14 



NA TURE 



[November 7, 1907 



The Pioneer Mail states that the Secretary of State for 

 India has sanctioned the establishment of a new bacterio- 

 'iogical department on a permanent basis. 



It is reported that the town of Karatagh, in Bokhara, 

 was destroyed by an earthquake on October 21. A 

 message from New Bokhara states that 600 farmsteads 

 'have been destroyed, and 200 persons killed. 



The FitzPatrick lectures of the London Royal College of 

 Physicians will be delivered by Dr. Leonard Guthrie on 

 December 3 and December 5, on " Contributions from 

 History and Literature to the Study of Precocity in 

 Children." 



It is reported by Science that the observatory of the 

 University of Michigan is being enlarged under the direc- 

 tion of Prof. Hussey. The old instruments are being re- 

 constructed, and a new reflecting telescope added, having 

 an aperture of about 375 inches. 



From the Pioneer Mail we learn that the Government 

 of India has sanctioned the opening of wireless telegraphic 

 communication between Mergui (Lower Burma) and 

 Victoria Point, with a land line between Victoria Point 

 and Maliwun. An annual guarantee will be given from 

 tlie provincial revenues of Burma in respect of the com- 

 "bined system. The guarantee will be subject to re- 

 consideration at the end of ten years. 



The opening meeting of the Institution of Electrical 

 Engineers will take place on November 14 at the Institution 

 of Civil Engineers, Great George Street. Lord Kelvin is 

 president for the present session, this making the third 

 time he has occupied the presidential chair. Owing to his 

 absence no presidential address will be given at the open- 

 ing meeting, but a paper on the dielectric strength of 

 insulating materials and the grading of cables will be 

 read by Mr. A. Russell. 



The council of the Institution of Civil Engineers has 

 made the following awards for the year 1906-7 : — the 

 Howard quinquennial prize to Mr. T. E. Vickers, C.B., 

 in recognition of the part he has taken during his career 

 in developing and improving the production of steel for 

 important engineering purposes ; Telford gold medals to 

 Mr. Dugald Clerk (London) and Mr. E. J. Way (Johannes- 

 burg) ; Watt gold medals to Mr. J. T. Milton (London), 

 Dr. A. W. Brightmore (Egham), and Mr. C. W. Lloyd- 

 Jones (Secunderabad) ; George Stephenson gold medals to 

 Mr. G. .\. Hobson (London) and Mr. W. C. Copper- 

 thwaite (London) ; Telford premiums to Messrs. C. F. 

 Jenkin (London), W. A. P. Tait (Edinburgh), A. P. Trotter 

 (London), M. Kellow (Penrhyndeudraeth), H. J. S. 

 Heather (Johannesburg), A. M. Robeson (Johannesburg), 

 and J. W. Kitchin (Bristol) ; a Crampton prize to Mr. 

 R. F. Thorp (London) ; Manby prizes to Mr. S. A. Freeh 

 (London) and Mr. G. D. McGlashan (Blyth) ; the Miller 

 scholarship and the " James Forrest " medal to Mr. A. C. 

 Anderson (Wolverhampton) ; Miller prizes to Messrs. R. .'\. 

 Whitson (Basutoland), C. A. Ablett (Addiscombe), E. H. 

 Heathcote (Henbury, near Macclesfield), G. B. G. Hull 

 (Stockport), H. Stringer (Stoke-on-Trent), G. F. Walton 

 (Edenfield, near Manchester), and A. T. Weston (Wool- 

 wich) ; Bayliss prizes, awarded on the results of the 

 October and February examinations, 1906-7, respectively 

 to Mr. F. C. R. H. Boyd (Luxor, Upper Egypt) and Mr. 

 D. J. Morris (Swansea). 



The inaugural address of the eighty-ninth session of the 

 Institution of Civil Engineers was delivered on Tuesday 

 evening, November 5, by the president, Sir William 



NO. 1984, VOL. yyl 



Matthews, K.C.M.G. In the course of his remarks, the 

 president referred to certain branches of engineering which 

 are associated with the conduct of over-sea traffic, and 

 therefore have an intimate' and important bearing on our 

 maritime commerce. In the ships of our mercantile marine 

 we may with certainty look for expansion both with regard 

 to dimensions and numbers, -^gain, we are fully entitled, 

 in the light of recent events, to anticipate in the immediate 

 future further and possibly great developments in steam 

 propulsion with turbines, either employed alone or 

 associated with reciprocating engines. Then there is the 

 extended use of oil for raising steam, or directly in internal 

 combustion engines. With regard to harbours, docks, and 

 waterways, due and adequate provision must be made for 

 larger and deeper draught ships, in the designs to be pre- 

 pared for new works, and also where harbours and docks 

 exist of inadequate dimensions for present requirements, 

 .^s to the actual construction of sea-works, the arrange- 

 ment of their design so that their execution may entail, so 

 far as possible, repetitions of the same process, with the 

 use of heavy masses and the generous application of suit- 

 able plant, may be usually expected to produce satisfactory 

 and economical results, so far as the structures themselves 

 are concerned. 



The awards for the Marseilles International Oceano- 

 graphic Exhibition, which was held last year, have been 

 issued, .'\mong the recipients we notice the following : — 

 Grand Prix d'Honneur to the Admiralty, the British 

 Museum (Natural History), Meteorological Office, Sir John 

 Murray, K.C.B. (president of the British Committee), 

 Fishery Board for Scotland, Department of Agriculture for 

 Ireland. Grand Prix to the Scottish National Antarctic 

 Expedition, Challenger Society, Marine Biological Associ- 

 ation, Royal Geographical Society, Captain Scott, R.N., 

 Dr. Herbert Fowler (honorary secretary of British Com- 

 mittee), and Mr. W. S. Bruce. In addition, the Dipldmc 

 Commimoratif has been awarded to about thirty in- 

 dividuals and societies. 



The South Wales Institute of Engineers celebrated its 

 jubilee on October 29. The institute was founded at 

 Merthyr on that date of 1857 by the late Mr. Wm. 

 Menelaus, manager of the Dowlais works. A strong and 

 representative executive was formed, every member of 

 which has now passed away. In 1881 a charter of in- 

 corporation was obtained, and in 1894 the institute build- 

 ings were opened at Park Place, Cardiff, at a cost of 

 more than 10,000/., whilst the new library added last week 

 has cost another 5000L The present membership is 565. 

 Sir W. T. Lewis, who was present at the first meeting 

 of the institute, became in later years its president. The 

 present holder of that office is Mr. T. H. Deakin, and 

 secretary Mr. T. Jones-Price. The library was formally 

 opened by the president on the afternoon of October 29, 

 and a portrait of the founder of the institute (by Mr. 

 Parker Hagarty) was unveiled. .Addresses were delivered 

 by Mr. T. Hurry Riches, Mr. Henry Martin, Mr. 

 McMurtrie, and others. The quarterly meeting was then 

 held, and in the evening there was a conversazione, at 

 which there was a crowded attendance. Several lecturettes 

 were delivered by Principal Griffiths, F.R.S., Dr. Hamp- 

 son. Dr. Perman, and Mr. S. W. Allen. Among other 

 interesting features was an installation of electrophones 

 " laid on " to the London opera and music halls. Sir 

 W. T. Lewis, who was unavoidably absent, sent a con- 

 gratulatory letter, in which he referred to the fact that 

 the South Wales coal output to-day was nearly seven times 

 its figure at the time of the foundation of the institute. 



