The Conquest of Nature, p. 4— Man's use of Nature's gifts, p. 6

Man the tool-making animal,” p. 7-Science and Civilization, p. 8

-Clothing and artificially heated dwellings of primitive man, p.

10—Early domestication of animals, p. 11-Early development

to the time of gunpowder, p. 12—The coming of steam and elec-

tricity, p. 15—Mechanical aids to the agriculturist, p. 19—The

development of scientific agriculture, p. 20 - Difficulties of the early

manufacturer, p. 21—The development of modern manufactur-

ing, p. 24–The relation of work to human development, p. 25–

The decline of drudgery and the new era of labor-saving devices,

p. 27.

CHAPTER II

HOW WORK IS DONE

Primitive man's use of the lever, p. 29—The use of the lever as con-

ceived by Archimedes, p. 21—Wheels and pulleys, p. 32--Other

means of transmitting power, p. 35—Inclined planes and derricks,

p. 37—The steam-scoop, p. 38-Friction, p. 35–Available sources

of energy, p. 41.

CHAPTER III

THE ANIMAL MACHINE

The oldest machine in existence, p. 43--The relation of muscle to

machinery, p. 44-How muscular energy is applied, p. 44—The

two types of muscles, p. 45—How the nerve-telegraph controls the

muscles, p. 47—The nature of muscular action, p. 45-Applica-

tions of muscular energy, p. 52—The development of the knife

and saw, p. 53—The wheel and axle, p. 55–Modified levers, p. 57

-Domesticated animals, p. 59—Early application of horse-power,

p. 60%The horse-power as the standard of the world's work, p. 61.

M363090

CHAPTER IV

THE WORK OF AIR AND WATER

First use of sails for propelling boats, p. 62—The fire engine of

Ctesibus, p. 63-Suction and pressure as studied by the ancients,

p. 64-Studies of air pressure, p. 65—The striking demonstration

of Von Guericke, p. 66—The sailing chariot of Servinus, 1600 A.D.,

p. 68—The development of the wind-mill, p. 69—The development

of the water-wheel, p. 70—The invention of the turbine, p. 72–

Different types of turbines, p. 73-Hydraulic power and its uses,

p. 74—The hydraulic elevator, p. 76—Recent water motors, p. 77.

CHAPTER V

CAPTIVE MOLECULES: THE STORY OF THE STEAM ENGINE

The development of the steam engine, p. 79—The manner in which

energy is generated by steam, p. 8o-Action of cylinder and piston,

p. 81–Early attempts to utilize steam, p. 82—Beginnings of mod-

ern discovery, p. 83—The "engine" of the Marquis of Worcester,

P. 84—Thomas Savery's steam pump, p. 85—Denis Papin invents

the piston engine, p. 88—Newcomen's improved engine, p. 89-

The use of these engines in collieries, p. 90—The wastefulness of

such engines, p. 92—The coming of James Watt, p. 93-Early ex-

periments of Watt, p. 95—The final success of Watt's experiments,

p. 97—Some of his early engines, p. 98—Rotary motion, p. 99%

Watt's engine, "Old Bess, p. 101--Final improvements and

missed opportunities, p. 102—The personality of James Watt, p. 107

CHAPTER VI

THE MASTER WORKER

Improvements on Watt's engines, p. 110-Engines dispensing with
the walking beam, p. 111—The development of high-pressure

engines, p. 112—Advantages of the high-pressure engine, p. 114

- How steam acts in the high-pressure engine, p. 116—Compound

engines, p. 117–Rotary engines, p. 119—Turbine engines, p. 124

-The Turbinia and other turbine boats, p. 125—The action of

steam in the turbine engine, p. 126-Advantages of the turbine

engine, p. 127.

CHAPTER VII

GAS AND OIL ENGINES

Some early gas engines, p. 133—Dr. Stirling's hot-air engine, p.
133—Ericsson's hot-air engines, p. 134-The first practical gas
engine, p. 135—The Otto gas engine, p. 136-Otto's improvement
by means of compressed gas, p. 138The “Otto cycle," p. 139–
Adaptation of gas engines to automobiles, p. 140— Rapid increase
in the use of gas engines, p. 141—Defects of the older hot-air
engines, p. 145— Recent improvements and possibilities in the use
of hot-air engines, p. 146.

CHAPTER VIII

THE SMALLEST WORKERS

The relative size of atoms and electrons, p. 148–What is electricity?

p. 149–Franklin's one-fluid theory, p. 150—Modern views, p. 153

-Cathode rays and the X-ray, p. 156How electricity is developed,

p. 159—The work of the dynamical current, p. 162— Theories of

electrical action, p. 165–Practical uses of electricity, p. 168.

CHAPTER IX

MAN'S NEWEST CO-LABORER: THE DYNAMO

The mechanism of the dynumo, p. 173—The origin of the dynamo,

p. 176—The work of Ampère, Henry, and Faraday, p. 177-Per-

fecting the dynamo, p. 178-A mysterious mechanism, p. 180–

Curious relation between magnetism and electricity as exemplified

in the dynamo, p. 182.

CHAPTER X

NIAGARA IN HARNESS

The volume of water at the falls, p. 184—The point at which the

falls are “harnessed," p. 185–Within the power-house, p. 186

Penstocks and turbines, p. 188-A miraculous transformation of

energy, p. 189—Subterranean tail-races, p. 191-The effect on the

falls, p. 192—The transmission of power, p. 194—"Step-up" and

"step-down" transformers, p. 198.

CHAPTER XI

THE BANISHMENT OP NIGHT

Primitive torch and open lamp, p. 202—Tallow candle and per-

fected lamp, p. 205–Gas lighting, p. 207—The incandescent gas

mantle, p. 208–Early gas mantles, p. 209—How the incandescent

gas mantle is made, p. 211–The introduction of acetylene gas, p.

212-Chemistry of acetylene gas, p. 214--Practical gas-making,

p. 215—The triumph of electricity, p. 218–Davy and the first

electric light, p. 220—Helpful discoveries in electricity, p. 222—

The Jablochkoff candle, p. 223-Defects of the Jablochkoff candle.

p. 225—The improved arc light, p. 226–Edison and the incandescent

lamp, p. 228Difficulties encountered in finding the proper ma.

terial for a practical filament, p. 230—"Parchmentized thread"

filament, p. 233—The tungsten lamp, p. 234—The mercury-vapor

light of Peter Cooper Hewitt, p. 236-Advantages and peculiar-

ities of this light, p. 240.

CHAPTER XII

THE MINERAL DEPTHS

Early mining methods, p. 242-Prospecting and locating mines, p.

243—“Booming," p. 246—Conditions to be considered in mining,

p. 248Dangerous gases in mines, p. 249—Artificial lights and

lighting, p. 251—Ventilation and drainage, p. 252—Electric ma-

chinery in mining, p. 253—Electric drills, p. 254—Traction in

mining, p. 256 Various types of electric motors, p. 257—“Tel-

phers,” p. 261-Electric mining pumps, p. 263--Some remark-

able demonstrations of durability of electric pumps, p. 265-Elec-

tricity in coal mining, p. 266-Electric lighting in mines, p. 269.

CHAPTER XIII

THE AGE OF STEEL

Rapid growth of the iron industry in recent years, p. 271—The

Lake Superior mines, p. 272—Methods of mining, p. 273—“Open-

pit” mining, p. 274–Mining with the steam shovel, p. 276From

mine to furnace, p. 278—Methods of transportation, p. 279—Ves-

sels of special construction, p. 281–The conversion of iron ore

into iron and steel, p. 283—Blast furnaces, p. 284—Poisonous gases

and their effect upon the workmen, p. 286From pig iron to steel,

p. 287–Modern methods of producing pig iron, p. 288—The Besse-

mer converter, p. 289—Sir Henry Bessemer, p. 291—The “Besse-

mer-Mushet" process, p. 293—Open-hearth method, p. 294-Alloy

steels, p. 295.

CHAPTER XIV

SOME RECENT TRIUMPHS OF APPLIED SCIENCE

The province of electro-chemistry, p. 298—Linking the laboratory

with the workshop, p. 299–Soda manufactories at Niagara Falls,

P. 300—Producing aluminum by the electrolytic process, p. 300

Old and new methods compared, p. 3014Nitrogen from the air,

P. 303—What this discovery means to the food industries of the

world, p. 304—Prof. Birkeland's method, p. 307–Another method

of nitrogen fixation, p. 309—Cost of production, p. 312—Elec-

trical energy, p. 313— Production of high temperatures with the

electric arc, p. 314—The production of artificial diamonds by the

explosion of cordite, p. 315-Industrial problems of to-day and

to-morrow, p. 316.

ILLUSTRATIONS

A

PRIMITIVE USE OF THE ANIMAL MACHINE THAT IS
STILL IN VOGUE IN MANY EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Frontispiece

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