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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXX. No. 759 



teach tool-theory and mechanical analysis 

 apart from ordinary shop-practise — to 

 conduct a secondary school with a liberal 

 course of study in mathematics, science 

 and language. But the "Worcester system 

 developed by Thompson and Higgins gave 

 shop training under commercial condi- 

 tions; the saleable products had a widely 

 recognized use and value. 



In his inaugural address, President 

 Thompson clearly set forth the purpose 

 and scope of an institute of technology. 

 He defined the term technology as the ap- 

 plication of the sciences to industrial ends. 

 He then deprecated the confusion of ideas 

 which would apply the term, technical 

 education, to any course of teaching which 

 aims at a directly practical result, as op- 

 posed to the old academic idea of the ' ' col- 

 lege education." But when, as he said, a 

 title is sought for those who engage in the 

 higher occupations or professions, the word 

 technologist is found to be too vague and 

 awkward; hence such men are termed 

 engineers, and the business, engineering. 



We may note here that the term "engi- 

 neering" may seem to lack breadth of 

 meaning, suggesting chiefly mechanical 

 devices, engines, machine shops, etc. But 

 reference to the dictionary will set us 

 right; for the first definition (now obso- 

 lete) of engine is "natural capacity," 

 "ability," "skill"; and the derivation is 

 from the Latin ingeniiim which is a com- 

 posite of m and the root of gignere, to 

 produce. Hence the original sense is very 

 comprehensive, and the word, as used, quite 

 appropriate. Indeed, the late Geo. S. 

 Morison, civil engineer, held that every 

 engineering work is a tool for accomplish- 

 ing some specific purpose; that engine is 

 but another name for tool; that the busi- 

 ness of an engineer relates to tools; that 

 a civil engineer must be capable of design- 

 ing as well as handling tools ; that the high- 



est development of tools is an engine which 

 manufactures power; that we are in the 

 early stages of a new epoch, that of the 

 manufacture of power; that civil engi- 

 neering in its true meaning embraces every 

 special branch; that the true civil engineer 

 must be able to design as well as direct; 

 and that, whether he be a railroad builder, 

 a skilful surveyor, a mechanical engineer, 

 or devoted to any other specialty, he must 

 be more than a skilful workman, he must 

 be an originator, a creator. 



In President Thompson's statement of 

 the high purpose of Rose Polytechnic, he 

 recognized this principle and emphasized 

 it by announcing that the young men who 

 propose to be civil engineers will spend 

 part of their practise-time in the machine 

 shop. This was then an unusual policy in 

 the schools, but it accorded with the earli- 

 est precedents of the profession. The first 

 great civil engineers of the modern world, 

 Perronet in France and his contemporary, 

 Smeaton in England, one hundred and fifty 

 years ago, developed marked inventive 

 power and skill along mechanical lines. 

 They devised and adapted their rude auxil- 

 iary machines for constructive purposes. 

 Instead of steam hoisting engines, they 

 had only man power and horse power. 

 Smeaton constructed and operated pumps, 

 water wheels, blowing engines and wind- 

 mills, and invented astronomical and 

 meteorological instruments. 



You may remember the familiar anec- 

 dote of Rennie who, when traveling, lost 

 caste among his fellow passengers by mend- 

 ing the broken axle of a disabled stage- 

 coach—but one offended companion was 

 astonished to find him at the breakfast 

 table of a nobleman next day. 



To justify his ideals at that time. Presi- 

 dent Thompson reported, as the results of 

 fifteen years' trial of the system, that more 

 than 95 per cent, of the graduates at Wor- 



