August 16, 1895.] 



SCIENCE. 



191 



economic manner consistent with the proper 

 degree of security. The wonderful progress 

 of the nineteenth century has, however, 

 caused civil engineering to become divided 

 in practice into special departments like 

 railroad engineering, bridge engineering, 

 irrigation engineering and sanitary engi- 

 neering. 



Mr. Patton's treatise, when tested by the 

 above definition, is found to be defective ; 

 at the same time it is better and more com- 

 prehensive than would be expected when 

 the vast range of the subject is considered. 

 It includes fifty-nine chapters, together 

 with an appendix of 125 pages. Many 

 chapters contain information that can be 

 found in no other single volume, clearly 

 presented, well illustrated, and often set 

 forth with the weight of authority that can 

 attach only to the writings of an engineer 

 who has long been in responsible charge of 

 important construction work. Other chap- 

 ters are compiled from standard treatises 

 on special subjects, or from j)eriodical liter- 

 ature. Throughout care and thoroughness 

 are apparent, and a volume has been pro- 

 duced which is likely to be of much value 

 to the younger members of the engineering- 

 profession . 



Strictlj^ speaking, the book is not a trea- 

 tise, but its character is cyclopaedic. A trea- 

 tise is a classified and logical presentation in 

 which causes precede their effects. Above 

 all works on civil engineering, Eankine's 

 manual stands highest as a treatise, for its 

 theory is set forth in most logical relation 

 to practice. Eankine's theor}', though often 

 difficult for students, is his own, and care- 

 fully coordinated on a uniform plan. Mr. 

 Patton's method is one m»re suitable for a 

 cyclopaedia than a treatise, as his theoretic 

 discussions have been largely adopted from 

 other authors and have little coordination. 

 For instance, the theory of earth pressure 

 is taken from one author, the theory of 

 trusses from another, and the theory of elas- 



tic arches from a third. This has not been 

 done without due credit, but in a treatise 

 all these should have been worked out on a 

 uniform basis and with systematic classifi- 

 cation. Some investigations are also left 

 more or less incomplete, with references to 

 books where thorough discussions may be 

 found. Such methods detract from the 

 logical completeness that a true treatise 

 should possess. 



In one respect Mr. Patton has improved 

 on the method of Eankine. Numerical ex- 

 amples are given illustrating the applica- 

 tion of the theory. This is absolutely neces- 

 sary for students and for most engineers, 

 as algebra is alwaj^s hazy, and mechanical 

 principles are rarelj^ well understood until 

 they are applied to concrete problems. 

 These examples are well selected to illus- 

 trate engineering practice, and they are 

 usualljr worked out in a comj)lete manner. 



The most valuable and authoritative 

 chapters are those relating to construction 

 work, including earthwork, masonry, foun- 

 dations, arches, dams, tunnels and river 

 and harbor improvements. Numerous de- 

 tailed descriptions of important works are 

 presented to illustrate the best modern 

 practice. The subject of the materials of 

 engineering is set forth, not exhaustively, 

 but clearly and well. As a cyclopaedia of 

 constriiction work the book maj^ properly 

 be called one of high rank. 



The theory of bridges occupies much 

 space, but it does not appear that the dis- 

 cussions contain any material improvements 

 over the authorities whose methods have 

 been mainly followed, unless it be in num- 

 erical illustrations. On hydraulic and sani- 

 tary engineering the book is weak. A few 

 hydraulic formulas of value are given, but 

 several long since discarded are also stated, 

 and the elaborate determinations of hydrau- 

 lic coefficients made in recent years are 

 quite unnoticed. The separate system of 

 sewerage is not mentioned, and little is 



