Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-17
World Famous Engineers Here For Visit; Will
Be Guests of Association While in islands
John A. Brashear, Ambrose
SWasey and John 2. Free
iran Are Noted Americans
N'Ilo Lead Their Profession

Z ~. ~ lew tzdl VIII N4o4N NAtC h@te-@As0
They are John r Freeman, John A.
Rrastear end Ambrose Swasey, al
past pres ients OF the American So
cicty ~ Mechanical Engineers.
They have been around the world
and are now completing their tour
Tacy %iil remain In hawaii Until
March 20. and during that time Will
be entertained by the Hawaiian En-.
cheering Association at a member OF
affairs. They will be guests at the
Commercial Club and also at the
Country Club.
The association Is planning also on
sending a representative with these
three great engineers on their visit to
the ether islands.
The visitors are here purely on a
pleasure trip. Mr.. Freeman is accom-
panied by two Of his seven sons.
They were net by committee from
the engineering association consisting
Of w. G.. Hall, Carl B. Andrews, r. R.
Hind, s. T.. Carr, d. r. Rowland. ]. NJ.
Young and r. Kopke The visitors
were taken ~ their hotel, the Moana,
rnd no special program was arranged
for today.
Tomorrow they viii be taken around
the island, stopping at the Coral Gar
dens, at Hauula for lunch, and at Ha-
Iciwa.
On Monday at noon they will be
the guests OF honor at Commercial
Club luncheon. where Mr.. Brashear
win deliver an address. Members OF
the engineering association win also
attend.
On Monday afternoon they leave for
Maui and after touring the Valley Isle
they VIII 60 to Kilauea, returning here
next Saturday.
Z. Kopke will represent the en-
gineering association in escorting
them over the islands.
Another big engineer who is visit
ing here, Max Tolz of St. Paul, will be
The guest OF the association tomorrow
and Monday. He is the man who de-
signed the great ore-docks at Duluth,
and personal friend Of DR.. Bra.
shear.
Never has Honolulu been visited by
men more distinguished in lines of
engineering achievement. Each Of the
visitors has had remarkable and
constructive career Of accomplish
ment in his chosen field.
John A. Bfashesr,s
Monumental Work
John A. Brashear was born in
Brownsville, Pa, November "a. 1870.
His father YVES saddler, his mother
The daughter Of Nathaniel Smith, from
whom young Brashear inherited his
ta6fe for science and mechanics. the
grandfather having constructed one OF
tiitA first telegraphic instruments
metz In Western Pennsylvania. and
also succeeded IN taking some Of the
eariieet daguerreotypes.
Attd7 he was apprenticed' to the
pattern making and engine-building
trade ~ the works Of John Snowden
4 SopS and after finishing hts trade
went % louisville, KY. where he en-.
gagged d fngine- building with the firm
CT Dennis Long & Company.
While Ne was In Louisville the Civil
WAR broiN out and he came to Pitts
burg. whefe phe took charge of the
machinery Of qhe Zug e Painter mill
in 1862. inSlEg7 he was asked to take
A4gA &c Va tA||[t AAluSlAAnClJs HlNlA1tAt@Btp
Duncan & ferspany's mill, which he
entirely rehfiits after destructive
fire During mis- stay at this mill,
Dr. George Harlser OF the University of
Pennsylvania es1ne to Pittsburg to
give cocrsssof lectures on the
spectrum ANALYSTS, a science then in
rs childhood. (which Mr.. Brashear
leard. and aske result OF which be-
came so deeid2 interested in the sub
beet that il was not long until he con-
fffpcted bieuiphide OF carbon prism
Ind began the study himself.
Begins Life Work
Duncan & COMPANY his old friend
christopher Zug asked him to come
70 hts mill again. The offer was ac-
cepted and he rtmained with the firm
II Zug & Company until 1881, when
be yielded TO hts great desire to con-
struct astronomical instruments for
amateurs. particularly In the line of
pilrered glass feflecting telescopes,
which had not ret been made In this
country except by Dr. Henry Draper.
rad decided to leave the rolling mill
Ter good
prof. langley Interested
Professor Langley early became in.
terested in Mr.. Brashear's work and
entrusted him with a number OF i'm
l'ortent pieces OF apparatus. among
Them his accurate mirrors, solar
'etorage energy apparatus, etc. At the
time Professor Langley was making
ms study OF the selectiye absorption
tf the earth's atmosphere and its re.
lation to organic life upon the earth.
he se6uired accurate rock salt lenses
and prlsms. which had not been made
with the precision demanded until the
problem was solved by Mr. Brashear
The method was given to the scien-
tific world in a PAPER read before the
American Association OF Science about
1855. Langley,s 1enorable researches
IN this great fed made him famous,
and he never faijkd ito give Mr.. Bra
shear fair share OF the credit Of
making his discoveries possible.
William Thaw, the Pittsburg phil
anthropist and a friend of Langley's.
sent FOR Brashear. and insisted upon
f.uiiding him better workshop. final
~ inducing him to move to Allegheny,
80 as TO be neat the observatory.
Here began a lasting friendship with
- - r.