Untitled - eCommons@Cornell - Cornell University

COLLEGE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING. 279
ing, cover a floor area of about fifteen thousand square feet. They
comprise :
1. A General Laboratory containing a large collection of ma
chines and apparatus for the experimental study of subjectsconnected
with the theoretical instruction of the lecture-rooms, and as prepara
tion for the special laboratories.
2. An Hydraulic Laboratory with complete appliances for deter
"
mination of "efficiency ; piping, mouth-pieces, and special castings,
for the derivation of coefficients ; wiers provided with all forms and
heights of notches and orifices ; gauges,
electrical and automatic
devices for the most refined measurements of weights, pressures, ve
locities, equilibrium, viscosity, efflux in closed and open conduits,
water reaction, etc. On the south bank of Fall Creek another labora
tory is nearly finished consisting of a canal about five hundred feet long,
sixteen feet wide and with ten feet of water depth. "It is provided with
waste and calibrating wiers at the upper end : and close to the canal
and outside of it, a pipe 48 inches in diameter will a steel tap stand pipe
six feet in diameter and seventy feet high. The stand pipe can be fed at
will fromthe canal directly, or from the 48 inch pipe above mentioned.
The six feet pipe pierces the roof of a building which will house nearly
all the machinery for experiments with water motors ; and by means
of reducers, the coefficients of efflux for pipes varying from four feet
to six inches in diameter can be derived for suitable lengths and all
conditions of internal surface and alignment. This house will also
power supply for the maneuvers and apparatus in the canal above.
Half way up, above the lower laboratory, a platform built around
the stand pipe and reached by spiral stairs, will supply orifices of all
sorts for experiment with thin plates, and short tubes and nozzles,
valves and elbows. The canal will be used for experiments upon the
motion of water in open channels ; upon the regulation of wiers, the
relative conditions of the dragging and suspending power of running
water ; the resistance of water to the motion of boats, as to their form,
size,
surface condition and ratio of their cross-section to that of the
canal ; experiments upon the motion of sewage as to diameter and
grade of pipes, and the effect of flushing ; and in addition to number
less experiments of much importance, this canal provides both material
and problems for study in connection with the pollution of streams,
purity of filter effluents and other special features of the sanitary
laboratories described further on.
3. A Cement provided with automatic machines Laboratory for
the establishment of standard tests. The furniture of this laboratory
has been designed by
specialists in view of its needs. Standard con
ditions are aimed to be obtained in all tests, nearly independent of