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Reviews of Late Books Faraday and His Metallurgical Ke- searches, by Sir Robert A Hadfield; cloth, 329 pages, 6 x 9% inches; 68 plates, 12 illustrations and 27 tables; published by Chapman & Hall, London; distributed in America by the Penton Publishing Co., Cleveland; price, $6.50 postpaid. From 1819 to 1824, before he had discovered the action of electromag- netic induction, Michael Faraday de- voted much of his time to metallurgi- cal research. Utilizing the primitive laboratory facilities of the Royal In- stitution at London and with the as- sistance of friendly steelmakers in Sheffield, he experimented with steel alloyed with nickel, silver, platinum, rhodium, iridum and osmium, palla- dium, titanium, chromium, copper, tin and gold. Until recently comparatively little was known of this phase of Faraday’s work. Fortunately, however, a box containing 79 specimens of his steel was discovered and turned over to Sir Robert A. Hadfield, who has examined them by the methods of modern scien- tific research. Using only a pound and a quarter of the precious material, Sir Robert made 493 chemical analyses and conducted chemical, physical and mechanical tests to the number of 866. Out of the results of this unusual examination of century-old steels, Sir Robert has developed material for a book of absorbing interest. Entitled Faraday and His Metallurgical Re- searches, it not only throws light on an obscure part of Faraday’s eventful life but also establishes the “Father of Electricity” as the rightful holder of the additional honor, “Pioneer of Alloy Steels.” In view of the author’s own notable achievements in the discovery of alloy steels, it is easy to understand the en- thusiasm with which he has delved into hidden nooks and crannies to un- earth evidence of Faraday’s research- es. He traces Faraday’s rise to fame, leaving no stone unturned in seeking out early acquaintances and associa- tions that may have influenced the di- rection of the great scientist’s search for knowledge. Thus he sets the stage for Faraday’s exploits, and introduces a dramatis personae embracing such notable figures as Count Rumford, Sir Joseph Banks, William Haseldine Pepys, Sir Humphry Davy, and Dr. John Percy. He reviews the earliest beginnings of metallurgy and traces its develop- ment up to the nineteenth century. After describing in great detail his examination of the historic speci- mens, Sir Robert then presents nu- merous appreciations of Faraday’s work, concluding with his own judicial 64 appraisal, which,needless to say, gives great credit to the subject of the book. In conclusion, the author deals with more recent developments in alloy steels The book is intensely inter- esting from beginning to end. It is rich in historic incidents of signifi- cance in the world of science. It is illustrated profusely and _ contains many tables of data relating to the author’s tests of Faraday’s steels. While Sir Robert set out primarily to establish Faraday as the first to engage in systematic research concern- ing the preparation of alloys of steel, his book goes far beyond that ob- jective. It affords the reader a rich background for a better appreciation of the importance of genuine and suc- cessful research—the search for and discovery of fresh knowledge. 130 Years of Steam Navigation, by - Robert Dollar; leather, 138 pages, 9 x 6 inches; privately printed for the author by Schwabacher-Frey Co., San Francisco. As conveyed by the title, this book deals with the development of the steamship and marine steam engine from their early beginnings up to the present day. In his foreword the au- thor states that the book has been 20 years in the making and most of it was written at sea during voyages to various ports around the world. “It has been a pleasant task,” contin- - ues Mr. Dollar, “organizing the ma- terial about a subject that has occu- pied my waking hours for so many years. Ships and shipping—an indus- try that is both romantic and prac- tical, and therefore of absorbing in- terest to the layman as well as to the shipping man. The merchant vessel, trading across our oceans and bring- ing into closer relationship the peo- ples of the world, has done more for the advance of civilization than any other commercial factor. The story of the rise of present-day passenger and cargo steamship from their crude beginnings 130 years ago is a story of splendid accomplishment. During that period the genius and energy of countless men have gone into the task of creating more efficient ships.” While primarily an authentic his- tory and filled with facts and figures on outstanding steamships of each era, the book contains many personal anecdotes and is interestingly writ- ten. The volume contains 28 fine il- lustrations of ships and models, all steam-driven, representing types from the CHARLOTTE DUNDAS, one of the earliest steam vessels, to the PRESI- DENT Hoover, the largest American merchant ship so far completed in the United States. MARINE REvieEw—April, 1932 Since the book was privately pub- lished in a limited edition for presen- tation by the author, it is not on sale. Copies, however, may be found in the libraries, where they will serve as ref- erence volumes. Charles P. Wheeler, 75, a partner in the firm of Pickands, Mather & Co., Cleveland, and president of the former Pickands, Brown & Co., Chi- cago, died on Feb. 27 at Pasadena, Calif. He had been identified with the merchant pig iron, iron ore and coke business at Chicago for nearly 50 years.’ New York Shipbuilding Co. Report of the New York Shipbuild- ing Co. and subsidiaries for the year ended Dec. 31, 1931, shows net profit of $1,205,159, after depreciation, inter- est, taxes, etc. In 1930 the predeces- sor company, American Brown Boveri Electric Corp. and subsidiaries, report net profit of $1527. The company pro- poses to retire on vote of the stock- holders at the annual meeting, 8490 shares of preferred stock, 42,756 shares of participating stock and 500 shares of founders stock, some of which was purchased after Dec. 31, 1931. Liner Prepares for Season When the United States liner Lryia- "HAN sails from New York on April 26 on her first trip of the season to Plymouth, Cherbourg and Bremen, she will be in perfect condition throughout. The big steamer at pres- ent is being entirely overhauled and redecorated in every department. Spe- cial attention is being given to the third-class section of the ship. This section will be reserved for restricted third class on three voyages, June 28, July 19 and Aug. 9, when only pas- sengers in the “white collar’ class will be booked so that the space will be restricted to this class. Early Lake Shipping For the first time in many years, no large cargo vessels docked in Chi- cago during January or February, although the regular package line shipments on Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes continued throughout the winter months. The first vessel shipment of steel this season from Cleveland to De- troit was made during the first week in March on the steamer FELLOW- cRAFT of the Nicholson-Hrie-Dover Ferry Line, Detroit. Iron and steel scrap interests in the Chicago area have collected a large amount of cast borings and other scrap at the docks of the Hast Chicago Dock Terminal Co., East Chicago, Ind., for movement by boat to eastern lake ports after the nav- igation season opens.