MAN'S CONQUEST OF NATURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23405, 22 July 1939, Page 4 (Supplement)

MAN'S CONQUEST OF NATURE

Some Great Engineers

By G.G.H.

ALTHOUGH, according to the r\ preface, "Great Engineers" by "** Professor Matschoss, is "an account of nien specially representative of the engineering profession over a space of time of 5(300 years," the author achieves far more than that. It is at once a series of ex-cellent-short biographies of great engineers from remote antiquity to the present century and a history of engineering itself.

Nor is it confined to one field of technology, but embraces examples from many varied spheres of study. From Yu, the great hydraulic engineer of ancient China, and hero of Alexandria, the story runs on to include John Gutenberg, the printer, Von Eiehstadt. the medieval German gunsmith, right on through the centuries to Robert Fulton, who first applied rteam to navigation successfully, and to Charles Parsons, the developer of the s.team turbine. Wealth of Incident Not that the choice of engineers is evenly , distributed over the various historical ages. Little is known of the personalities ot' the engineers of antiquity, hut the works still in existence prove to us that they achieved great things. Again, many importantnames of the great civil engineers, who built roads, canals, bridges and tunnels, are omitted; for example, the Brunei brothers and Brindley, to take two English instances only. Nevertheless, within the covers of this' book is an immense amount of detail. The deeds of great men aro surrounded by a wealth of incident whieh serves to accentuata the human

side of these heroes emphasising their personalities and the vicissitudes / through which they passed before reaching ultimate success. Hfelmholtz, a German professor of the nineteenth century, asserted that in addition to an almost incredible amount of learning, a scientist needs abilities which can only be acquired by persistent attempts and long practice. His hand must be practised now to undertake the work of a smith or mechanic or carpenter, now that of a draughtsman, or a violin player. Courage Needed

More than this, when confronted ,bv Overwhelming destructive forces, ho must possess the courage and coolness of a soldier. Such is the indomitable

persistence of Bessemer who. not content with improvements in one field of technical work, transferred his attentions elsewhere, till, in his auto-

biography, he lists one hundred and seventeen patents! Similar, too, is the tougli fighting spirit of Alfred Krupp, who had to fight battle after battle with the Berlin authorities before he could obtain permission to-manufacture gung of cast steel, instead of from bronze, which he said was all right for decorative purposes and medals, but not for modern weapons, of war. Less known is the name of Franz Dinnendhal, who, about ISlci, set about making steam engines to assist in haulage in mines. Beginning life in extreme poverty, his enormous capacity for'/work, combined with a fresh, decisive manner proved him as an able industrial leader, a pathfinder on the road of German technical progress. Addressed to "lovers . oil technical achievement, and of the men responsible for it," this book will appeal to student and general reader alike., He who wishes to go more deeplv into the suiieet Trill find that the excellent bibliography will fully supply his needs. Attractive Style To the general reader, the book will be a 'pleasure and a delight,! not only for the facts he will glean from its pages, but- also for the manner of the writing. The author's love for his subject pervades the whole work, bringing with it' an easy attractive style which cannot but please. One feels that the author is inspired by the German Culture -Museum at Munjch, of which he tplls in speaking of the founder, Oskar von Miller. This vast collection of exhibits shows "the whole panorama of man's advancing conquest of nature." Goethe says: "the best of history's gifts to us is* the enthusiasm which it inspires." No truer statement could be made of the present work.

"Great Engineers," by Prof. C. Mafschoss Translated by Dr. H. 8. Hatfield. (G. Bell and Sons, London).