Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-07-12
GREAT NAVAL STATION OF
THE COUNTRY HERE
Engineering Experiments Conducted
Opposite Naval Academy.
MECHANICAL LABORATORIES.
With Steam Turbines. Vensilaling Fans.
Forced Draie. Centrifugal. Rotary
Pumps and Other Apparatus.

Few Maryiaulcrs ever realize the
important fact that is locacd within
the borders Of their State aud situated
in Annapolis the greatest Naval Engi-
nering Experiment plant m the coun-
Try. IL 1s tlie technical advisor oi the
Secretary OF the Navy tbc only place
where foreign officers when visiting
the Naval Academy are never taken
Germany. which has lcd the world
ia many industrial and commercial
lines. Is noted fer the attention given
BY her people to experimental wora.
but althoueh some OF our large cor
porations devote considerable sums "a
experimental Investigations or the
problems that arise m the Industries
which they almost control. yct e gen
eral interest m experimentation can
hardly b. said % have possessed our
country up to she present period
Yet. in Annapolis un che opposite
side OF the severn river. from the Ma
val Academy. and f1rmiuE part af That
institution. is au establishment called
the United States NaEal Enel.
uecring EApt Snfion which IS
Steam Engincrne in the matter of in.
vesugadng new cusinecrnr apuca-
tiOns intended lor use ou sbIrheardnn
original research ai0ur certain cugi-
nering lines and Cor che Investigation
OF matter used iu the naval service,
and &c Is uow prepared to test oil and
oil-heatnig apparatus for tbe ships n
the United States NAVY
In the great mechanical laboratories
of the Naval Experiment Station tests
are run hy forced draft vcutHatmr
fans. steam turbines. centrifugal re-
ciprocating and rotary pumps fuoi oil
heaters. lubricating uii- coolers. etap
orators. distillers. meters and dozens
Of other apparatus familiar to naval
engineers. The whole atmosphere 81
the establishment to enc mind of the
visitor, seems surchafFed with scien
tihc principle
In another part OF thia plant tbc ac-
cesories of steam Boilers. rueh a.
water valves. safety valves. gage glass
es, steam packing wntCr level reguia-
tors. pump GOVERNOR and other arti-
cles OF naval use arc given attention.
Fuels are tested 80 that oulv those Of
the best viii De- purchased fOr the use
OF the vessels Of cur Gecf So twenty
four hour runs are made with the fuels
from different sources Of supply. and
comparisons are worked out With prop
er standards.
The station maintains "a large chem
ica' laboratory. drafting rooms. Ia
bricant testing laboratory. "a corros
ion laboratory for INVESTIGATING prob
lens in cOrrOsiou of metals q physical
laboratory for testing The strength
and endurance of metals. and n metal
lographic laboratory. On which the
metallographist applies his microscope
and camera 10 broken propeller shafts
engine connecting rods.guu tubes boil
er rivets. and similar apparatus in or
der 10 determine the cause of the frac-
ture. or ne may examine specimens
Of new metal in course az manufacture
IN order To determine whether the mill
IS conducting the manufacturing prop
erly so as to give metal of thorcqulred
qualities for naval use
To prosecute the work of the sta
tioni nearly q hundred laborefa. me-
chancis. lab0rat0ri1ns. clerks. drafts
men, civilian experts aud naval on
GERS are employed During the SUM
mer months young officers from the
Post Graduate Department OF fbe Ma
val Academy receive practical instruc-
ton at the Experiment station.
The Naval EnginoerlnE Experiment
Station made its hret tests in 1895. A.
present it Is overw wheimod with work
and IN the near future must Do great.
~ enlarged. lt now bids fair in he
one OF the greatest engineering sta
tons Of the world. and sea. Camuara-
lively speaking. except vita naval and
scientific men. if a scarcely known
outside OF Annapolis. uhrre fhc station
is located.
!