The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-29

FIGURING.
III .--- --- ! ------
mo Calculation Is Too Intricate
for the Bureau Of
Standards.
MILL1oNTHs OF INCHES
How Hot Is the Heat of a
Candle Six Miles
Away.
.MlLLloNTHs OF INCHES

81 Such marvellous achievements rs the
measuring of candle light six miles dis
gtant or the splitting OF n human hair
into IA thousand widths are among the
accomplishments of the governments
bureau Of standards recently established
( Mt Washington to supersede the office OF
standard weights and measures,
The experts of this bureau are sci
Z entists of wide experience, and they have
y ut their command every approved means
for further technical study. 1t is claimed
Il that no problem within the range of their
K investigations is unsolved for them
II They are able. for example. to tell how
4 many thousands Of an inch the works
lot a watch will expand when carried
In the vest pocket and subjected slightly
3 to the heat of the body; to measure the
VI force or the feebcst breath, and to divide
y and sub-divide 100 times the wave lengths
ihof Flight. each wave being about 50-1,Gp OF
/ mn inch long.
Broadly stated, the bureaus functions
pRre as follows:
tt}} To supervise the custody Of all stan
Il dards to compare the standards used In
lscientific Investigations engineering.
manufacturing commerce and educa-
tlonal institutions with those adopted or
recognized by the government to con-
4 Etruct, when necessary, new standards,
their multiples and subdivisions; to test
and ascertain the calibre of standard
4 measuring apparatus: to solve problems
which arise in connection with standards
and to determine physical constants and
1.-THE properties OF materials.
M Information concerning standards and
will be furnished for tho benefit OF the
United States government, any state or
municipality within the United States,
3acenc societies, educational Institutions,
firms, corporations and individuals en-
gagged in manufacturing or other pur-
suits,
4 Professor William Hallock. OF Columbia
university, who Is identified with the
work Of the bureau OF standards, eX-
planned the Importance OF the new insti-
tuition:
s''Many people are at n loss TO under.
stand" he said, how the researches
and tests OF this bureau can be Of any
practical value to the average citizen.
What does he care anyway, about stan
dards and decimal subdivisions? Just
this much: If he buys thermometer,
or an incandescent lamp or a set of scales
or a lens or a lnnchine-steam, gas, cleo
trio pneumatic or hydrauic--or any one
use he wants to know whether 1t is
what it should be and whether 1t con
forms with standards recognized In other
parts of the world.
ITO manufacturers whose products are
= brought into competition with those of
other countries this knowledge is of the
greatest Importance. If American manu-
facturers, III offering their goods for sale
in Europe, should represent them to
be OF n certain degree of fineness, or as
fine as similar European products, and
expert comparisons should show that the
L facts in the case had been misstated, it
is easy 10 see what would happen.
lit has been necessary in the past for
manufacturers In this country to pay
individual experts fancy rates to test
the quality and powers OF their output,
10 make such tests themselves at much
trouble and expense. or to ship their
goods to France or Germany for inspec-
lion and measurement by foreign phy-
sicists, Now all this may be done right
here, and instead of costing from s25 to
several hundred dollars, the needed in
formation may be had almost for the ask
jhg, a fee of only 81 or So being charged
by the bureau to prevent its being del
,nged with nonsenslcal requests
How and where do these standards
of weight and measurement originate?
The whole international system is built
up systematically FROM three fundamental
units These are the unit .df time--thc
Eecond; the unit of mass-the gram, and