The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-12-16
ENGINEERING BENEFACTOR
AN INTERESTING SUBJECT TREATED WITH
SKILLFUL BREVITY BY A MEMBER OF
OUR CHAUTAUQUA CIRCLE
By S.
Conf;nuaI fOmI
By Mr.. S.
Continued from last ,ceek


velousy applied
Step into a modern power plant and watch the
great dynamos which lights your houses your Streets
and furnishes the energy which drives the car on
which you ride to and from your business You
see the great shaft belt transmitting the power of
the engine to the dynamo which gives out it's energy
IN mysterious form, travelling over wire to
switchboard, where great mains are awaiting to re-
ceive the current and hundreds of other wires
branching from these MAINS and transmitting pow
er to other machines miles away which will receive
just sufficient quantity of the current for the work
any more than they actually need
Electricity has been of wonderful service in
the engineering field, and without its use there are
many things that otherwise could never have been ac
complished. 1t is one of natures mysteries We
have not the least idea of what it u.s. and are only
able to form idea how a current of the invisible
fluid is formed Its particles are almost infinitely
minute aud beyond comprehension. Still this en-
gneer by his wonderful skill has brot the great phe-
nomena faithful and obedient servant of mankind
The steamship is another of his great achieve
ments which cannot be passed by unnotced. Go
down to busy seaport and step board of mod
ern ocean liner 90 down into the engine room and
| see the monster engines which drive that massive
hulk of iron and steel thru the water with speed
almost equal to railway train; step into the pala
tlal saloons and palace equal to that of any
sovereign; 60 up the bridge and nee the wonder
full mechanism for steering the vessel the many in
dcators which show the performance of every piece
of mechanism, and the many automatic signals which
give out warning in of any dan ger. If you
are fortunate enough to be passenger and take
in every section of passenger while sea,
you will of the wonderful pieces of me-
cha1ical art constructed by the human hand
There is not luxury, convenience comfort the
finest hotels and club houses of largest cities
which you won't find aboard modern passenger
steamer. There is mechanical device for fur
nshing heat, light and power. for the comfort and
convenience of guests in modern hostery that you
won't find aboard first class steamer and in many
cases the designer has provided means for amuse-
ments and recreation that found in the finest
hotels of the land.
The modern Dreadnonght of our navies is an
other marvellous piece of mechanical SKILL but is en-
tirely different design from our passenger and
freight So complicated is this class of
craft that there is living regardless of how
perfect his knowledge is of naval architecture who
can sit down and lay the complete plan of bat
tleship and all its machinery without the aid of ideas
and drawings of other engineers.
The Submarine is another great work
cheering records. From clumsy and unre-
liable form of craft it has been developed into
wonderful piece of mechanism In the great war
between the European nations the Imperial govern
ment of Germany has made it the principle means of
naval warfare The German engineer had so per-
| fected the undersea craft that it for time
the most dreaded enemy of her hostile neighbours
Even little pleasure crafts show great engineer
ing in their design few years ago the writer
was acquainted with yonng engineer who built
small racing launch, and at the time had broken all
records for speed in of the Eastern His
little craft wonder of Its time. Equipped with
ninety horse power engine, ne would pillow thru
the water and throw off swell equal almost to a
large tug boat. When the little giaht engine
brot up to full head the boat would be almost sub
merged in the swell it made either side. But to-
day we have better craft which plays with the
fastest craft of that day; it's speed when the engines
brot full capacity is almost thirty five miles
per hour, and instead of being partly submerged it
skins the surface like a tiny water insect, at
times drawing barely five inches of water | must
not fail to mention another achievement of the en-
gineer which has brot a new era in the mechanical
progress of the world and that is the gas engine. It's
important inventions. Thru its use the aeroplane
and submarine have become possible; and the motor
vehicle of all kinds depend largely upon the gaso-
line engine for power. Labor that slow
and irksome is now performed easily and quickly.