July 26, 1912] 



SCIENCE 



119 



counts of the results attained by scientific 

 management as depicted by some of its en- 

 thusiasts, and after being solemly assured that 

 the railroads of this country could save a mil- 

 lion dollars a day by introducing the prin- 

 ciples of scientific management, it is refresh- 

 ing to read a calm, dispassionate, but keenly 

 analytical paper like that of Mr. Bradlee, 

 and, after finishing it we shall find ourselves 

 less enthusiastic but more sane. 



Another important paper in this section is 

 that contributed by Mr. S. M. Felton, presi- 

 dent of the Chicago Great Western Eailroad, 

 on the scientific management of American 

 railways. This is the longest paper in the 

 volume covering, with cuts, 46 pages. It 

 gives a very interesting account of the de- 

 velopment of American railways since 1850, 

 with cuts illustrating the differences between 

 rolling stock at the present time and forty or 

 fifty years ago, and many interesting facts, 

 figures and historical comparisons, both as to 

 the physical characteristics of railways and 

 the operating results. 



Section D treats of recent industrial de- 

 velopment, and includes 15 papers treating of 

 improvements in electric lighting, illumi- 

 nating engineering, gasolene engines, electric 

 propulsion, the mechanical handling of ma- 

 terials and mail, electro-chemistry power 

 plants, ore-dressing, etc. 



Section E treats of public health and sani- 

 tation, and contains nine papers. This sec- 

 tion is especially indicative of the work of the 

 institute, for this school, it is fair to say, has 

 been the leader in the training of sanitary 

 engineers. The graduates from its depart- 

 ment of sanitary engineering have taken a 

 foremost part in the modern improvements in 

 methods of water supply, filtration, and sewage 

 disposal, and are found occupying positions 

 of responsibility all over the country. The 

 part that the institute has played in this de- 

 velopment is traced in one of these papers by 

 Professor George C. Whipple, himself one of 

 the most eminent examples of the leadership 

 of the institute in this department. Another 

 paper, by Professor Phelps, gives an account 

 of the work of the sanitary research labora- 



tory and sewage experiment station, a novel 

 and important adjunct of the institute. 



Section F is devoted to architecture. In 

 comparison with the splendid architectural 

 department of the institute and the eminence 

 of the men who have graduated therefrom, 

 this section is the least satisfactory in the 

 volume. It contains but four papers, two of 

 them written by civil engineering graduates, 

 and one by a mechanical engineering gradu- 

 ate, only one being contributed by a graduate 

 in architecture. Possibly this is due to the 

 fact that in pure architecture there may have 

 been less development in recent years than in 

 the other branches of applied science, most of 

 the improvements in the construction of 

 buildings having been of an engineering rather 

 than of an architectural nature. 



As a whole, the volume will well repay read- 

 ing. Almost everybody will find material of 

 interest in it, and will be struck with the excel- 

 lence of the papers as a whole, and especially 

 by the fact that one institution should, in so 

 short a time, have been able to turn out so 

 many men who have attained to leading posi- 

 tions as applied scientists. In this respect, 

 however, the volume is almost as noticeable 

 for the names that are absent as for those that 

 are represented among the authors. Some of 

 the most eminent of the institute graduates 

 have not contributed papers, and it is prob- 

 ably safe to say that the school is quite capable 

 of producing another similar volume of equal 

 size and equal interest. Geo. F. Swain 



The Mechanics of Building Construction. By 



Henry Adams, M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech.E., 



F.S.I., F.E.San.L, M.S.A., etc. Longmans, 



Green, and Co. Cloth; 5i X 9 in. Pp. 



xi-f 240; 589 figures. $2 net. 



A rare combination of qualities is requisite 



to the authorship of a really good engineering 



text book. In addition to the literary polish 



of the novelist one must have the broad point 



of view of the practising engineer as well as 



the didactic skill supposed to characterize the 



college professor. The author of this book is 



an engineer who has received many tokens of 



confidence and esteem from his fellow engi- 



