THE LEWIS BROOKS MUSEUM. 31 



The civil engineer too, cannot afford to neglect this 

 science. He, with the architect, must use cements, building 

 stones, etc., in construction. Geology teaches the character 

 of such materials and what agencies cause them to decay. 

 Serious mistakes have been made from a neglect of the infor- 

 mation which Geology gives. By its aid certain features in 

 the composition and texture of building stones and roofing 

 slates may be detected, which would render them worthless, 

 though looking well to the inexperienced eye. 



The civil engineer is called upon to select foundations 

 for monuments, and for the piers and abutments of bridges. 

 In such cases the knowledge of the geological features of 

 the site is all important. In the case of the Washington 

 monument, in the District of Columbia, a knowledge of the 

 geology of the locality chosen would have much simplified 

 fhe question of the sufficiency of the resisting power of its 

 foundation. The civil engineer must calculate the cost of 

 deep cuttings and tunnels through rocks. Without a know- 

 ledge of Geology he must depend largely in making his esti- 

 mates on guessing. If his experience saves him from grave 

 errors it does so because he has, by trial, acquired some 

 knowledge of geological facts. The construction of the 

 great tunnel through the Alps affords a striking illustration 

 of the usefulness of geological knowledge in the profession 

 of engineering.. The Geologists had so carefully studied 

 the structure of the Alps that they could furnish almost 

 exact information regarding the character and amount of 

 the several rocks through which the tunnel must pass. 

 Then, again, the now mooted question of the possibility of 

 tunneling under the English channel must be answered by 

 the Geologists. 



I might mention other special occupations and profes- 

 sions which would gain much from the aid of Geology. 

 Indeed, there is almost no pursuit, which has for its object 

 the promotion of man's material welfare, which does not, 

 in some degree, depend upon geological data. But beside 



