Jfutnit OBnigtiiccring. 



By HAllVVOOD H. SIMPSON. 



{Abstract of Paper read April 17th, 1888.) 



|j1 UTIJRE ongineoring depends upon certain require- 

 -L mcnts of the human race, and upon the carrying out 

 of the works necessary for supplying those requirements. 

 ■First is placed the transmission of the senses or functions 

 of seeing, hearing, fooling, etc., quickly, almost instantan- 

 eously, throughout the space of the earth, across botJi land 

 and water. There is every reason to believe that this will 

 he done by means of electricity, and its accomplishment 

 Would be an immense benefit to humanity. Signs are al- 

 ready transmitted in this manner by the electric telegraph ; 

 and, owing to late progress, speaking has been carried 

 on between places five hundred miles apart. Hitherto 

 electrical engineering has boon a small branch of engineer- 

 ing ; it is now a most important branch, and will probably 

 m the future bo the most important. At present it employs 

 a. capital of at least £250,000,000, an enormous staff of ser- 

 vants of all grades, and demands the production of special 

 materials and machinery ; and when wo think of the exten- 

 sion of this field (including the production, utilization, and 



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