in the metropolis
his power operating all his various railways.
TO The mos. remote reader his daily newspaper,
the most powerful engine Of our time.
His characteristic requirements are thus. per-
haps, more specific and essential than those of
the members Of any other profession. He must
have genius for mechanics, for contrivance,
for invention and for design. He must, to-day.
have q talent for scientific work natural pro-
cIivity toward mathematics and ability to en-
ploy all the sciences as his tools. For highest
success he must have learning; but il must
not be simply the learning Of the scholar His
knowledge must be exact, as broad and as
deep as the scholars; and. further, II must be
in q form which permits its employment in
the doing Of things. His sciences are applied
sciences; his Iiteratures technical; his facts
are those Of daily experience in his If he
can add these professional accomplishments
the culture Of the university, it will be greatly
to his advantage. both professionally and So
ciaIIy and will make all his life better worth
living.
As times have changed, their demands have
continually increased, and to-day mechanical
engineer finds all learning and culture, as well
as all professional knowledge and ripe wisdom
desirable. He is found however, in large va
riety, OF many species. Watt was learned
man; Corliss would not have been so consid-
cred. The inventor Of the telephone made no
claim to admission TO the ranks Of the pro-
fesson. Morse a scientific man and
mechanic, but hardly what would be to-day
rated as an engineer. But the man who tells
where 20 construct isthmian canal. he
who constructs railways. the designer Of
bIttIeshiu the who plans a metropolitan
power station and its distribution of energy
ttese must necessarily be professionally accom-
pished- In England all mechanics engaged in
the construction of machinery called
ginsers. We call them machinists. With
the man who takes charge of a steam engine of
whatever kind is called engineer is the
man VINO builds railroads. or canals, and he
who lights city establishes a hundred
. thousand horsepower plant in the heart of New
York or On the bank OF Niagara. The profess
coEnotaes the talents OF these with the
teenncsl learning OF the schools of engineering.
their PRACTICAL efficiency with that of the scien-
tinc Designer of machine or Of q system to
meet defned requirements
As professional schools of reputation have al