^o6 



NA TURE 



[September io, 1S95 



Congresses accordingly afibrd a \-aluable opportunity for 

 railway, hydraulic, and sanitary engineers of expressing 

 their \-iews, and enlarging their exjierience by consultation 

 and discussii:)n with engineers of various countries. My 

 experience of the six maritime, inland navigation, and water- 

 works international congresses I have attended in England and 

 abroad, has convinced me of the ver)' great value of such 

 meetings in collecting information, comiaring views, and 

 obtaining some knowledge of foreign works and methods ; whilst 

 the acquaintances formed with some of the most celebrated 

 foreign engineers, afford opjwrtunities of gaining further infor- 

 mation about works abroad, and deriving experience from their 

 progress and results. 



Engineering Literature. — Lawj-ers have been defined as per- 

 sons who do not possess a knowledge of law, but who know 

 where to find the law which they may require. It may be hoped 

 that a similar definition is not ajiplicable to engineers ; but with 

 the rapid increase of engineering Jiterature, it is most desirable 

 that engineers should be able readily to refer to the information 

 on any special subject, or descriptions of any executed works, 

 which may have been published. Much valuable matter, how- 

 ever, is burie<l in the proceedings of engineering and scientific 

 societies, and in various publications ; and often a considerable 

 amount of lime is expended in fruitless search. This great waste of 

 lime and energ)', and the loss of available information involved, 

 led me a few years ago to suggest that a catalogue of engineering 

 literature ought to be made, arranging the lists of publications 

 relating to the several branches under separate headings. There 

 is a [xissibility that this arduous and costly task may Ix- partially 

 accomplished in separate volumes ; and, at any rate, the first 

 step has lieen effected by the publication, under the auspices of 

 the Paris Inland Navigation Congress of 1892, of a catalogue of 

 the pulilications on inland navigation. .\ start has also been 

 made in France, Italy, and England, towards the pre|5aration of 

 a similar catalogue on maritime works, which it may lie ho|ied 

 means one day will be found to publish on the meeting of some 

 future congress. Engineers who have searched, even in the 

 liest libraries, for the published information on any special sub- 

 ject, will appreciate what a great boon an engineering subject 



cr" ' luld hje to the profession, and indirectly to the 



1 -f. 



I vinal publication of comprehensive books on special 



branches of engineering, and concise papers on special subjects, 

 by com|)etent authorities, are extremely valuable in advancing 

 and systemalising engineering knowledge ; but the time and 

 trouble involved in the pre|x»ration of such publications must, 

 like the organising of congresses, be regarded as a duty performed 

 in the interests of the profession and science, and not .as affording 

 a prospect of any pecuniar)' benefit. 



Concluding Remarks. — In this address I have endeavoured, 

 though very im|XTfectly, to indicate how engineering consists in 

 the application of natural laws and the researches of science for 

 the Ijencfit and advancement of mankind, and to ]X)int out that 

 increased knowledge will Ik; constantly needed to keep trace with, 

 and to carry on, the progress that h.is been m<i(le. The great 



a'i'T' - i.i.-.i i,y engineering works in facilitating com- 



li iirse, and consequently the diffusion of 



\ "ig trade, in extending civilis.ation to 



t IS, in multiplying the comforts of life, and affording 



c ibiliiies of enjoyment and change of scene, may be 



!■ K acknowledged ; but the more gradual and 



I' !;;h not less im|X)rt.int, benefits effected by 



• are not so fully realised. 



1 engineering with the other chief brapch of 

 :i medicine, exhibits some similarities and 



' in Iwth professions, the discoveries of science are 



1 '.^-half of mankind ; but whilst physicians devote 



I i\ 1(1 individuals, engineers are concerned in 



1 II lieing of the community at large. Persons 



' ' • irs when they are alt.icked by disease, or 



1 'lent ; but they e.-igerly resort for enjoy- 



>i iii>hi|>s, mountain tramways, piers, great 



whici-, iiw: r> ; and they frequently avail themselves 



of the iiicii ,,nd easy locomotion to complete their 



riMor.. 1 :i lih l.y change of air and climate. Physicians 



'fy '" ■ " 1" ilf when they arc ill: whereas engineers en- 

 '1' ■ ' unicrsuii|' ' "lent drainiit;e, to main- 



ly U ; and in :, the evident results fif 



'I ■ fir more u , i-.iii,ed than the invisible, 



Ihoug <prcad, preventive benefits of engineering 



works. Statistics alone can reveal the silent operations of 

 sanitary work ; and probably no better evidence could be given 

 of the inestimable value of good water and proper drainage on 

 the health of the population of large towns, when aided by the 

 progress of medical science, than the case of London, where, 

 towards the close of the last cenlurv-, the death-rate exceeded 

 the birth-rate, and the numbers were only kept up by constant 

 immigrations : whereas now , in sjiite of the vast increase of the 

 population and the progressive absorption of the adjacent 

 countr)- into the ever-widening circle of houses, the number of 

 births exceed the deaths by nearly nine hundred a week. 



In engineering, ,as in pure science, it is imjiossible to stand 

 still : and engineers require to be ever learning, ever seeking, to 

 appreciate more fully tlie laws of nature ami the revelations of 

 science, ever endeavouring to perfect their methods by the light 

 of fresh discoveries, and ever striving to make past experience 

 and a wider knowledge stepping-stones to greater achievements. 

 Engineers have a noble vocation, and should aim at attaining a 

 lofty ideal ; and, in the spirit of the celebrated scientific dis- 

 coverers of the past, such as Galileo, N'ewton, I„aplace, Caven- 

 dish, Lyell, and Faraday, should regard their profession, not so 

 much as an opportunity of gaining a pecuniary reward, as a 

 means of advancing knowledge, health, and pros|5erity. 



The remarkable iriumjihs of engineering have been due to the 

 liatient and long-continued researches of successive generations 

 of mathematicians, physicists, and other scientific investigators ; 

 ard it is by the utilisation of these stores of knowledge and 

 experience that engineers have acquired renown. A higher 

 tribute of gratitude should perhaps be paid to the noble band of 

 scientific investigators who, in pursuit of knowledge for its own 

 sake, have rendered jiossible the achievements ol engineering, 

 than to those who ha\e made use of their discoveries for the 

 attainment of practical benefits ; but they must both be regarded 

 as co-workers m the promotion of the welfare of mankind. The 

 advancement of science develops the intellectual faculties of 

 nations, and enlarges their range ; whilst the resulting progress 

 in engineering increases their nuiterial comforts and prosperity. 

 If men of science, by closer intercourse with engineers, could 

 realise more fully the |>ractical capabilities of their researches, 

 and engineers, liy a more complete scientific training, could gain 

 a clearer insight into the scientific aspect of their profession, 

 both might be able to co-operate more thoroughly in developing 

 the resources of nature, and in furthering the intellectual and 

 material progress of the hinnan race. 



.S-. io5I. VOL. 52] 



AMERICA.X AS.suLlATJO.\ FOR THE 

 AD VANCE. ME NT OF .SCIENCE. 



•SlCiaNI) Si'RtNr.KllvI.n .Ml^ETINO. 



'T'HE forty-fourth meeting of the .Vmerican .Vssocialion for the 

 Advancement of Science was held at Springfield, Mass., 

 .•\ugust 29 to September 4, being the second meeting held at that 

 city : the first was in 1859. 



In the early history of the .Vssocialion frequent meetings were 

 held in New ICngland, but fifteen years have passed since the 

 last preceding New l'.nglan<I meeting, held at Boston. The 

 sfjcial and intellectual life of all New England cities ranks high, 

 and the Association found a most appreciative and hospitable 

 community. 



.\ copy of the address of the retiring President, Dr. Daniel 

 (i. Hrinton, on " The Aims of .Anthropology," has already been 

 sent to NAri'Ki;. It was a matter for regret that the .author 

 w,as unable to attend and re.ad it |K'rsonally. 



The vice-presidential addresses were not quite so many .is 

 usuiil, owing to the resignation of Profs. Ilolden ami Jordan as 

 presidents of the Sections of -Astronomy ami Zoology , respect- 

 ively, because of the change in ])lace of meeting from California, 

 where they reside, and where it was intended to meet if the 

 trans-continental railroads had reduced fares sufiiciently. The 

 .addresses delivered were by \V. L. .Stevens, on "Recent Progress 

 in Optics"; William McMurtrie, on "The Relation of the 

 Industries to the Advancement of Chemical .Science" ; William 

 Kent, on "The Relation of Engineering to Optics"; J. 

 Hotchkis.s, on "The Cieological Survey of Virginia, 1835-1841 : 

 its History and Influence in the Advancement of Ceologlc 

 .Science": I. C. Arthur, on "The Development of Vegelalile 

 Physiology' ; V. II. Cushing, on " The .Arrow " ; and H. E. 

 Fcmow, on "The Providential Function of ( ...v.itinirni n 

 Relation to Natural Resources." 



