5o6 



NATURE 



[September 24, 1903 



no doubt be referred to in another Section of this Associ- 

 ation, I do not propose to make further reference to it 

 here. 



In my Presidential Address before the Institution of Civil 

 Engineers in 190 1, I raised a note of warning in regard 

 to the stereotyping of design and the consequent cramping 

 of originality. The constitution of the Standards Com- 

 mittee and the professional standing of its members afford 

 a guarantee that its work will accord with the best practice 

 of this country, since those engaged in drawing up the 

 standards are not only in the forefront of engineering 

 practice, l)ut are alive to the necessity for extending the 

 number of standards if and when needed to meet the require- 

 ments of the engineer. 



National Physical Laboratory. 



An outline scheme for a National Physical Laboratory 

 was set forth in 1891, by Sir (then Dr.) Oliver Lodge, 

 F.R.S., in his Address at Cardiff to Section A of the British 

 Association. In his Presidential Address to this Association 

 In 1895 at Ipswich, the late Sir Douglas Galton, F.R.S., 

 emphasised the importance of such an Institution, a Com- 

 mittee of this Association reported in favour of it, and 

 later, when after forwarding a petition to the late Lord 

 Salisbury, a Treasury Committee with Lord Rayleigh, 

 F.R.S., in the Chair was formed, Sir Douglas Galton gave 

 evidence to the effect that if Great Britain was to retain 

 its industrial supremacy, we must have accurate standards 

 available to our research students and to our manufacturers. 



In 1901, the National Physical Laboratory was inaugur- 

 ated at Bushy House, near Teddington, and an annual 

 grant of 4000?. towards its support was made by Govern- 

 ment. It is divided into three departments, of which the 

 one dealing with all branches of Civil, Mechanical, and 

 Electrical Engineering is chiefly interesting to us in Section 

 G In this department tests are now undertaken of the 

 strength of materials of construction, of pressure and 

 vacuum gauges, of indicators and indicator springs, and of 

 length gauges and screw gauges, and photomicroscopic 

 investigation is made of metals and alloys, and especially 

 of steel rails. 



But beside the ordinary work of testing, various in- 

 vestigations are in progress, such as measurement of wind 

 pressure, elastic fatigue in nickel steel and other materials 

 used by engineers, and the magnetic and mechanical 

 properties of aluminium-iron and other alloys. For the 

 British Association a set of platinum thermometers has 

 been constructed and subjected to stringent tests, and an 

 investigation has been undertaken for the Engineering 

 Standards Committee into the changes in insulating 

 strength of various dielectrics used in motors, transformers, 

 &c., due to continued heating. In the language of Dr. 

 Glazebrook, F.R.S., the Director, who it may be mentioned 

 was previously Principal of University College, Liverpool, 

 science is not yet regarded as a commercial factor in this 

 country, but it is one of the aims of the National Physical 

 Laboratory to bring about the alliance of science with 

 commerce and industry. The expenditure of the National 

 Physical Laboratory is met by an annual Treasury grant 

 of 4000/. ; 500L a year from an endowment ; fees for tests, 

 now amounting to about 3500/. annually ; and from dona- 

 tions and subscriptions. 



The Director is anxious that the revenue derived from 

 fees for testing should be largely augmented, and I would 

 urge on engineers, contractors and manufacturers, as well 

 as on private individuals, that they should avail themselves 

 of the opportunity to have tests and experiments of interest 

 to them, and which will be generally accepted as unim- 

 peachable, conducted at this laboratory! I may add that an 

 appeal has been made for further donations' and annual 

 contributions, as the funds now at the disposal of the Board 

 of Management are insufficient to carry on the work of 

 the laboratory on a sound financial basis', and I venture to 

 hope that many of those who are interested in the practical 

 applications of science will assist in supporting the work of 

 this national institution. 



Intercommunication. 

 General Progress. 

 At the commencement of the nineteenth century. South- 

 port, which now has its parks, a promenade, and a pier 

 NO. 1769, VOL. 68] 



more than three-quarters of a mile in length, its halls, 

 free library, art gallery and science and art schools, and 

 railway connection with all parts of the kingdom, was not 

 even to be found on the maps, the first house having been 

 erected in the year 1792. In 185 1 the population of South- 

 port and the adjoining place Birkdale was 5390, whereas 

 at the census of 1901, Southport had a population of 48,083 

 and Birkdale 14,197, together 62,280. Here is evidence of 

 great local enterprise, resulting in a development of which 

 its people may be justly proud. 



At the commencement of the nineteenth century the 

 population of the United Kingdom was nearly 15I millions, 

 at the beginning of the twentieth nearly 41J millions. 

 Then there was not a mile of railway in the United 

 Kingdom : now there are about 22,000 miles. Here, too, 

 is evidence not only of the prosperity which has prevailed 

 throughout Great Britain during the century that has 

 passed, but also of the enormously increased demands which 

 have arisen during the same period on the means of 

 locomotion. 



It was towards the latter half of the eighteenth century 

 that the formation of good roads was commenced in Lanca- 

 shire and the adjoining counties by John Metcalf, the blind 

 road-maker, and that Palmer in 1784 introduced mail 

 coaches travelling at from six to seven miles an hour on 

 the main roads. In 1801 the mail coach from London to 

 Holyhead occupied nearly forty-six hours on the journey, 

 and the mails reached Dublin on the third day after leaving 

 London. Now the journey from London to Holyhead is 

 performed in 5J hours, and Dublin is reached in gl hours 

 after leaving London. 



In 1803, just one hundred years ago, Telford reported to 

 the Government on the state of the roads, and as a result 

 tha- great road to Liverpool from the Metropolis and the 

 other great highways were constructed. It was enlightened 

 wisdom that eighty years ago placed intercommunication 

 in the forefront of the definition of engineering ; it still 

 maintains that position, and I purpose to say a few words 

 on the present aspect of the question. 



Road Traffic — Motors. 



Speed in locomotion appears to be now the first consider- 

 ation, whether as regards mails, passengers, or goods. I 

 would refer in the first instance to locomotion on our main 

 roads. Here three or four classes of machines appear to be 

 ambitious to drive pedestrians, horsemen, and horse-drawn 

 vehicles off the road. 



The first practical steam carriage was used by Trevithick 

 in the year 1802 ; and now, a hundred years later, it is 

 found that for the traction of heavy loads on the main roads 

 steam is still most suitable. The points of importance in 

 connection with traction engines and their trailers are their 

 speed, weight, and width ; of course, there is no question 

 that, as regards facilitating trafHc, the large heavy waggon 

 replacing many smaller horse-drawn ones will be found a 

 boon. Mr. E. R. Calthrop, M.Inst.C.E., one of the 

 founders of the Liverpool Self-propelled Traffic Association, 

 is opposed to any weight restriction, but it must be re- 

 membered that the momentum of heavily laden waggons 

 drawn by a powerful traction engine at the maximum speed 

 of five miles an hour is very great, and causes uncomfort- 

 able vibration in the houses along the main thoroughfares 

 of our towns ; on the other hand, light traction engines 

 are now being successfully used, drawing from four to five 

 tons of market produce through the streets of London 

 without causing undue vibration, and at a cost, I am in- 

 formed, of about one-half that of horse traction. 



But a far more burning question is that of th#speed of 

 motor cars along our public thoroughfares. The struro-le 

 to maintain a trophy at home, or to regain it from abroad, 

 is one in which every inhabitant of this country sympathises. 

 The great Gordon-Bennett Cup Race in July last redounded 

 to the credit of the Automobile Club of Great Britain and 

 Ireland, who made and carried out the arrangements and 

 were at considerable pains to find a suitable course in a 

 sparsely inhabited district ; every measure which experience 

 has shown to be needful having been taken to prevent 

 accident. The race was decidedly international in character, 

 French, Germans, Americans, and English contesting for 

 the prize ; and in heartily congratulating the German Auto- 

 mobile Club on their success, it mav be noted that M. 



