Apbh, 9, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



593 



Bearing Plates," whicli was illustrated by twenty- 

 five or tMrty lantern slides, presented a summary 

 of a bulletin soon to be issued by the Engineering 

 Experiment Station of the University of Illinois. 



The author deduced the proper theory of resist- 

 ance of base plates, formulas for the safe thick- 

 ness of plates of rectangular and tapered cross- 

 sections of east iron, and recommended the sub- 

 stitution and use of the straight line formula in 

 place of the theoretical formula of very tedious 

 application, the construction and use of a series 

 of graphical tables for rapidly and accurately 

 determining the dimensions and thickness of base 

 plates employed in practical construction. 



Professor A. H. Blanchard, Providence, E. I., 

 who is assistant engineer for the State Board of 

 Public Roads of Rhode Island, presented "An 

 Analysis of Highway Traffic in Rhode Island." 



The conclusions drawn by the writer for the 

 roads examined are: 



1. The amount of motor-car traffic which will 

 cause disintegration is much less than is generally 

 supposed. 



2. In the case of two roads subjected to prac- 

 tically the same amount of motor-car traffic, the 

 rate of disintegration will depend upon the loca- 

 tion of the road, other conditions being equal. 



3. The rate of disintegration of an ordinary 

 macadam surface will vary almost directly as the 

 percentage of motor-car traffic. 



4. The popular belief that trap rock is the ideal 

 road material for the surface of all macadam 

 roads independent of the nature of the traffic to 

 which they are subjected is a fallacy. In the case 

 of roads subjected to horse-drawn vehicle traffic 

 consisting of pleasure and light commercial traffic, 

 or subjected to motor-car traffic, either exclusively 

 or in combination with light horse-drawn vehicle 

 traffic, the trap rock surface is exceedingly ex- 

 pensive to maintain. This is due to the fact that 

 very little dust is furnished by abrasion on ac- 

 count of the hardness of the broken stone and 

 hence, ths binder being absent, the surface ravels 

 under horse-drawn vehicle traffic or is disin- 

 tegrated by motor-car traffic. 



5. Bituminous macadam roads require a sealed 

 surface when the highway traffic consists of a 

 combination of heavy motor-car traffic and heavy 

 horse-drawn vehicle traffic, while the sealed sur- 

 face is not a requisite when the road is subjected 

 to only heavy motor-car traffic. The sealed sur- 

 face is considered necessary for the first class as 

 insurance against the disintegration of the sur- 

 face due to the liability of the loosening of the 

 exposed stone by blows from the hoofs of horses 



and the rapid enlargement of any break in the 

 surface by motor-car traffic. 



" Recent Progress in Aeronautics," by Major 

 G. A. Squier, U.S.A., has already appeared in 

 Science (February 19, 1909). The lecture was 

 very completely illustrated with lantern slides 

 and set forth the present state of the art in a 

 pleasing and impressive manner. 



In this connection, it should be noted that the 

 association has decided to foster this growing 

 branch of applied science. The council will refer 

 all papers on engineering and aeronautics to 

 Section D, whose officers will cooperate with their 

 authors for adequate presentation and publication. 



In the paper on " State Engineering Experiment 

 Stations," by Professor G. W. Bissell, East Lan- 

 sing, Mich., the writer reviewed and compared 

 some of the provisions of the Hale and the Mc- 

 Kinley experiment station bills, of which the 

 latter is now before Congress and presented the 

 principal arguments for such a measure. 



The following papers were read by the secretary 

 in the absence of the authors: 



2Vew Methods of Back-water Computations: Pro- 

 fessor B. F. Gboat, Minneapolis, Minn. 



Yariation of Pressure on the Side of a Track 

 Spike: Professor H. S. Jacobt, Ithaca, N. Y. 



Note on Specially Designed Corliss Engine for 

 Experimental Work: Professor A. M. Geeene, 

 Jr., Troy, N. Y. 



The Speoifio Speed of Hydraulic Turlines: Pro- 

 fessor L. P. Moody, Troy, N. Y. 



On the " Degree " of Railroad Curves : Professor 

 W. G. Raymond, Iowa City, Iowa. 

 The following papers were read by title: 



A Problem for State Engineering Colleges: Pro- 

 fessor A. E. Haynes, Minneapolis, Minn. 



Temperature Stresses in Reinforced Concrete 

 Chimneys: Professor E. R. Matjbeb, Madison, 

 Wis. 



A 'New Type of Reinforced Building Construction: 

 Professor J. J. Flathee, Minneapolis, Minn. 

 All papers were interesting and valuable and 



evidenced care in their preparation. The program 



should have been published in Science in advance. 



The secretary will see that this is done for the 



next meeting. 



G. W. Bissell, 



Secretary 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



THE NEBEASKA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



The nineteenth annual meeting of the Nebraska 

 Academy of Sciences was held in Lincoln, Feb- 



