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SCIEWCE. 



[Vol. VIII , No. 187 



Professor Webb of Hoboken presented his 

 method of determining maximum points and 

 stresses in bridge jnchnes, which are applicable to 

 trusses of the most irregular form, and to any 

 style of loading, in-egular or uniform. The 

 method, as applied to the graphical determination 

 of strains, was illustrated by blackboard sketches 

 and finished drawings, and some of the features of 

 a new notation were explained. 



Prof. De Volsen Wood contributed two valuable 

 papers in mechanical engineering. In one of them 

 he showed, by diagram and analytical processes, the 

 application of the equation of ' moment of mo- 

 mentum ' to the case of turbines, explaining ab- 

 struse points in the action of the latter ; in the 

 other, he called attention to the effect of variations 

 in speed upon cylinder condensation, illustrating 

 the same by experimental figures. The section, 

 and indeed the i^rofession, should congratulate it- 

 self upoii the acquisition of men who bring to their 

 work not only a natural and cultivated knowl- 

 edge of mechanics, but an intimate acquaintance 

 with and great facility in the use of the higher 

 mathematics. The professor's genius for impart- 

 ing knowledge is also well known. 



The committee on the best methods of teaching 

 mechanical engineering reported that papers would 

 be read upon the subject by a member of the 

 committee and by Dr. Thm-ston. Prof essor Alden 

 is an earnest advocate of manual training, and 

 sums up in these four propositions: "Manual 

 processes in education must be primarily for the 

 acquirement of knowledge and discipline ;" they 

 "should be such as are adapted to the develop- 

 ment of powers, faculties, and habits of mind 

 which have been but little cultivated in the 

 schools;" those "involving the use of tools and 

 construction should be confined to properly de- 

 signed structures, and should be taught and super- 

 vised by experts capable of producing the best 

 quality of standard practical work ;" they " should 

 be restricted to those operations for which suitable 

 facilities are provided for carrying out the opera- 

 tions in a practical and thorough manner." 



Dr. Thurston outlined the differentiation which 

 has occurred in the profession of engineering, and 

 in engineering schools, defining the titles ' engineer ' 

 and ' engineering,' and showing how different the 

 training necessary for each branch of the profes- 

 sion. He called attention, also, to the relation of 

 technical to the ordinary academic education, con- 

 sidering the natural and correct course to be, first, 

 the giving of a general academic, next, a general 

 professional education, and, finally, a special pro- 

 fessional training. The usual course has been, 

 too commonly, an attempt to omit real education 

 and to provide only professional training. He 



thought that the graduate degrees are likely to be, 

 generally, civil engineer, mechanical engineer, 

 mining engineer, etc., etc., and he suggests the 

 conferring of second degrees, if not of the doctor- 

 ate. The titles ' master in civil engineering ' and 

 ' master in mechanical engineering ' ai'e already 

 given, and that of 'doctor of engineering' has 

 been given as an honorary degree, no reference 

 being made to the branch in which the recipient 

 labors. The establishment of the latter degree in 

 course is advised. 



Dr. Woodward of St. Louis, who has during the 

 past year investigated some of the foreign techni- 

 cal schools, led in the discussion, calling attention 

 to the necessity of uping books in connection with 

 manual training exercises to insure a knowledge of 

 the underlying principles. He held also that it is 

 not the amount of instruction that counts, but its 

 quality ; and he objected to the attempt to thus 

 train those who are too young to profit fully by it. 

 Dr. Thurston, Professor Wood, and others followed. 



Mr. Wm. Kent laid before the society the de- 

 tails of his scheme for an American academy of 

 engineering, which should be composed of the 

 cream of the civil and military, mechanical, min- 

 ing, electrical, and sanitary engineering societies, 

 with yearly accessions therefrom by regulated and 

 impartial election. It was held that men, organi- 

 zation, and money were all that were needed, and 

 that the first were ready, the second proposed, and 

 the third sure to come. This academy is to be of 

 such high standing as to be the sought authority 

 in all matters of government and civil engineering 

 work, and is to be the custodian of donated and 

 government funds for scientific research, for which 

 purpose expensive and various working labora- 

 tories and a library would be required. Many 

 features of the scheme recommended themselves 

 strongly, and such laboratories would doubtless 

 be of immense advantage to the country. The 

 discussion showed marked approval of the scheme, 

 and a valuable suggestion was offered by Dr. 

 Woodward and Professor Webb, to the effect that 

 the granting of masters' degrees to engineers 

 should be in the hands of such a body, in order 

 to protect society from incompetence in these pro- 

 fessions. It was felt, too, that the various so- 

 cieties are getting too widely separated, and 

 should in some such manner be brought together. 



Dr. Thurston read a paper on the friction of 

 the non-condensing engine. The friction of an 

 engine has been supposed by De Pambour, Ran- 

 kine, and others, to consist of a constant and a 

 variable part, the resistance of the engine unloaded, 

 the other the increase produced by the fact of its 

 doing work. The last quantity is taken, by De 

 Pambour, as ordinarily about fourteen per cent 



