Page Ten
THE UNIVERSITY KANSAN.
Wednesday. December 20, 1911.
SOME THESES BY OUR ENGINEERS
By Herbert Flint
Some very interesting and practical work is divided in the annual set of Senior theses recently given out by the various department heads of the Engineering school to the Senior Engineers of 1912. Three lines of work are open, laboratory investigation with experiments and compilation of data, along the lines of cement work, paving brick and good roads; designing, such as making practical plans for sewers, water works and bridges; and library investigation, consisting of a summarizing investigation of data on some subject not having definite data and formulae yet compiled.
"Each student must complete a successful thesis before graduating from the Engineering School," said Professor Hoad, in speaking of this year's work. "The senior thesis is a practical test of the student's power made under actual working conditions that will be met with everywhere, and is an absolute requirement."
Water Reservoir.
To design a practical water supply reservoir near Lawrence is the thesis assigned to John B. Boesche and Fred E. Johnson Civil Engineers.
This thesis, which involves problems to be encountered in western irrigation and city water-supply work, presents a practical and interesting bit of investigation under actual working conditions. Given a location along a stream, the students must design a dam which will impound an amount sufficient to guarantee a yield of 1,000,000 gallons of water a day, the year around—enough for a city of 10,000 people.
Work on this thesis will be done on Baldwin's Branch, about six miles northwest of Lawrence and directly south of Lake View. Here is a large drainage area the waters from which will be used for the water supply. A dam which will make a lake of some 160 acres will be designed for a certain situation on this stream. Just how big a dam will be required for a daily yield of 1,000,000 gallons of water, of what material, how high, cost of dam, and what amounts of water different heights of the dam will impound, are some of the problems involved.
Careful surveys of the entire drainage area affected must be made, so as to compute the amount of water to be expected. All available local rainfall data as well as the United States statistics, must be consulted, so as to allow for floods, and also to make calculations for drought evaporation, seepage, etc. Questions of sanitation will come up. In the end, the students must make plans based upon their data which will enable a dam to be built as cheaply and well as possible, and guarantee 1,000,000 gallons of water every day of the year, whether it be for irrigation or city purposes.
"This is a typical city water supply problem which is being encountered over the state all the time," said Professor Hoad in speaking of this thesis. "Working under actual field conditions, near to school, the boys ought to make a fine piece of work out of this."
Bridge at Ellsworth
Something more than mere school work is involved in the thesis now being worked out by H. V. Becker and Bert E. Dodge Civil Engineers, who are to design a reinforced concrete highway bridge suitable to be placed over the Smoky Hill river on one of the principal streets of the city of Ellsworth, Kansas, the home of Mr. Becker.
An old "tin" bridge out of date, and unsuited to present traffic conditions spans the Smoky Hill at Ellsworth. Why not get up a design for a modern
bridge for the home folks thought "Beck?"
As a result, plans are now being made for a three-span, reinforced concrete arch bridge to fit that particular place, with roadway and side walk room provided. The entire structure including foundations, piers and superstructure will be of concrete reinforced with steel, after the most approved manner of bridge building. Borings and surveys will be made at the proposed place of construction, and everything drawn up just as if the city of Ellsworth were about to put in the bridge itself.
Farm Drainage.
Down the Santa Fe tracks southeast of Lawrence is the town of Franklin. Near here Guy S. Smith and Roy M. Smith, brothers, Civil Engineeeds, will design a scheme of surface and sub-surface drainage for a half-section of very flat land. For years, this land, which lies unusually level, has been almost useless because of the lack of natural drainage. The land, which is very rich, cannot be worked in wet seasons on account of standing water.
To remedy this, the Smith brothers will lay out plans for ditches, tile drains, etc., so as to enable this land to be worked at any time of the year regardless of rainfall and lack of natural drainage.
L. A. Baldwin and E. L. Bray, Electricals will make a study of the direct-current distribution of the Kansas City Electric Light Co's plant in order to determine whether or not it would be heaper for the company to abandon certain of its direct-current distributing system, and replace these with alternating-current supplies.
Practically all of this work will be done by the students at the office of the Lighting Company in Kansas City, where they will have access to all the operating records of the company, cost of machinery, wiring, etc. Any additional tests that may be necessary to arrive at definite conclusions will be arranged for by these men.
O. E. Marvel and F. C. Walden will make a study of telephone transmission. At present, they are experimenting with delicate vibrators to be used in an oscillograph, an instrument for determining the distribution of magnetism in rotary convertors. As soon as this instrument is perfected the students will be given use of the toll lines of the Missouri & Kansas telephone company, either in Kansas City or Lawrence, for making comparisons of the traces of speech over loaded and unloaded telephone lines.
Elmer Dershem will determine the ratio of transformation and the phase relations of instrument transformers . under different conditions of loading.
G. O. Brown and T. P. Steeper will make complete tests of the street car motors used by the Lawrence Street Railway & Light Co.
C. F. Hansen and E. E. Stephens will make an oscillograph study of armature reaction.
E. L. Wright and George Magatagan will make a comparison of the methods of securing multiple speeds for direct-current motors.
R. L. Parker and H. F. Wilson will study the servicibility of portable electrical instruments.
M. K. Thomen and D. H. Cadmus will design and figure on the construction of a magnetic ore separator.
Mining Engineers.
Considerable laboratory work will be done by Mining Engineers in working out their theses this year. One of the most important subjects assigned is that of testing Kansas coals
with reference to cooking and by-products. It is being handled by Morton G. Monroe, under the supervision of Prof. W. A. Whitaker, of the Metallurgy laboratories. This problem will furnish some data in regard to our Kansas coal fields, their values, and possibilities.
"The Explosibility of Coal Dust," will be undertaken by O, L. Andrews. This problem is very timely in connection with the recent coal mining disasters throughout this country which impelled Congress to establish a testing station at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it was demonstrated beyond a doubt that coal dust was largely responsible for most of the great coal mining disasters of recent years.
Geo. M, Brown will make a study of Coal Washeries, after the large washeries recently established in the coal fields of Southeastern Kansas.
A. H. Manglesdorf will investigate the efficiency of concentrating plants for lead and zinc ores.
Mechanical Engineers
Much of the material used in the theses assigned to the Mechanical Engineers will come from data gathered on the long trip made by a party of Mechanicals early in the fall to Chicago Milwaukee, and other northern manufacturing cities.
"Handling of Material at the Gary Steel Plant," by T. D. Howard, is the direct result of this trip.
Geo. H, Broderick will study "Paper Mill Equipment."
Chas. G. Martinson, "The Development of the Iron and Steel Industries."
L. L. Browne, "Engine Piston Rings."
THE QUITTER.
(Continued From Page 8)
"On the morning of the third day I went down to tell the father that the boy could not last much longer. I found him standing breathless, awaiting the outcome of an experiment. For three days he had worked like a madman. His feverish eyes, his unshaven face, his haggard countenance, had made him look like one." I suggested that he see the patient, and he answered curtly 'I haven't time.' The food which I had carried to him I noticed was untouched.
"Without looking up he muttered to himself 'It's only a simple salt solution injected under the shoulder blade."
"And as he watched I saw the pig stagger to its feet.
We stood motionless.
"We stood motionless." "The pig moved its head slowly from right to left. Then it grunted.
"The father seized the solution and bounded up the stairs. I followed.
"He rushed through the house but at the bedroom door he stopped.
"His wife was kneeling at the bedside moaning. His son waaded."
The silence that followed the narration was broken by the scratching of a match. "He never finished," said Thompson as he lighted his dead cigar.
WHAT! HAM AND EGGS
"Board on Hill, first class price $4.00 per week—ham and eggs with extras."
But Maybe This Landlady's Chickens Don't Mind Cold
But maybe the boarding house lady has chickens that do not mind the cold.
This announcement appeared on the bulletin board yesterday. "Ham with eggs"—yes and they cost 38 cents a dozen. Today the landlady probably has a bunch of hungry engineers, several students of physiology, who did not like the sausages that they got at the last boarding house and many others.
Christmas perfumes, military brushes, hand bags, tailet articles makes a suitable present. Dick Bros.
Try the home made pies at Soxman's & Co.
Peace of Solomon Valley, at Boyles.
Merry
Xmas
We wish you that and a pleasant vacation besides.
On the way home stop and get a box of good cigars for Papa or a box of Allegrettis for Mother.
Smith's News Depot Phones 608. 709 Mass. St. Phone us and we will have it all ready.
WE WISH YOU
A Merry Christmas AND A Happy New Year STARKWEATHER THE SHOE MAN
CHRISTMAS CANDIES
CHRISTMAS CIGARS
Stationary, Perfumes, Thermos Bottles, Toilet Articles. Visit our fountain before going home
Court House Drug Store J. R. WILSON, Prop.
Keeler's Holiday Offerings
Never before have we been so well prepared to serve your wants for the holiday season, and our prices are right. We have a fine line of BOOKS, FINE STATIONERY, GOLD PENS, FOUNTAIN PENS, TEACHER'S' BIBLES, POCKET BOOKS, PICTURES, framed or in the sheet, CALENDARS AND NOVELTIES. We have just received some TINTED PHOTOS OF THE BEST COLORADO SCENERY. We make picture frames. Let us do your framing; our prices are reasonable.
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Christmas Presents
Coats, Suits, Dresses and Furs. Neckwear, Hand Bags, Handkerchiefs, Leather Pillows. and Table Covers. Pyrography outfits and wood to burn. You can do it. For sale at
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841 Mass St.
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Our Special Pure Worstead Suits at $15 with this extra discount means a big saving for you.
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GIFT BOXES
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Wishes you one
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A Merry Christmas.
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Druggist
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