CONSTRUCTION OF GEOPHYSICAL LABORATORY 



Report by George F. Becker. 



contents. 



Page 



Origin of report . . 185 



Institutions visited 186 



Magnetic disturbances 187 



Electrical disturbances 187 



Two desirable constant temperatures 187 



Annual mean temperature 187 



Difficulties of varying temperatures 188 



Importance of uniform temperatures 188 



Special difficulties in America 189 



Avoidance of heat-flux 189 



Notes on ventilation 1S9 



Suggestion that vibration of piers be damped 190 



Research called for 191 



Construction of laboratory building 191 



Subdivisibility .... . 192 



Basement work rooms 192 



Interior work rooms 192 



Number of stories 193 



Estimates of expense 193 



Problems of geophysics i94 



Origin of Report. 



In March, 1903, Mr. Walcott requested me to cooperate with 

 Professor Van Hise in gathering information abroad with reference 

 to the construction suitable for a geophysical laboratory, and in 

 regard to the problems which could be profitably studied in such a 

 laboratory were it to be built. After consultation with Professor 

 Van Hise it was decided that the most important features of labora- 

 tories are the means adopted to secure stability of piers and the 

 methods of obtaining constant temperatures. Laboratory construc- 

 tion must determine in what measure stability of instruments and 

 constancy of temperature can be attained. On the other hand, to 

 the investigators who occupy the laboratory after completion must 

 be left in large measure the details of apparatus and of methods of 

 research. 



13 (185) 



