Evening star., 1921-07-17

California gives a better fioorin. than
did the European product.
Next came the room in which the
experiments within terra Gotta were.
every minute Of the time while the
tests were being made. They noted
the degree of heat. the amount of
contraction or expansion. the tensile
strength and :: dozen or more things
that arc necessary to have y terra
Gotta that will resht undue straias or
the heat of burning building.
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FROM there we journeyed to the
place where experiments in glass
are being conducted. The result of
these experiments has been that this
country no longer needs to be de-
pendent upon Germany or any other
country for its lenses. glass prisms
or articles of like nature After a
glass has been used for experiment.
ing purposes and is found to be up
to the standard desired. it is not
thrown out on the dump. but is
made into blanks to be used by the
oculiSts of the Army and Navy. In an
other room were squares of flooring.
each square of different composition
from the other, all being given a
practical test and all made from
American produced materials. In these
and other shops one finds a tex
and in the front of the building was
section devoted to experiments in
ceramics. In here was modern ma
chinery also, and an old-fashioned pot
scribed in the Bible. In the olden
days the potters threw the clay, and
so skillfully did these artisans work
they could fashion beautiful vase
with no tools other than their hands.
In another section one had chance
strWnents. and it must ever be kept
in mind that the bureau rendered
very valuable aid to the air serv-
ice during the war period: also one
learned about the altitude chamber,
in which the liberty engine was test
to the testing of carburetors. and the
man who today rejoices in the pos
session OF car. whether it be Il
fiivver or costly automobile. has
great reason to be-gratefui to the
scientists who have spent days in :exr.
brought them to a high state of per-
fection. =: ss
A very interesting instrument ,,waE
che tensiometer. device used fcE
measuring the tension of airplant
wires. 's..st
Helium gas came into prominence.
during the war, and would, mad the,
conflict been prolonged few months
longer, have played most important
part because of its on-inf1ammabiliiy..
The bureau has devised a. MEANS or
manufacturing this - gas, and tbs
secret is a carefully guarded one.
Heliu1n. gas has about 80 per cent of the
lifting power of hydrogen, and it is r;iI-
liable because it cannot be isnited by in1f
cerdiary bullets. I
tions is carried on in another part Of
the building. and the results OBJ,
tained have more than justified the
few dollars that have been eXpendeda
Here ferrous and nonferrous ma :
terials are put through their PAGES.
with the result that the men in'these
industries are in position to make.
a better product than ever efore.
A few examples of the work with
which this section is concerned diss
close. a study of platinum metals
and platinum substitutes, the study
of the prevention of corrosion, re-
mova1 metal fouling, fire-extinguish
ing liquids. anti-freezing solutions.
the determination of carbon dioxide
and oxygen in submarines, coke oven
Investigations. the Standardization
and preparation of specifications for
electric batteries. inks and ink pow
dcrs. the testing of sole feathers.
inks composition tsoles. for shoes.
the effect of different methods, of
tanning ON feathers. waterproofing
ma terials. rubber heels. both plain
and with inserts of foreign sub
stance, compasses. rope and hundreds OF
other articles. - * "
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in. the world are so
~ many. manufacturing plants of
vastly different character housed as
there are in the building Of the bu-
reau.,- You turn down one corridor
and you run, into a foundry. 1t re-
quires; no great. strength of imagi-
nation to think that, yoG are in Beth
1ehem, Pa. on a small scale. A few
steps away and there is rolling mill.
Then. come the glass furnaces. with
their intense heat; the paper mill the
photographic section, where the CAM
era fiend would stop and gasp with ad-
T .