The Washington herald., 1911-06-18

with the erection of the new
electrical laboratory for the Bureau
of Standards, and for which bids
have been asked from plans drawn
by Wood, Dom & Denling, there
viii be completed a handsome quad
rangle of imposing buildings on a
hill on the Pierce Mill road, over
looking the city.
This aggregation will, when
completed, supply the United States
with an equipment of commercial
laboratory buildings that will en-
-aDie this great commercial country
to solve the problems that perplex
the manufacturing world. Similar
work done in the laboratories Of
Germany and Great Britain has
gone far toward making those
countries so prominent in the great
fields of trade and commerce.
FOR RESEARCH INTO ELECTRICITY,
For too long a time the United States
has been dependent upon foreign Iabora-
tories for the knowledge that is vital
to the welfare and progress of this
country. Only since the erection OF this
government laboratory Of standards have
manufacturers been able to obtain at
home the definite knowledge and the
insured guaranteed accuracy which many
instruments used in the several fields of
manufacture require.
The new laboratory that Is about to be
added is to be devoted entirely to the
field OF electrical research and testing.
The accommodations OF the present
buildings are not sufficient to meet the
increasing demands for exact knowledge
in this great field. The building will be
used in the work that the National Bu-
reau Of Standards is doing to apply the
known facts Of the science Of cleo
tricity to the commercial uses of this
mysterious agent.
Candlepover of Lamps.
One branch Of the work that is being
done Is to test the incandescent lamps
that are supplied by contract for the
use of the Federal government in its
many buildings. This test of efficiency
and utility of lamp is essential in or
der to save money. 1t is a business en-
terprise on the part Of the government
that is calculated to save many dollars
every year.
To the ordinary observer, an in
candescent lamp is but lamp, and all |
lamps are alike In outward appearance.
But no one can tell by merely looking |
a a lamp whether 1t contains 10 cents |
worth Of utility or so worth, Then, |
too, nothing can be told Of its probable !
life, how long it will last before burn |
ing out. But the Bureau Of Standards /
takes the lamp that is submitted as a /
sample and tries it out by actual test,
and can tell to a fraction what its candle
power is and how long II will burn.
Not only are the samples submitted so
taken and tested, but inspectors go into
the factory where the lamps are made,
pick some out, seal and pack them, and
forward them to the laboratory to be
tested to see that the standard that Is
being paid for is being always main
tanned.
Testing Electric Meters.
Any citizen who uses electric power
may have his electric meter tested at the
laboratory even now and be sure that
he is getting all the power that he is
paying for. But on that point. rather
q strange result has attended the test
ing Of electric meters. Tests have shown
that there is aNtendency on the part Of
meters to run slow The average Of Me
meters tested at the laboratory during
the past year show that the irregularity
was one-tenth of per cent OF error, and
the error was In favor Of the user
Those who supply electric power may
have their instruments tested at the bu-
reau TO make sure that they are main
tanning the proper voltage. One per cent
below the right voltage means a loss
OF per cent OF cendlepower. II then,