MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. 267 



as to permit a more complete examination of the efficiency of fuels than 

 has hitherto been possible anywhere. 



Perhaps the greatest innovation made by the Institute in the early 

 days was in establishing a laboratory for the teaching of mining and 

 metallurgy. Previous to 1871 metallurgical work was done in the chem- 

 ical laboratories, but in that year the mining and metallurgical labora- 

 tory was put into operation through the efforts of President Eunkle, 

 Professor Eichards and Professor Ordway. Prior to this date, there 



«*W3 



Smelting Fui 



<gs Laboratory of Mini 



Metallurgy. 



were assaying or metallurgical laboratories at the Ecole des Mines at 

 Paris, the Eoyal School of Mines in London, the German Mining 

 Schools at Freiberg and Clausthal and Berlin, and also in several 

 technical schools in this country. The German mining schools were 

 situated beside smelting works, but the plants could not often be used 

 for experiments by professors or students in a way to alter the usual 

 method of running. In all these laboratories, however, the apparatus 

 was designed to treat quantities of ore not exceeding a few ounces for 

 each test. The Institute laboratories were the first in the world which 



