Evening Star Newspaper, July 17, 1921, Page 54

MAGAZINE SECTION The Sy Star, 'FEATURES Part 4—8 Pages 113 Harrs Ew g DR. A. J. BY JAMES A. BUCHANAN. HEN President Harding was a member of the Senate he took great interest in the work done by the different departments, and he was especially interested in the bureau of standards. and upon one occasion he declared that it was the “wonder spot” of Washington. It is doubtful if one-tenth of the members of the Senate or House of Representatives have an idea of the magnitude of the work that has been HILDEBRAND. | and is being done by Director Stratton | and his corps of able scientists, who are constantly striving to aid some industry in order that the Aemrican business man may continue not only to hold his place in the world's com- mereial fight, but that he may lead; that thi® country may eventually be drlaced in such a position where if an> other war comes we will be inde- pendent of any or all nations; that the people at large throughout the land may be placed in a position where they can buy American goods that will not only equal those of foreign make. but that they may be able to purchase home products that will be better than those that can be bought abroad. Another feature of the work being . carried on by the bureau is the utii- ization of products that have either been cast aside hertofore or have been used only to a very limited extent. ot alone are the men wrestling with these problems, but they are constantly trying out some- thing new, delving into this or ex- perimenting with that, so that some region of the country may have the opportunity to add to the nation’s ‘wealth. A remarkable feature and one of the most Important points is that the bureau of standards is so equipped at it can function either during war or peace. No matter what the condition may be at the hour. the bu- Teau is on the job twenty-four hours out of every day. There is not un- seemly hurry, no confusion, it is a well organized, splendidly manned department that leaves nothing to Juck, the rule of thumb has no place in its make-up and no act of man can xet it the slightest bit excited. If a foreign nation were to declare war on this country tomorrow it is not probable that any of the able gentle- men who work with Dr. Stratton would be the least bit excited. flustered—not that these savants are blase, they' are just scientists—and yghat tells the whole story. Of course, hey would all ask if it wa for them to do some extra wor outside of that they with their ailotted would proceed tasks with the same calm that has enabled them to | successfully grapple with and solve the many difficult problems that, from time to time, have confronted them. * ok ok ok VWWHEN the bureau of standards was first proposed there were many old-timers who had an idea that it was another plan to secure offices for “the faithful" after election time, hut they soop realized that it was a n3n-political ~ department and the director and those with whom he had surrounded himseif had -but one object in view. and that was to “be of heip to the country. The result has been that the bureau has not only earned the respect of think members of Congress, but is today recognized by the business world @8 agne of the miost valuable assets the :country possesses. Again, lest the ranter who would make political capital without thought of the good the bureau does every ,day, every month and every year, {t should be remarked in pass- ing that the work done by this bu- au during the war period resulted not only in the saving of hundreds of millions of ‘ dollars, but saved hours_that canppt be computed into doliars and ces , work that meant the finishing of the war in a shorter period, -thus saving the lives of countles: men. The bulldings in which are housed executive offices and the work- mnops of the bureau are not located downtown' with, the other branches of the movernment. They are sit- ‘.uated out at Conmecticut avenue and Pierce road. As one alights from the Chevy Chase car he beholds a num- ber of substantially built and well lighted edifices and, as _he proceeds up a walk in order to first examine the largest building in the group, he notices that the pavement con- yists of concrete blocks, each with fcient space between, o that they cam, if necessity arises, and used in another portion of the zrounds. These blocks are the initial view of the efficiency which per- neates the bureau. It might be re- marked in passing that the construc- tion of these blocks is of a char- acter that old-time concrete workers | field, n:!zd at—in fact, - they declared | Who t blocks containing the ingredi- sats sferein in such.proportions as| honor is the American flag. It Is an i of science | | | nor | would any of them get the least bit | s possible ! s Just | as they did during the late war, but | that , be removed | acted upon. I prise WASHINGTON, D. €, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 17,7 1921, SC | impossibility to get Dr. Stratton to talk about himself, but he is liberal in his praice of those wha:.work with him. When the guestion 6f his work was brought un he parried each on- slaught with the =ki'l of a master fencer, and jt was only through the courtesy of ‘Mr. Boutelle- of the formation section that the writer was enabled to secure any data concern- ing the director. Dr. Stratton's full name is Samuel Wesley Stratton. He was born in Litchfield, Ill, July 18,1861 The first position of importaWce held by him was instructor of mathematics and physics in 1llinois, in 1886-89; in the latter year he was made assistant professor of physics, and at the lat- ter period was made professor of physics and electrical engine ring. holding this position until 1892, when he was appointed assistgnt professor of physics at Chicago. seeving in that capacity until 1 in which vear he became associate profesapr.”serving until 1895 when was mads pro- fessor. T v he is post ke hed until 1901, when he organized and was made di- rector of the bureau of standards. is a member of the following sci tific_and engineering socief tional Academy of Sclences, American Assoiation for the Adyancement of Science, Americar Physical . Society, American Institute of Electrical Engi- neers, American Philosgphical Society, National Research Coupecil,American Society of Mechanical Engineers and American Society of Testing Materia The scientific honor and awards con- ferred_upon Dr. Stratton are as fol- lows: Elliott Cresson medal, Franklin Institute, 1912 publiciwelfare medal. | National Academy of Seience: 1917 The degrees conferred fipon him are: | Eng. D. '03: D. Sc. Pittsburgh, '03: D. Sc. Cambridge, ‘08;.D. Sc, Yale, '19. PR T | THE manner in whih Dr, Stratton views his positiof and-the posi- tion the bureau of standards occupies in relation to the people of the coun- try can best be described By his an- swer to a question of just what the proposed by Dr. Stratton could not be made—but there they are. Turning to the left. one ascends a £ht hill and is confronted by a lit- tle white house whercin ‘s stationed an alert watchman. who passes out a questionnaire. This precaution is not ly a war-time measure. but one de- signed evidently to discourage flip- pant visitors, for those within the substantial structures are too busy working on the country’s problems to be bothered. A hundred or so more feet and vou reaca a winding con- | ete stairwav. The tread of these steps. although designed by an archi- tect and while perhaps in accordance with the law of stair-building. does | not conform to Dr. Stratton's ideas of ! doing and had to do,; The statement very .one of us was as follows: Eureah to serve “It is the duty of connected with this intelligently and economically the peo- ple of the country. 1t is & pleasant duty. It has ever been our aim to as- sist in the development of the United States, and nothing gives us more efficiency, because the length of the| S tread is such as to cause the walker | Pleasure than to -help solve some to lift the weight of his body with the | knotty problem that has been per- plexing an individual, a company, & large business concern or an associa- tion that is anxiously striving to give the people a worihy product. We strive to help out on the Tight track any one who Is endeavoring to utilize the here(ofwh#wms of_ the coun Since the fnception of ‘the bureau we mave 'ever been working to the end that the bureau would be'suited to-all classes of work, same foot at every point of elevation. A siight matter, you mav say, but it is & point used to emphasize the care with which little but essential things are noticed by the director. S— NS S TTHERE is an air of mystery about the place that impresses and awes onme. and before you enter the administraticn building vou are un- ¢ v late wa: vers consciously impressed with the fact| ond Nl an Ahe IoL0 Ha e ork as we that you are about to see something | were to peace-time pursuits. of a most unusual character. | _“There v‘t"‘w no u;nhe-‘-ml, befl(\use v;'e o ig in c ¢i were working, to a large extent, in If no one is in consultation with the | FES NETG OGS O endeavor. We are director. you are ushered into his of- | ever striving to justify the confidence fice. 1If he is engaged you can spend | the people have placed in us. For in- easant and profitable hour in|stance, there is the Kolster wireless ng at the articles which com- |devjce. small but oz great intensity the museum. These run from [This is a direction finder, which was old-fashioned Chinese scales to the|of great use during the late war in latest development in ceramic art,|locating submarines. 'Not only is that from the most delicate instrument of | device useful for locating -those un- precision to the latest word in dye-|der-sea crafts, but has proven to be a stufts. great value on ships during a fog. An- Dr. dignified' other war-time benefit that I might a looki Stratton is a quiet, drrronstorn DR, G. K. RURGESS. man, perhaps not the type of man|mention is that, because of our ex- that you would take offhand for a scientist. One woull rather fancy that he were a banker, a head of a large corporation, a leading member of the bar or a very successful poli- tician, There is a very liitle on his desk. The early mail has long since been and he is ready to tackle the succeeding problems of the- day. On the walls of his office are pictures | of Alexander Graham Bell; Hasaler, the noted Swiss scientist, who came to this country and established our system of weights and measures; Gar- Kelvin, Warburg and other men have achieved fame in the fields Oceupying the place. of gam we were enabled to give the Navy Department a stancard, so that the dental supply manufacturers could know just what character of amalgam was needed by the naval dentists. Our fexperiments with textiles enabled us to present a standard to the manu- facturers of airplane cloth. 4 There was not, at the time we en- tered the war, enough linen to supply the needs of the air force, but our ex- periments before the war and during that period enabled us to provide a substitute and also a satisfactory coating substance more commonly spoken of in aviation.circles as ‘dope. ‘We have been able to give contractors an idea of the proprieties of terra of science. in-! He i bureau of standards had donme. was| DR. S. W. § cotta, so largely used in large build- ings. “The other day,” Dr. Stratton con- tinued, “we were visited by the repre- | sentatives of a dry cleaning assoc! tion who complained that the chemi- cals used by them in the cleaning and dyeing of silks did not bring the kame beneficlal results as formerly. This condition was brought about by some manufacturers using a solution of tin to give added weight to the silks they produced. Now we must find a method which will enable the cleaners and dyers to overcome this difficulty. Some time ago some manufacturers in Seattle, Wash. who manufactured| laminated wood chair -bottoms, com- | plained that they were losing their! trade because the glue they employed | dld not resisi moisture. For a number of years we have been working on glues, and as a result of our investi- ations we were able to provide the Seattle people with a formula which has_enabled them to again enter the field of competition.” EE T is doubtful if many persons of the United States know that every bit of radium in the country clears through the bureau of standards, but such is the case, and the fact that the} radium presented to Mme. Curie re- |posed in the vaulis of the bureau of | standards until it was taken to thel purser of the . §. Olympic is a sccret which now may be made public. When Dr. Stratton was asked as to where all of the different experiments ! | his office and started to walk toward the largest bullding in the group it was well past the noon hour. He es- pied a group of laborers busily en- gaged in putting down an additional réadway and, departing from our in- tended direction, we trekked off to the road. where a young man was super- intending the mixing of a composition for the roadway which was a com- bination of concrete and cinders, a companion piece to that laid two vears ago, which showed no signs of wear or tear. The director asked the young| iman in charge why the men were working past the noon hour. The young man smiled, and replied that they were almost through and they wanted to finish the job while they were at it. That is the spirit of the emnloyes of the buresu of standards. Just before we reached the portals of the main work building the doctor | stopped, and said: “Pretty nice build- ing, isn't it? Good and substantial, well ! constructed. 1 will tell you the secret. During the war it was necessary to have some temporary structures, but by careful planning and saving here and there, together with a small appropria- tion, we were enabled to erect a tempo- rary structure that is really a permanent one. We are not burdened with tire! tearing down of a war-time building and the additional cost of crecting a perma- nent one.” : It was another striking example of i how the birreau people just won't waste {anything that -car “b ved. In this building was an airplane being used in a serles of ‘experiments, the nature of which is still a govrenment secret, and while the writer somewhat familiar with the aviation service, he was greatly surprised at the magnitude and” scope of the work.in hand. On the upper gal- leries surrounding. the aircraft were numerous _testing _ devices, machines which ‘cnabled one fo gather much bene- ficial information. Tnasmuch as the general :public has been decply interested in the subject of paper, wc procecded to visit the section of the. building in which-the experfinents j relating to the manufacture of paper.are | conducted. The miniature - paper mill [was in operation, andthere -one saw gradcs of paper . being wnade “from. no, inot .from old, rags, but from such ar- { ticles “as_banhana stalks, cotton stalks, i rice stalks, flax straw, llange £Tass: from { Siam, ‘and’ other. articles .of like nature. i The bureau has developed a number. of- {medium® and " high-grade papers from i these, until now, considéred- worthjess products.- :While the bureau is not in I periments In the contraction of amal- | the paper-making business. the paper manufactured : in the course of experi- ments 'is’sortéd, cut to-size desired ‘and used in-the offices. From ‘there we ‘journeyed:to where |: they test cement, where they heat it, pound it. rub it and do all sorts of things -with it-that the.cement man never dreamed could be 'done wiil that commodity, S0 extensively today. On the other side of the long! drying _iron contrivance was a pile of” white. mineral shipped from Cali- fornia, = substance used in the making of floors. Until' the bureau had taken up its line of experjments the articles. needed. for. ficors of this character could be obtained only from Greece, Now the product found in p R California gives a better flooring than levery minute | the these cxperiments has been, that this oculists of the Armj American-produced materials and a section devoted to experiments in ceramics. chinery also, and an old-fashioned pot- scribed were being carried on he countered |days the potters “threw with, “I will show you,” and as we left:so skillfully did with no tools other than their to examine numerous aeronautical in- struments, and it must cver be kept very ice learned about the altitude 1the byilding, and | redu.. You -turn down'.oné corridor used land you run’into a foundry. I The table is | TRATTON. did_the Europe Next came th n product. room in which the experiments withl terra cotta were boing conducted. Experts watched of the time while the tests were being made. They noted degree of heai. the amount of contraction or expansion, the tensile strength and @ dozep or mare things that are necessary to have a terra cotta that will resi¥t undue stratas or the heat of a burning building l * ok n % F ROM- there we journeyed ’to - the are place where experiments in glss being conducted. The resuit of country no longer needs to be de- pendent upon Germany or any other country for its lenses. glass prisms or articles of like nature. After a lacs has been used for experiment- ing purposes and is found to be up | to the standard desired, it is mnot| thrown out on the dump. but Is made into blanks to be used by the and Navv. in an- other room were squares of flooring. cach square of different composition from the other, all being given a practical test and all made from In these other shops one finds a tex-| tile mill, a powerful drop hammer and in the front of the building was i | In here was modern ma- ter's wheel, similar in the Bible. to the one de- In the olden the clay, and these artisans work they could fashion a beautifu] vase Ands. In another section one had a chance in mind -that the bureau rendered valuable aid to the air sery- during the war period; also one chamber, in which the liberty engine was test- ed. There was alsd a section’ devoted to the testing of carburetors, und the man who today rejoices in the pos- session of a car. whether it be flivver or a costly autgmobile, has great reason to be_grateful to the scientists who have Spent days in ex perimenting on “have brought them to a high state of pers fectio & interesting Instrument . w ometer, a device used “fe measuring the tension of airpla; wire ; Helium - gas prominen came info jduring the war, and woull, had 1 conflict been' prolanged a few monthe] longer, have playcd a most impartant: part bécause of its non-inflammability. L The bureau has devised a- meaps manufacturing this -gas, and this secret is a carefuly guarded “ong Helium gas has about 92 per cént of the 1ifting power of hydrogen, and it is vaj- uable because it cannot be ignited by 4n¥ cendiary bultets. % The work of chemical investig&- tions s carried on in another part the resilts - ob- tained have more than ~justified the fow 1ollars that have been gxpendedsj Here ferrous and nonferrous ma-i) terials are put through their paces,! with the result that-the'men in’these indurtries are in a position to makef a better product than ever -before.: A few examples of theé work -with which this_section’ is’ concerned di: close: a study of platinum metals and platinum_ substitutes, ‘the “study of (he prevention of corrosion, re- moval metal fouling, firezextinguish- ing - liquids; - antifreezing - Solutions. the “determination of carbon dioxide ! and oxygen in submarines, coke oven | investigations, the stamdardization i and_preparation of specifications for{ electric batteries.” inks and ink pow- ders, the testing of sole leathers, means for' the detection of “invisible inks.”. composition ‘soles- for -shoes. the effect of different methods ‘of tanning - on ' leathess, waterproofing materials, - rubber 1s, both piain | and with" inserts -of a foreign sub-; stance, compasses, rope and hundreds of | other- articles. - * \TOW.KERE in' the world are -so “Y many. manufacturing. plants of vastly different character housed a there are in the building ‘3f the bu- * X K X It re-| quires. no. great. strength of imagi- nation to think that.yofiare in Beth- lehem, Pa., on a small scale. A few steps away and there is-a rotling mill. Then: come the glass furnaces, with | their jntense heat:.the paper mill, the | photographic- section, where the cam- era fiend would stop and gasp with ad- { k* Fortunately, IENTISTS Employed in This Division in Washington Have Wonderful Record l | to Their Credit—Some of the Things Accomplished During the War—How the |l American Business Man Receives Aid From Dr. Stratton and His Co-Workers. | The Only Institution of Its Kind in the Whole World—A Trip Through the Big | Plant and a Look at the Work Now Going On. miration, a pla where they photographic plate nnd do with it that would cause the old-tini photographer to turn over in _his grave it he could but hear of it. You view many forms of electron tube: magnetos “of many makes, an aw- aratus that determines whether ayple poskesses’the requisite bright- ness Lo mhke it a self-luminous dia you see samples of films for th movies, films that meun @ great ad- vauce in the strides of the "silent drama”; tires and tul, gasoline hose nd also, a very important matter the: motorist, the devices used for measuring oline, You turn an- other corner and vou behold a small experiment rubber mill. You ar shown a radiograph of a repaired shoe. The picture shows how dif- fere solige machines eclinch the n A large cmery precision ma- chine is used to test th stecl whee's and other portion of the buildin the study of timepicces. So on for hours « mizht view the many things that ar being handicd by thi important branch of the government you might spend wecks and month, and every hour See something new something interesting, something that 18 being made better through the ef- forts of the men who serve at smali salaries. The auestion naturally arises as to who some of these men are who have been doing such work—who are these miracle men who take an idea. an imperfect machine. a rough drawing, a suggestion of an idea, and stay with it until they have given to the coun- ty a finished product? It is not an ®usy matter to select three or four men from a group of experts and try and find out in just what field they have won distinction. On the fourth floor of the admin- istration building is u club lunchroom. odd in shape, the center being round, with oblong extensions On one side of the round part sits Dr. 8tratton: opposite is Dr. Brown, assistant: others group them: choice, either b personal friendship. There mality. there is a lack of ness” sometimes found wher tists gather. [ t articles. A sis devoted to scien- the occupation of the writer was unknown tg them—that is. fortunately for the writer, because it was but a few minutes before they were earnestly discussing some new problem. and probably the look of lack of understanding caused them to be merciful and ask no questions as to what the poo seribe thought of the matter under diecussion. 19 thee wh desire have their changed they should lunch hour at the bureau ards. A brief sketch of a few of the noted scientists in the bureau wiil serve to enlighten the general public to who these men are and the wracter of work they have been performing. Touis A. Fischer, chief of the of weights and measures, Born in the nation's capital in 1864, and is an alumnus of the George Washmgton University. 1903. Prior to his graduation he was connected with the United States office of weights and measures of the coast and geodetic survey from 1890 to 1901. He has been chief of the di- vision of weights and measures of the burcau since the establishment in 1901.° While the bureau has no regu- latory power, he has assisted in many educationai campaigns which have taught the public to appreciate the value of correct weights and mes urcs. The testing and standardizing of railroad tracks. scales. mine scales and work of great importance to the people of the country has been car- ried on by Maj. Fischer and P sociates. He has also occupied very prominent position in the advocacy of systems of accurate gauging in the manufacturimg plants of the country. Tne fundamental standards are kept at the bureau and there is no to viewpoint spend the of DR. C. W. alibi for any mistaies being made, as»Maj. Fischer is always glad to help those who would give accurate measure. He is recognized as the highest authority in tHis country in precision measurements of length and mass (weight). He is*charged with our national standards and has personally made a most accurate comparison With them. z * % W % MATTER of the most vitai im- Dortance to the industries this country is that of temperature of the work concernirg heat meas urements of all characters, including e strength of | imagine that they are all wise ! stand- | of l ing measurement -and the responsibility AL clinical I thermou d elect e tory pointe the bureau inherent endeavor the rank icist in » st chict of thermometry includes the liguid air and at this pla THqueti laboratory for tiie autics and motor engines, " these being fundamentall heat engines. Dr. Waidner occuples a prominent position in the movement to improve tie, quality of clinical thermometers and has encouraged manufacturers to improve their thermomecters and | to use the bureau's ficate of ae curacy in any proper and legitimate Wway. 4 grec his work ted the u of misleading ertificates by not overcareful manu- facturers. Tiquid is reg on air where | Some of the most important work | which Dr. Waidner has carried out recent!y lias been in connection with | the investigation of one of the most difficult - rese been ph. ever | rehes of | undertaken in namely. the nts used in the re dustry. The relationship letwe heat energy and mechanicai ene is very important in worl but many of the ¢ in connection with artificial refrig- eration have depended for their value | on determinations made many years ! ago by inaccurate methods and in -quate apparatus. Dr. Waidner' | division has leen conducting { thorough investigation of this whole that have the field hysical con- rigeration in- i i sics. en | | | WAIDENER. | | subject.” and - has redetermined value of many of these constants In December, 1853, a baly boy was born in Honolulu, H. T. This ster was destined (o play a most important part in the affaiss of the United States. Forsaking the beau- ties of the -island and the jovs of | surf riding, the young ma later years was known to tific world as Dr. Willlam brand, came to the United States matriculated at-Corne! at Heidelbery, Friedberg, receiving th Ph. D. from Heidelberg was appointed as ch United States seclo 1589, and served i the ! and 1 iy Miracle Men” of Bureau of Standards Are Solving Many Problems of Nation until 1408, when he was appointed chief chemist of the bureau of stand- Hillebrand enjoys the reputa- tion of heing one of th accu- rate analytical chemists in the coun- try, if ne the worid. and. threugh his untiring cffonts. the buresu has pared s ard samples of pure wterials, which stributed to those individuals a 8 hav- ing us n They for them i have become e wor These rials.are used oratories of these firms o checi up their work. and the importance of accurately analyzing the samples he- fore they are distributed can readily Le appreciated. Dr. Georg K. Bure chief of the me lurgical division, was born in Newton, Mass, in 1878 He re- celved the degree of L. 8. from the Massgchusetts Institute of Techno!- oky In 1896, and in 1901, in Paris. was awarded the degree of Sc. 1 Previous to this Iatter year he was assistant” professor of physics ut Massachusetts- Institute from iN86 to th N instructor igan from 1508, He I“niversity 1901 in whie was of Mic year he w with the Uhiver of staying at that institution when he was appointed physicist in th bureau of Two years Jater he hecam physicist. For the past eight has been physicist and ¢ the division. '\l phases of metallurgy, with the | exception of the metting of the ore out of the grourd and its prelin: nary treatment. are dealt with 1 Burgess' division. The laborator < division of the burcau kave been ) eplendidly equipped that the bureay is preparcd to conduct metallurgics investigathpng on a more extensive than any other research or Dr. rgess has « heen believep in practical research work, holding that it is an absolut necessity, The result is that his div on has a foundry. rolling mill. forg ing pr id various types of fur- naces. cte. Possession of thcse per- pe studying of the working of mits 3 ual manufacturi metals under conditions. * e ok X WING to the fact that many office buildings, busincss structures, apartment. houses and hotels arc either in the course of construction or will be crected during the cominz of th tent decade, the authorities th pugiht ter as wlatod v ac sughout the danger a been to and w itdings uction who @ buildings or houses their hor of man the probler Dbeen working dreds of expe duct=d buildings: L and sireams ion. ows th sudde when build exts mde i 1o Suppors posed to fre. The v has been that therd ences in the roguir protection, G columni: in nuanicipal code ol tine barcau of Standa eavoritig Lo e in the Lands o contractor zad builder data that will_enable . him o Just what is necded i ther maticr of constiy Tiis inforr has also becr [ ed to muni ricials in order t 5y embody in their bu such yeguldHons 3. r ple. standards of censtruction miy not only save many live many millione of Goilirs rous Tov of 1heieoluians ar fosraments that n ledt. res Presr, ot 7 sieel colanfis siww hendirg an buckling, while tie ns praact n entifely different aspes s ne doubt that within the npy or fowr montie extrem ) valuable infgpmation w those interested in this ve subjec Thes bureat of Ftands one of its kind T4 the wor late war Germans, had somewhat &l r scope and long wi ting to sinst five, wnd othe stitution of but B resca branch nd ity bet wm or o