The Washington herald., 1911-06-18

the voltage Is per cent below the stand
ard, all electric lamps are giving Is PEI
cent less candlepower than they shoult
give.
VIII BE Model Building.
These are but some Of the practica
results that viii accrue from an efacient
electrical laboratory which the handsome
new building will be, according to- the
plans and specifications. The building
win very closely resemble the mechan.
ical laboratory which It viii face. There
will be more stone used In the lower
! courses than in the mechanical labora.
tory, but otherwise II win be like IL
and viii be identical in the ground d.
mensions.
| All of these buildings are connected
with underground passages, which are not
| alone for the easy transfer OF articles
or for travel. BY an ingenious contrivance
Of pipes, shafts, and leads, electric pow
er, heat, cold, ice water for low tenn
peratures, are communicated to all Of the
buildings from one source.
In the new laboratory there will be
room down deep in the ground, under
meath even the subterranean passages,
which is intended to maintain constant
temperature all the year around. This
uniformity can be best secured and at
lower cost by building the space far be-
low the ground floor Of the building. This
is necessary for use Of some delicate
instruments which are easily affected by
the slightest change in temperature, and
there are many experiments lasting over
many days or even months of observa-
ton at which Q uniform Temperature
must be maintained.
A part of the new building will be
made nonmagnetic; for there will be
many tests made in which there must
be no influence Of iron upon the delicate
instruments used. To overcome this, q
part of the building is to be constructed
without the use of any iron in that
particular section. Even the elevator
In that part will be made OF brass, where
iron Is commonly used, so that there will
be no need Of making allowance for
fluctuating counteracting effects, but all
Influences will be constant and Of known
force.
Interesting Experiments with Wool.
But the sphere of the National Bureau
OF Standards is g wide one. It has to
do with many more things than the
elusive. mysterious force Of electricity.
In the textile division Just now they are
making some experiments with wool that
is engaging attention Dampness makes
material difference in the weight OF
wool. Duty is paid on the weight. In
sea voyage wool absorbs moisture 1t
II is wet, the same quantity will weigh
more than IL II were dry. II 1T weighs
more, the duty on the quantity win be
greater. In making allowance for the
degree Of wetness of shipment, the
method now used in practice, and the
only method. is to test II by the hand
and through the unreliable and unsci-
entific sense Of touch, try to figure how
wet II is So there are many disputes
concerning duties on wool shipments.
Just now the bureau is conducting a
series Of experiments with wool to see
II some more reliable and accurate means
can be devised to get at satisfactory
methods OF telling just how wet a SAM
pie Of wool is and what the difference
in weight Of the wool on account Of
absorbed moisture should be.
To Test Strength Of Iron.
An enormous instrument to test the
strength Of iron is being installed that
can exert pulling force OF two and
quarter million pounds. by which definite
knowledge will be gained as to whether
ron supports Of given size and quality
Of iron Will be safe in bridge, sky
scraper, or other work where human
l1fe Is 10 be rtsked.
There are cement testers and very
definite knowledge on the behavior and
quality OF cement 10 looked for from the
tests which the bureau applies to sam
pies, but especially from q conference
Of government engineers on cement that |
Is now in progress. These are experts |
who have had much 20 do with cement |
In the work Of the Panama Canal, where
this commodity has been used on q more
extensive scale and for a greater va
riety of uses than on any other known |
work.
The bureau Is seeking to gather from
these practical users all the results OF /
and the experiences that they |
have had Of the varying conditions, as /
wen as the influences that affect cement, |
80 as to be able to arrive at a definite |
md exact knowledge of this great build
ng agent
In the smallest OF the buildings, the
experiments with liquid air for getting /
ow temperatures quickly are conducted !
yases are carried on. And this work is /
confined to a small isolated building 70 |
,educe the danger Of an explosion and to /
minimize its effects.
Such. shorn OF its detail, is but faint /
,icture OF the methods that the gov
rnEaent Is employing In only one bureau
4 one department TO harness science to
he car OF material progress. Isolated
acts OF science are taken hold OF, andl
" experienced workers are applied to the
ally needs Of man to Increase his COM
ort, TO supply his wants. and to help
'ush the whole nation forward to that
lace in the trade Of the world that Il
) destined TO fiil by nature.
4