Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-19
WORK OF THE INSTITUTION
Important Investigations Of the Elk
pertinent Station.
LABORATORIES WELL FITTED
Accurate Data Obtained Of Value to
the Manufacturing and Build
ing Interests.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Spectal Correspondence of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
speciaI Correspondence of The Star and the
| Chicago Record Herald
CHAMPAIGN H., October 10, 1907.
The University of Illinois has secured as
dean of It's college of engineering, and its
new school of railway engineering and
administration, Prof William Freeman
! Myrick Goss, one of the most prominent
| figures in the field of scientific and prac-
| teal engineering. He was born In Barn
stable, Mass, in 1863, graduated from the
| Massa chusetts Institute of Technology IN
! 1879. and went Immediately to Purdue
| University La Fayette, Ind. to organize
! a practical department of mechanics, OF
which he has ever since been the head. He
| has attracted to that institution a strong
group of specialists, who have carried on
a popular course In shop practice and
! laboratory work In the school of engineer
| Ing which has attracted attention from
| the entire world.
| Prof Goss is recognized as the highest
authority in the United States on many
aspects OF the steam engine, and has an
! international reputation in the Held OF
railway engineering. His chief work has
| been along the line of the investigation
of motive power. He was the pioneer In
| locomotive testing and designed the loco
motive-testing plant at Purdue. which
! has been copied by the Pennsylvania rail-
road at Altoona; he has great executive
| ability, yet Is a man of detail; ne mas
thorough knowledge of theories, yet Is in
tensely practical He is tireless worker.
good organizer and possesses unsur-
passed technical knowledge. His init
mate acquaintance with the leading rail-
| way men of the country, as well as his
| large experience. ripe judgment and re-
marka BILE personality. make him a valua-
| BILE addition to the faculty of the univer-
sity. and gives its department of engineer
| ing greater prominence and usefulness
| than ever.
Prof Goss Is a member of the America n
Society Of Mechanical Engineers, of the
Association for the Promotion of Engi-
neering Education, the Western Railway
| Club, American Master Mechanics AS
ISOLATION. American Master Car Builders
Association, International Association
| for Testing Materials, fellow of the Amer
! lean Association for the Advancement OF
| Science. He served as a member of the
advisory committee of the United States
geological survey in testing fuels and
structural materials, the jury Of
awards. Columbian exposition Of 1893. adj
visory committee of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company In testing locomotives
at st. Louis in 1903. and has recently
| been chosen to carry on special investi-
cations relating to superheated steam for
| locomotives by the Carnegie Institution of
Washington. He has written several valu-
able books relating to locomotive work.
and has contributed freely to the tech
meal press.
| Prof. Goss is now travelling in Europe.
paying special attention to the best for
! eign practice in the construction and
| operation of locomotives, investigating
| questions relating to valve gears, COM
pounding and superheated steam. He
expects to take up his work at Urbana
on November 1.
Investigating Engineering Problems
| The engineering experiment station of
the University of Illinois was established
! in 1903. in connection with the College
| Of Engineering, to investigate problems of
Importance to professional engineers. and
| to the manufacturing. mining, railway,
! CONSTITUTIONAL and industrial interests of
| the state. 1t Is believed that this ex-
| perimental work will result In contribu-
| tons OF value to engineeri science and
| to the industries of the state, and that
the pursuit of such investigations will
| give inspiration to students and add to
| the value of the Institutional work in the
College Of Engineering The Importance
of the work done by the agricultural ex-
pertinent station to the different states
in the Union has suggested the possibility
Of doing work of similar value to the me-
chanical interests.
| Our organization consists Of a staff
| of nine members" said Prof Brecken-
|
ferent departments Of the College Of En-
cheering. The work OF the college and
| the station Is thus very closely related
The Investigations are carried on by MEM
| bers of the staff directly. by fellows as
graduate work. by members of the in
structural force of the college, and by
| special investigators belonging to the
station corps The first task undertaken
crete construction. The importan ce to
Illinois manufacturing interests of in
| formation concerning the use Of high
speed tool steels led to investigations in
that field. The drainage Of earth roads
was of immediate interest to the people
Of the state. The resistance of tubes to
| collapse has been made the subject of
most careful investigation by the de-
partment of physics. The extensive coal
| interests of Illinois, coupled with the
rapid growth of its manufacturing inter
ests, suggested the fuel tests in progress.
| Timely experiments have been made in
the holding power of railroad spikes.
Much or the above work will be con-
| tlnued and several new fields Of inyesti-
cation will be entered In the near ~.
| ture.
Laboratories Well Equipped.
The rapid growth in attendance in the
College of Engineering has made It nec-
essary 10 enlarge Its equipment consider
ably, and while the apparatus thus pro-
| PURPOSES
OF instruction. much of it Is available at
certain times Of the year for purposes of
investigation The various laboratories OF
the College Of Engineering, VIZ. cement
electrical hydraulic, materials-t testing
mechanical. physics. railway and road
materials. are we'll equipped In their sew
erai departments for carrying on inyesti-
cations of many kinds.
| Since 1900" continued Prof. Brecken.
ridge, 1.-The railway engineering depart
ment has owned. Jointly with the Illinois
Central railroad. dynamometer car de-
signed and built specially for train re-
sistance experiments and for tonnage rat
Ing tests Three railroads enter I1rbana
and Champaign-the Illinois Central the
Wabash. and the Cleveland, Cincinnati
Chicago and ST. Louis. The division shops
of the latter are situated here. With these
roads the department enjoys most cordial
relations. and can depend upon Continuing
to receive from them the assistance and
cooperation that have hitherto been ex-
tended. Opportunities for shop and road
tests have been freely given. and through
lout the year numerous locomotive and
train resistance tests are made, both for
the instruction of the students and for
the information of the railroads
The railway engineering department
owns also an electric test car which was
designed especially for experimental work