The San Francisco call., 1905-01-30
new BUREAU
OF STANDARDS
Established at the National
Capital by the Department
of Commerce and Labor
DEVOTED TO PRECISION
Will Be Our Supreme Court
on Questions of Accuracy
of Weights and Measures
DEVOTED TO PRECISION

OF Weights and Measures
To better insure that his people will
get what they pay for. Uncle Sam has
just built on the outskirts Of Washing
ton scientific institution costing a
half million dollars. 1t will be formally
opened early in the autumn, but its
good work has already commenced. and
its benefits are already being felt. 1t Is
known as the National Bureau of
Department of Commerce and Labor,
organized by Secretary Cortelyou. The
director of this bureau is Professor
Samuel w. Stratton, a well-known edu-
Gator and physicist, who was lieuten-
ant in the navy during the Spanish
American war, and who held the chair
of physics in the University of Chicago
just prior to his organization of the
new institution over which he presides.
ARTIFICIAL CLIMATE.
l was the guest of Professor Stratton
recently and was taken on a person
ally conducted tour through the new
grove of trees few miles northwest of
the capital, and was purposely thus
isolated that the jarring Of heavy traf-
nc and the powerful electric currents
of the city might not interfere with it's
delicate and precise measuring instru
ments. 1t Is an institution devoted en-
tirely to precision, which to-day is the
basis Of all industry. It comprises two
,, n I,,sI =
made brick, whose rooms will be arti-
ficially cooled in summer and heated in
winter. The windows will be down the
year round, and yet the pure atmos-
phere within will be maintained always
at a comfortable and constant temper
ature, between 20 and rs degrees. This
precaution will be taken to further in
sure the accuracy of the instruments,
sensitiveness to f1ckleness of weather.
In the artificial climate of these apart
ments will work seventy-five men, fifty
of them experts who have been gradu-
ated from technical and scientific insti-
tutions.
This new bureau will be our supreme
court of weights and measures. If you
will consider for a moment you will
realize that there is no subject in which
people are more directly interested
than in that of weighing or measuring.
The prosperity of all who buy or sell
depends upon the accuracy Of these
processes.
STANDARDS OF MEASURES.
A representative of each measure and
each weight commonly used in the
country will be installed in the bureau
will CT cfo ND
ards with which all good weights and
measures must favorably compare.
Such standards will not be arbitrarily
selected They will be chosen only
after the most careful research, which
will comprise a large part Of the work
of the half hundred of scientists en-
ployed. Many Of these standards have
already been selected. I will tell you
about those used to correct the weights
and measures most important to our
every day life.
First / will describe the standard of
length measure, by which all true foot
rules, yard-sticlks, meter-sticks, etc,
are to be corrected. This is one of the
older pieces of the Iaboratory's equip
ment and it's history should be known
by every one in the country. In 1876
the principal countries of the world,
including our own, sent to Paris repre-
sentatives charged with agreeing upon
an international meter and kilogram,
which are, respectively, units of length
and weight adopted originally by
France. but since used by scientists all
over the world. Two of these meters
and Kilograms were made for each
country and they were drawn by lot
In 1893 the Secretary of the Treasury
adopted those drawn by our repre-
sentative as our fundamental standards
of length and weight and our yards
and pounds are compared with them.
One set Of these standards has always
been stored away, while another has
been used for comparisons. They were
formerly kept in the Coast Survey
Bureau, but have now been removed
to the Bureau of Standards.
ACCURATE WORK.
The length standard is a bar Of plati-
mum alloy whose cross-section is *
shaped. 1t and it's duplicate cost $2500
apiece. 1t Is kept inclosed in plush in
japanned cylinder of tin, which in
turn is incased in long wooden box.
When a measuring rod is to be COM
pared with this standard the two are
placed side by side in a clamp, over
each end of which is a telescope.
Through these magnifers the gradua-
tions on the two are compared with an
exactftude more than hair splitting. A
correct yard must measure 3600-3937 of
the standard meter.
The weight standard is small cylin-
der Of the same metal used in the me-
ter rod. 1t and its duplicate cost $1,000
apiece, and each is kept under two
glass bell Jars, one fitting over the 9TH
er, which protect the precious weight
from dust. The kilogram used for
actual comparison-its companion be-
ing always stored away-is handled
only with forceps having chamois skin
ends. The naked hand is never allowed
to touch 1t. When a weight is to be
standardized 1t is taken into an equal
temperature room and placed in one
pan OF a delicate weighing scale, the
standard kilogram resting on the other.
The scale Is under glass and the two
weights are allowed to rest in their
pans over night that their temperature
NAV be kent enlIaJ All nautDulafions