THE NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY 291 



for the India Office work, and was completed in the autumn of 1911, enabling 

 the whole of the earlier equipment for Metallurgy to be transferred from 

 Bushy House. The plans for the Metallurgy Building involved the trans- 

 ference, already mentioned, of the War Office lathe to an extension of the 

 Metrology Building. 



One further new Department remains to be mentioned. From the date of 

 the opening of the Laboratory the possibility of finding funds for the 

 construction at Teddington of a large tank for experiments on models of ships 

 had been under consideration by the Executive Committee of the Laboratory. 

 In April 1908 an offer was made by Mr. A. F. Yarrow to the Institution of 

 Naval Architects of the sum of ,20,000 for the construction of such a tank, 

 provided it were established at the National Physical Laboratory and 

 a sufficient sum contributed from other sources for its maintenance for a num- 

 ber of years. A Guarantee Fund was raised by the Institution ; and the 

 construction of the tank was commenced in 1909 and completed towards the 

 end of 1910. It was formally opened by Lord Rayleighon July 5, 1911 ; and 

 on a commemorative tablet it is described as ' The William Froude National 

 Tank, erected by A. F. Yarrow for the service of the nation \ The work is 

 carried on under the guidance of an Advisory Committee, mainly composed ot 

 representatives of the Institution of Naval Architects. 



The Kew Observatory continued its work as the ' Observatory Department ' 

 of the Laboratory until the year 1910. During this period it was found 

 necessary to remove the magnetic work to a site free from magnetic disturbance 

 due to electric traction ; and, with the assistance of the Government, a Magnetic 

 Observatory was established at Eskdalemuir, Dumfriesshire. The buildings 

 were commenced in 1904, and a Superintendent was appointed in 1907. On 

 July 1, 1910, the control of the meteorological research work carried out at 

 Kew, and of the Eskdalemuir Observatory, was transferred to the Director of 

 the Meteorological Office, the Kew Observatory becoming the Central 

 Observatory of the Meteorological Office. The testing of clinical and other 

 thermometers, telescopes, binoculars, watches, and other instruments still 

 continues, however, to be carried out at the Kew Observatory, pending the 

 provision of accommodation for this work at Teddington. 



For this purpose further new buildings at Teddington are necessary. 

 Towards these the sum of ^15,000 has recently been promised by the 

 Treasury, and the minimum accommodation required is now being arranged 

 for. The buildings planned, and commenced early in 1912, include an 

 Optics Building, which will provide room for the testing of optical instru- 

 ments now done at Kew and for the Optics Division at Teddington, and an 

 Administration Building, with offices and library, and a section for the 

 receipt and despatch of instruments. These buildings will be completed 

 early in 1913. 



A few notes are added on the researches which have been conducted at 



U2 



