May 7, 1896] 



NATURE 



each heat. The welder makes a complete circuit of the back of 

 the flange, and fills it up sufficiently to make a fillet of about 

 li inches radius. In this way the flange is solidly welded to the 

 tube at the back, and about three-fourths of the way through its 

 thickness; but the front or outer side is not yet welded. The 

 tube is then upended, and the outer side of the flange is welded 

 to the tube, the only difference being tliat the heat of the arc is 

 used to burn out a cavity all round the junction of the pipe and 

 the flange, until the depth is reached at which the two have 

 already been united ; this cavity is then welded up in the same 

 way .as the back of the flange, thus ensuring that the flange is 

 welded solid to the pipe right through." 



One point in connection with electric work, to which the 

 author called special attention, was the length and size of the 

 arc which is used in the welding of various kinds of work. 

 With a short arc, the carbon point is brought down too close to 

 the steel, and the result is inferior work, not only from the pre- 

 sence of the carbon, but also because the heat is concentrated 

 upon so small a surface that the strains set up in cooling are con- 

 siderable. The longer the arc, the softer and more defined is 

 the heat ; and any slight strain which may be set up can be got 

 rid of by careful annealing. A long arc is therefore indispensable 

 to the proper working of the system. 



The reading of this paper was followed by an animated 

 discussion in which trade interests were not altogether neglected. 

 One manufacturer from Sheffield expressed a preference for 

 flanges forged solid from the end of the pipe, rather than for 

 those electrically welded on in the manner described. No doubt 

 the electrical welding gives a very trustworthy attachment 

 between the flange and pipe — e.xperience has proved this ; and, 

 equally without doubt, the solid forged flange is an e.xcellent 

 device. The merits of the two systems are reduced to com- 

 mercial considerations. The same speaker, whilst bearing 

 testimony to the very fine junctions, bends and T-pieces shown 

 by the author, said that recourse to electrical methods for pro- 

 ducing these was not necessary, as they could be made equally 

 well, and at a cheaper rate, in the shape of crucible steel 

 castings. That, however, is also a commercial point upon 

 which we need not enter. The question as to whether electrical 

 welding is really welding or fusing, was also discussed by several 

 speakers at the meeting. The problem appears very much to be 

 one simply of names. No doubt electrical welding, as described 

 by the author, is not welding in accordance with the forgeman's 

 old vocabulary ; but whether it be welding or fusing, so long as it 

 gives a good and trustworthy junction of the two metals, is a 

 matter of small importance. There is no ilciubt that electrical 

 fusing, if engineering purists insist on the term, enables work to 

 be done which could not be attempted in any other way, and it 

 will surely take its place in times to come as an engineer's work- 

 .shop process. The methods of making the longitudinal seams 

 in steam pipes by welding were descriljed by the author in his 

 paper. These methods are well known now , and have been in 

 use for some years, so we need not refer to ibis part of the paper, 

 further than to state that it gave rise to a discussion on the 

 respective merits of solid drawn tubes made from the ingot 

 (which of course have no longitudinal weld) and lap-welded 

 tubes. On this point Mr. Mark Robinson gave some instructive 

 data. He h.ad made tests with lap-welded steel tubes and solid 

 drawn steel tubes. We will not quote the details, as they were 

 rather voluminous, but we will simply say that the lap-welded 

 lube showed considerable superiority. It may be stated, how- 

 ever, that at the present time seamless steel tubes are being 

 made by one firm in 12 ft. lengths, the diameter being I ft. ; 

 this is rather a remarkable development of the industry. 



The meeting was brought to a close by the discussion on this 

 paper. 



The Summer Meeting of the Institution « ill be held this year 

 in Belfast, and will commence on Tuesday, July 28. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



C.^MBRiiiGK.— Prof. -Sir G. G. Stokes, Prof. A. R. Forsyth, 

 and Prof. J. J. Thomson are to represent the University at the 

 celebration in Glasgow of Lord Kelvin's jubilee next month. 

 Prof. Thomson will also represent the University at the Sesqui- 

 centennial celebration of the founding of the College of New 



Jersey and the inauguration of Princeton University, tii be held 

 next October. 



In view of the extreme financial depression which has befallen 

 the Colleges, the Chancellor has diminished Ijy /'3000 a year 

 the contribution payable by them to the University in 1S96-98. 



The Council of the Senate has reported in favour of the 

 affiliation of the University of Toronto and the Univeisity of 

 Bombay. 



Prof. T. W. Bridge and Mr. Charles Davison have been 

 admitted to the degree of Doctor of Science. 



Owixc; to the eflbrts of the Chairman of the District Council, 

 it will not be long before the town of Bilston is provided with 

 an efficient technical and art school. No less than ^2400 has 

 been locally subscribed, and it is confidently expected to bring 

 the amount up to ^^2500 at least, when it will be possible to 

 claim ;^looo from the Science and Art Department, and ;^50o 

 from the County Council, making a total of ;^4O0O. A Com- 

 mittee has been formed in connection with the workmen of the 

 district for raising .^"250 towards the expenses of furnishing. 



Scientific study is given a little encouragement by the 

 London Chamber of Commerce. Among the prizes offered for 

 competition in the Chamber's seventh examination for junior 

 commercial education certificates, to be held in the Hall of the 

 Institute of Chartered Accountants, Moorgate-street, E.C., oi> 

 July 6, are : — Prizes of ^5 and £2, for proficiency in commercial 

 history and geography: prize of ;^5 for proficiency in algebra, 

 Euclid, mechanics, and hydrostatics ; prizes of ^3 and £2 for 

 proficiency in chemistry ; prizes of £1, and £z for proficiency in 

 electricity and magnetism ; prizes of £}, and £2 for proficiency 

 in sound, light and heat ; and prizes of £1 and £2 for proficiency 

 in natural history. There will also be awarded the " Princess 

 Louise" prize of ;^35 for general proficiency, and the "Textile 

 Section " prize of ^36 \y. (conditions undetermined); while 

 the Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce offer a prize of £z 2s. for 

 proficiency in mathematics. 



At a meeting of the Technical Instruction Committee of the 

 Cornwall County Council, held at Truro last week, the 

 Agricultural Sub-Committee recommended " That in view of the 

 Government proposals, affecting secondary education, as set out 

 in the Education Bill now before the House, it is desirable to 

 defer taking immediate steps to secure land and premises for 

 the purpose of establishing a farm school in this county." The 

 recommendation, which was proposed by the Chairman, was 

 eventually adopted. During the discussion which took place 

 upon the matter, it was made clear that the original intention 

 had been to found a central institute because the only suitable 

 efficient schools in the county were of a proprietary character, 

 and from the provisions of the Technical Instruction Act, 1SS9, 

 it was impossible to as.sist these. The object of deferring the 

 question was to enable the Committee to see if, by the terms of 

 the new Act, schools of only a semi-public character could be 

 assisted, and also to first become acquainted with the powers of 

 the new Educational Committee before they committed them- 

 selves to any policy. 



A SHORT time ago attention was called in these columns to the 

 low financial condition of the University College, Bristol. We 

 now learn from the Lancet that the Council of the College issued 

 last week an urgent appeal for pecuniary assistance to the inhabit- 

 ants of Bristol and the West of England. The Council earnestly 

 appeal for a capital sum of ^^10,000 to clear the college from debt, 

 and for an addition to the annual sustentation fund of £~<x>, which 

 would restore the fund to the ^1200 subscribed in 1SS2, not less 

 than which is required to meet the annual expenditure and to 

 secure the Government grant. The Council also emphasise the 

 need of a permanent endowment, and suggest that wealthy 

 citizens of Bristol and the West should associate their names, as 

 in other colleges, with the endowment of professorships. The 

 donations already promised for the capital fund amount tc 

 ^5334, and to the sustentation fund about ;£'loo. We note witu 

 pleasure that, at a recent meeting nf the Technical Education 

 Committee of the Bristol Corporation, it was decided to recom- 

 mend the Council to make a grant of ^"2000 to the funds nou 

 being raised on behalf of the college, to be conditional upon the 

 ;f 10,000 being obtained, and on the acceptance of two repre- 

 sentatives of the Town Council upon the Governing Body. 



NO. 1384. VOL. 54] 



