New-York tribune., 1921-12-08
Engineers Put
Workman Into
Fame Gallery
Toiler Who Came 10 Rescue
of War Department Gets
Into List, Including Names
of Edison and Lord Kelvin
He Helped to Win the War
Report Shows Carlson, Who
Came From Sweden as a
Boy, Saved Shell Crisis

How the War Department was saved
from possible scandal in the manu-
facture of ammunition for use hv the
American Expeditionary Forces in the
World War was revealed yesterday at
the annual meeting of the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers when
1T was announced that the society
gold medal had been awarded this year
to Hjalmar G.. Carlson, IL mechanic of
Worcester, Mass.
Carlson, according to the official an
nouncement of the award won the
prize for "his invention making pos
slble the production of 10000, ,O0O
drawn steel booster castings. used prin-
clpaily as a component Of rs nm
high explosive shells, and also ex-
tensively in gas shells and bombs as
an aid to victory in the World War"
DR.. Ira N. Hollis, president of the
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, said
the War Department was at it's wits
end when Carlson solved the problem
that had baffled the greatest engineer
ing minds of the country and that the
invention "relieved the department OF
a possible scandal worse than any we
have ever had" The Army Ordnance
Carlson's invention as of the greatest
Importance, DR.. Hollis said.
Carlson, who came to America from
Sweden at the age of thirteen, thus
takes his place on the honor roll of the
society with Edison, Westinghouse
Lord Kelvin and other scientists and
engineers. He was unabla to be pres
ent at the meeting because of illness
George /. lockwood, an Industrial en-
gineer of Worcester, received the GER
tificate OF award for Carlson.
'The achievement of Carlson is F.;
striking example of what is possible il
American industry DR.. Hollis. "Tht
fact that a peasant boy was able tt
turn the tide in time of danger illus
trates the tremendous opportunity
migrant. No honor ever conferred by
an American engineering society was
more richly deserved than this"
The society announced the election
of Dean Dexter s. Kimball, of Cornell
College Of Engineering, as president
to succeed Edwin s, Carman, who is
a Cleveland man. Dean Kirlball tool
Office at once. These officers also wer.
elected.
Vice-presidents Colonel Edward A
Deeds. of Dayton, Ohio; Robert Sib
ley, Of San Francisco, and Louis L
Strothman. of Milwaukee; managers
sherwood +. Jefer, OF Hartford. Conn.,
Horace P. Lfversidge, of Philadelphia
Hollis P. Porter, Of Tulsa, Okla, ane
Walter S. Finlav, of New York
William H. Wiley, of New York, wa!
chosen treasurer, and Calvin w. Rice
also of New York, secretary
The society also set in motion tw'
important movements, one looking tt
world engineering unity and the othe,
to remedy what the engineers declare
are deplorable conditions in the Unitet
States Patent Office, "rnenacing Ameri
can industry and invention"
Edwin j. Prindle, of this city, chair
man of the patent committee of tn,
American Engineering Council, hels
that the future of the government
Patent Office was in the balance, ant
that unless the stream of resignation
from its staff is checked manufacture
ing and agricultural interests viii
suffer