3 I2 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



of the equipment, while Fig. 2 shows a 

 closer view of the truck loaded with 

 seven 10,000-pound and four 2,500- 

 pound weights, and the method of 

 handling the weights. 



In testing a scale the procedure is as 

 follows: First, the box car which opens 

 at one end is placed by a shifting en- 

 gine five or ten feet from one end of 

 the scale. Then the weights are un- 

 bolted, the gas engine is started and 

 the crane is run out the open end about 

 seven feet. Then the truck is picked up 

 and set on the scale by the crane. 

 This is followed by placing on the 

 truck the necessary number of 10,000- 

 pound weights to make up the desired 

 first-test load. The truck is then moved 

 over the bearing points of each section 

 of the scale and the reading of the 

 scale noted. The truck is run back to 

 the original position and additional 

 weights are added to make up the next 

 *test load, and the separate sections of 

 the scale are again tested. This can be 

 repeated until all the standard weights 

 have been placed on the truck. If it is 

 desired to go still higher the truck with 

 its load of standard weights can then 

 be run off the scale, the box car placed 

 on the scale and weighed, the correc- 

 tion to the scale having been ascer- 

 tained by the previous test. Knowing 

 the weight of the empty car, the stand- 

 ard weights and truck can then be 

 loaded, and the box car again placed 

 upon the scale and weighed. In this 

 way the scale may be tested up to ap- 

 proximately 175,000 pounds. 



The general plan of the equipment is 

 due to L. A. Fischer, physicist, Bureau 

 of Standards, and to C. A. Briggs, as- 

 sistant physicist, the whole being con- 



structed by A. H. Emery, Stamford, 

 Conn. 



SCIENTIFIC NOTES 



We record with regret the death of 

 Dr. Boswell Park, the distinguished 

 surgeon of Buffalo; of Dr. George 

 William Peckham, librarian of the Mil- 

 waukee Public Library, known for his 

 contributions to entomology; of Dr. 

 Edmund B. Huey, a student of genetic 

 psychology, recently of the Johns Hop- 

 kins University, and of Mr. W. D. 

 Marks, formerly professor of mechan- 

 ical engineering at the University of 

 Pennsylvania, later & consulting engi- 

 neer in New York City. 



Colonel William C. Gorgas has 

 been appointed to be surgeon-general 

 of the army of the United States, with 

 the rank of brigadier-general. 



The fourth annual award of the 

 Willard Gibbs Medal, founded by Mr. 

 William A. Converse, will be made by 

 the Chicago Section of the American 

 Chemical Society to Dr. Ira Kemsen, 

 of Johns Hopkins University. The 

 previous recipients of this medal are 

 Profesoor Svante Arrhjnius, Professor 

 Theodore W. Richards and Dr. Leo H. 

 Baekeland. 



Arrangements have been made for 

 the establishment, as a memorial to 

 Lord Lister in Edinburgh, of a Lister 

 Institute. 



The General Education Board has 

 given $750,000 towards an endowment 

 of $1,500,000 for the medical depart- 

 ment of Washington University, St. 



ouis, to create full time teaching and 

 research departments in medicine, 

 surgery and pediatrics. 



