■398 



SOIENGE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 298. 



numerous important experimental investi- 

 gations which have been made at American 

 engineering schools, but attention will be 

 called to two cases : first, all are familiar 

 with the important work in connection with 

 paving brick which has been done at the 

 universities of Ohio and Illinois, and which 

 has been accepted aa authoritative by both 

 engineers and manufacturers ; second, the 

 great hydraulic laboratory at Cornell has 

 required the most lavish expenditure of 

 money devoted exclusively to preparation 

 for experimental research in a single line of 

 work yet seen at an American technical 

 school. 



The great value of such investigations to 

 the engineering profession is readily ap- 

 parent. The value in connection with the 

 instruction of engineering students is also 

 great. Bringing the student into personal 

 contact with the progress of such investiga- 

 tions, carried on by his instructors, does 

 much to awaken in him professional enthu- 

 siasm and an ambition to become himself a 

 contributor in the future to the common 

 stock of technical knowledge. The student 

 is led to see that there is much more in en- 

 gineering education than the mere absorp- 

 tion of knowledge, and much more to en- 

 gineering practice than the mere routine 

 of carrying out pre-established methods. 

 He sees that he must learn to think for 

 himself in his future work, and to investi- 

 gate for himself the problems which he will 

 encounter. In the simpler work connected 

 with experimental investigations bright, re- 

 liable students can often be employed to 

 advantage. This is especially true in work 

 suited to thesis investigations. The author 

 knows of no more valuable training a stu- 

 dent can have than to carry out successfully 

 an experimental research, overcoming all 

 the unforseen difficulties sure to be en- 

 countered, and at the end completely diges- 

 ting the results obtained. The author be- 

 lieves, however, that all experimental work 



by undergraduates should be done under 

 very close supervision by a skilled instruc- 

 tor. Much valuable thesis work has been 

 done in this way at engineering schools. 



While much has already been accom- 

 plished in orginal investigations at American 

 technical schools, such work has heretofore, 

 with few important exceptions, been carried 

 on spasmodically, with no systematic pre-ar- 

 ranged plan. The author believes that this 

 should now be changed, and that wherever 

 possible technical schools should deliberately 

 plan for investigations as a part of their reg- 

 ular work. Each school should decide what 

 lines of work are best suited to its location 

 and circumstances. Proper space and equip- 

 ment should be provided. The faculty 

 should be made large enough to permit the 

 necessary time to be devoted to the work. 

 Funds should be provided to meet the ex- 

 penses. Arrangements should be made for 

 the regular publication of the results. 



Investigations which can be carried out 

 at engineering schools are of two kinds : 

 first, those mainly of professional interest 

 and value; and second, investigations 

 whose results have a considerable commer- 

 cial, industrial and public, as well as pro- 

 fessional value. 



As to investigations of the first kind it 

 may be said that the practicing engineer 

 frequently encounters problems which ought 

 to be investigated experimentally, but it 

 is seldom the case that he can command 

 the necessary laboratory equipment or the 

 time for such work, or induce his employers 

 to furnish the necessary funds. Such prob- 

 lems should be referred to the schools and 

 there investigated. Thus the schools may 

 perform their duty to the profession, and 

 may ask in return, as they do even now, 

 that the practicing expert shall give them 

 the benefit of his experience, in non-resi- 

 dent lecture courses. There will result that 

 co-operation and close association between 

 the engineering educator and the practicing 



