248 
NATURE 
[APRIL 29, 1915 

action is statical. It might be expected that theo- 
retical calculations of the stresses would in that case 
be approximately verified by the observations. In fact 
it is not so. The distribution of stress is very much 
less uniform than it is assumed to be in theory and in 
the design of boilers. Of course, this is chiefly due 
to angle-i irons and joints, which in most cases reduce 
the stresses, but, at any rate, greatly modify the stress 
distribution. 

UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE. 
GLasGow.—The course of instruction in engineer- 
ing for the B.Sc. degree is conducted upon the * sand- 
wich” system. Under this plan, the laboratory staff 
is occupied during the six winter months in providing 
the prescribed lectures and demonstrations for the 
students. During the months April to October the 
ordinary students obtain their practical training as 
pupils in the various cheers works of the dis- 
trict. In summer the laboratories are accordingly 
employed only for special forms of instruction and for 
research. This year, at the close of the winter session, 
Prof. Cormack and his colleagues—lecturers, assistants, 
demonstrators, and mechanics—offered their services 
through the principal of the University to Lord 
Kitchener for any purpose connected with the produc- 
tion of munitions of war, which he might think fit 
to indicate. The Secretary of State, Eerowae the 
Master-General of the Ordnance, has cordially acknow- 
ledged the offer of the staff, and promises speedily to 
inform the University as to the manner in which it 
may be utilised to the best advantage. In the mean- 
time, the Admiralty has, with the sanction of the 
University Court, made arrangements for using the 
equipment of the laboratories, and in particular of the 
testing machinery, for the purpose of testing the 
specimens of steel and other metals employed by the 
contracting firms who are manufacturing shells, etc. 
Prof. Cormack and Mr. Morley, lecturer on heat 
engines, have undertaken to supervise the operations 
under the direction of the Admiralty inspector. A 
large proportion of the engineering students, who com- 
pleted their course at the graduation in April, have 
found places in the munition factories. 
Lonpon.—Among the public lectures, which are 
open to the public without fee, to be delivered at 
University College, during the present term, are the 
following :—April 29: Prehistoric Egypt, Prof. W. 
Flinders Petrie; April 30: Serbian ideals, Miss Annie 
Christitch ; May 3: The principles of technical evapora- 
tion and distillation, Dr. W. A. Caspari; May 4: 
Hindu religions, Prof. L. D. Barnett. 
Oxrorp.—Prof. J. Mark Baldwin, honorary pro- 
fessor of the University of Mexico, formerly professor 
of philosophy and psychology in ‘the Johns Hopkins 
University of Baltimore, has been appointed Herbert 
Spencer lecturer for the year 1915-16. 
AccorRDING to the Korr. Norden, lectures in the Uni- 
versity of Berlin will be greatly reduced, on account of 
the number of professors and students at the front. 
We learn from Science that under the will of the 
late General Charles H. Pine, recently published, Yale 
College will eventually receive an addition of 30,000. 
to the 10,0001. scholarship fund established by General 
Pine about three years ago. The will also provides 
for the creation of a fund of 50,000l. to be devoted 
to manual training of Ansonia boys and girls. From 
the same source we learn that by the will of General 
William D. Gill, of Baltimore, the Johns Hopkins 
University is made residuary legates after the death 
NO. 2374, VOL. 95] 


' building fund, 

of his wife. The bequest is to be used for the estab- 
lishment of a chair of forestry. The sum of 5oool, 
has been contributed by Mr. P. S. du Pont toward 
the University of Pennsylvania Museum extension 
which now amounts to more than 
20,0001. As soon as the fund amounts to 100,000l., 
the building of the next extension will be started. 
THE Civil Service Estimates for the year ending 
March 31, 1916, include a vote of 145,0001. for special 
grants in aid of certain universities, colleges, medical 
schools, and agricultural institutions, to meet loss of 
income arising during the war. It is pointed out that 
certain of the universities, colleges, and other similar 
institutions which are in receipt of Parliamentary 
grants have been adversely affected by the war, more 
especially by the loss of fee income arising from the 
widespread response among men students “to the call 
for recruits. The special grants in aid will be used 
to give such assistance as may be necessary to save 
the institutions in question from suffering serious per- 
manent detriment from the temporary emergency. 
The expenditure of the universities,. colleges, and other 
institutions out of the grants will not be accounted 
for in detail to the Comptroller and Auditor-General, 
nor will any unexpended balances be surrendered by 
the payees at the close of the financial year. 
Dr. H. B. Gray, formerly headmaster of Bradfield 
College, has recently been appointed official lecturer 
at the Imperial Institute in order to give short lectures 
on the resources of the countries of the Empire, illus- 
trated by the collections of exhibits which are to be 
seen in the various courts assigned to those countries 
in the public exhibition galleries of the Institute at 
South Kensington. Since the beginning of last month 
a succession of such lectures has been delivered at the 
institute by Dr Gray, chiefly to schools in London and 
its neighbourhood, in connection with the school teach- 
ing of the geography of the Empire. In addition to 
these lectures to schools, it is now intended to arrange 
a weekly lecture in the exhibition galleries, of a less 
formal kind, for members of the general public in 
connection with the exhibits illustrative of the present 
condition and resources of the Colonies and India. 
The first of these lectures will be given on Wednesday, 
May 12, at 3 p-m., on Canada and Newfoundland, and 
will be followed each week in May on Wednesdays, at 
3 p-m., by short illustrated lectures on other countries 
of the Empire in turn. A separate announcement will 
be made with regard to the lectures in June. No 
charge will be made for these lectures. Admission 
will be by ticket, to be obtained at the Imperial Insti- 
tute, South Kensington. The number attending each 
lecture will be limited to fifty. 
Tue Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers 
contains an interesting paper and discussion on train- 
ing for the industrial side of engineering. The paper 
is by Mr. A. P. M. Fleming, who © described 
the apprentice school which the British West- 
inghouse Company established a year ago at 
their own works. Instruction averaging about five 
hours a week is given during 
bound apprentices, numbering altogether about 300. 
The regular rate of wages is paid during the time 
spent in this way, and the cost of books and stationery 
is also defrayed. Teaching is done by twelve members 
of the engineering staff, supplemented by lectures from 
the leading foremen and shop engineers. Ten of the 
most promising apprentices are selected each year and 
sent for one whole day a week to the course for 
engineering apprentices at the Municipal School of 
Technology, Manchester. Mr. Fleming emphasised 
the unsuitability of the evening classes in most indus- 
trial centres for ‘‘ trade”’ instruction, which he thought 
working hours to all 
