The Chemists' Club - Industrial & Engineering Chemistry (ACS

William L. Dudley. Ind. Eng. Chem. , 1914, 6 (5), pp 407–411. DOI: 10.1021/ie50065a020. Publication Date: May 1914. ACS Legacy Archive. Cite this:In...
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L I a y , 1914

T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY

a n assembly a n d l e c t u r e hall, a l i b r a r y a n d s m o k e a n d other rooms f o r demonstrations a n d training in mine rescue a n d first-aid. T h e htechanical Building will b e f o r e x p e r i m e n t s a n d t e s t s of mining m a c h i n e r y a n d a p p l i a n c e s a n d t h e C h e m i c a l building for i n v e s t i g a t i o n a n d a n a l y s e s of f u e l s , explosives a n d various mineral substances.

THE CHEMIST’S DUPLEX SLIDE RULE By H. H

HAXSON

Received February 12, 1914

I n t h e s e d a y s of efficiency a n d specialization, a n y c o n t r i v a n c e or device w h i c h t e n d s t o s a v e t i m e w i t h o u t sacrifice of a c c u r a c y is eagerly seized u p o n . T h e slide

r e c e n t years, however, t h a t i t s use h a s been a p p l i e d t o chemical p r o b l e m s . T h e r e h a v e been placed u p o n t h e m a r k e t several so-called “ Chemist’s Slide R u l e s , ” b u t t h e ‘‘ D u p l e x , ” i n v e n t e d b y D r . R. H a r m o n Ashley, 01’ t h e U n i v e r s i t y of h l a i n e , a n d m a n u f a c t u r e d b y t h e Keuffel &- Esser Co., of N e w Y o r k , s e e m s t o be a m a t e r i a l a d v a n c e over previous rules T h i s rule h a s b o t h t h e r e g u l a r a n d t h e i n v e r t e d scales, w i t h t h e g r a d u a t i o n i n c i d e n t t o i n s t r u m e n t s of t h i s k i n d , so t h a t i n itself it is complete, a n d u p o n i t m a y b e carried o u t all of t h e a r i t h m e t i c a l c o m p u t a t i o n s which a r e usually r e q u i r e d of a c h e m i s t o r chemical engineer. In a d d i t i o n t o t h i s i t carries o n e h u n d r e d a n d t h i r t y five chemical s y m b o l s , t h e acids, bases a n d s a l t s being o n t h e r e g u l a r side, a n d oxides a n d e l e m e n t s

being o n t h e i n v e r t e d side, T h e left index of t h e rule is m a r k e d “ S o u g h t , ” t h e left index of t h e slide is m a r k e d “ G i v e n , ” S O t h a t n o m i s t a k e c a n be m a d e in t h e s e t t i n g it b e used. W i t h t h e large n u m b e r of chemical s y m b o l s given a l m o s t a n y stoichiometric p r o b l e m m a y be solved, a s h u n d r e d s of c o m b i n a t i o n s a r e possible w i t h t h e i n s t r u m e n t . Conversion f a c t o r s a r e v e r y easily a n d quickly o b t a i n e d with one s e t t i n g of t h e rule. T h e p e r c e n t a g e composition of various c o m p o u n d s m a y be f o u n d , a n d problems i n b o t h g r a v i m e t r i c a n d v o l u m e t r i c analysis m a y be easily solved a s described i n t h e m a n u a l w h i c h a c c o m p a n i e s t h e rule. T h e molecular weights of s u b s t a n c e s n o t inscribed o n t h e rule a r e easily o b t a i n e d , e v e n t h o u g h ds m a y n o t be given, as f o r t y - t w o different e l e m e n t s a r e inscribed u p o n t h e i n v e r t side. T h e illustrations s h o w t h e general a p p e a r a n c e a n d p l a n of t h e i n s t r u m e n t , which is v e r y finely m a d e a n d accurately marked. The graduat i o n s a n d s y m b o l s a r e i n s e r t e d mechanically, t h u s eliminating t h e errors necessarily a c c o m p a n y i n g h a n d m a r k i n g s of t h i s k i n d . T h i s r u l e is a c c u r a t e t o t h r e e significant figures within a l i m i t of e r r o r which does n o t exceed t h a t of t h e average o p e r a t i o n of t h e a n a l y t i c a l c h e m i s t , a n d will be f o u n d useful for s h o r t e n i n g o p e r a -

work. I n t h e m a n u a l a c c o m p a n y i n g t h e i n s t r u m e n t t h e t h e o r y of t h e slide rule is briefly a n d carefully explained, a n d t h e m a n n e r of o p e r a t i o n is described i n detail. MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMEKT STATION, ORONO

ADDRFSF

I THE CHEMISTS’ CLUB’ B y WILLIAML. DUDLEY

Almost all the professions in the United States have, in addition to their scientific associations and societies, an organization whose purpose is to foster and develop personal and professional acquaintance among the membership of that profession in a direction and t o an extent not possible in strictly scientific associations. The scientific associations are not Presented a t the Cincinnati Meetins of the American Chemical Society, April 6-10, 1914.

407

I

adapted to bring about this result to the greatest degree, primarily for the reason that between their meetings there is no opportunity for individuals t o meet; the opportunities afforded by such scientific associations for personal intercourse are therefore intermittent and discontinuous. Continuous opportunity for such acquaintance and intercourse is offered only by those professional associations known, for short, as “clubs,” which have club features as a basis, associated or combined with professional facilities and opportunities peculiar to each profession. These two classes of organizations are therefore mutually

T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y complementary and helpful and are not in any conflict with each other. Up to three years ago, the chemical profession in the United States was not equipped with any association or organization having the continuous club feature as an element. It is true

ENTRANCE HALL

that prior to that time The Chemists’ Club, founded in 1898, with its quarters a t 108 West 55th St., New York City, discharged to a greater or less extent the functions of a club, but in a manner not sufficiently continuous to meet in any satisfactory degree the needs of the chemical profession of the United States. It was through the energy, ~.devotion and self-sacrifice of a number of far-sighted, broad-minded and publicspirited chemists that the chemical profession, about three years ago, became possessed of quarters which contain all the elements necessary for continuous. opportunity of social and professional intercourse among chemists under conditions of the usual club accommodations connected with unique and complete facilities for the conduct of professional business of all kinds under one and the same roof. To those who are engaged in the practice of industrial chemistry, such an opportunity means much. A chemist with his laboratory is not welcome as a tenant in modern high class, centrally located and well equipped buildings, and, as a result, in most of the cities, and particularly in New York, the chemist and his laboratory are crowded into the less desirable sections of the city, and then only in the less desirable buildings. When the chemists desire to hold a meeting, they generally do so in rented quarters, poorly equipped for demonstration and experimental purposes. If a chemist desires access to chemical literature, he will find in only isolated cases a suitable library, and in still rarer instances will he find such librery in charge of one who has an understanding of what chemical literature is, and what a chemist’s literary needs are. If a manufacturer desires to engage a chemist for a piece of work requiring particular experience, he has, apart from The Chemists’ Club, practically only the colleges and universities as a source of supply. If a chemist desires a position, he is in most cases limited to the same source of information.

Vol. 6 , No. 5

The new quarters of The Chemists’ Club constitute the only place in the world where chemists, above all others, are welcome, are sought as tenants and have laboratory and library facilities, under one and the same roof; where competent attendants provide them with literature, keep them informed of current events in their individual specialties, provid? them with temporary laboratories, with apparatus and with chemicals, and enable them to engage help such as they may need. At the same time, they have, under the same roof, all the accommodations of a hotel, with the particular homelike features of a club, where they can always meet men of their own training and of their own line of thought; in short, once installed a t The Chemists’ Club, there is hardly any need of their leaving the building for anything that they might want in the way of professional or laboratory facilities, for social intercourse, for shelter or for food. The Chemists’ Club, although i t is a New York corporation, and although it is located in New York City, aims to serve all the chemists and chemical industries of the entire United States, and for that purpose i t has divided its membership into resident and non-resident. It is perfectly obvious what the resident members can get out of The Chemists’ Club, a;d that what they can get is greater than what non-residents ordinarily would get, and that is why the resident member must pay larger annual dues than the non-resident. It is clear, however, that an organization based upon national lines and doing work of a national scope must have more than local support, and in .. order to accomplish the greatest good must receive the widest possible support from those living outside of the resident membership area. When a non-resident member goes t o New York, he can have, during his stay, all the advantages that a resident member can enjoy, and i t is perfectly clear that those chemists resident outside of New York

SOCIALROOM

City, and who make even only occasional trips to Kew York, would be greatly benefited by acquiring non-resident membership and availing themselves of the Club facilities and opportunities when in New York City. Such members may very well want to have a temporary laboratory about which they can

. ..

*”

May, 1914

T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y

throw all the privacy of their own laboratory. The Chemists’ Club is prepared to supply this need, a service not offered by any other professional organization in the world. As to non-resident members who never reach S e w York, the advantages and benefits of The Chemists’ Club are perhaps

Those members of the chemical profession, 2nd all engaged in industrial pursuits dependent upon chemists or in which the chemist plays a part, owe it to themselves and to the future of their own profession or business to see to it that opportunity for growth and development is as great as possible. The Chemists’ Club offers the best opportunity for such growth and development, and it cannot reach its highest state of efficiency until every publicspirited and high-minded member of the chemical profession or industry has contributed his share to THE MEMBERSlIIP Year 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 191 1 1912 1913 1914

CHANDLER LIBRARY

not quite so obvious, but nevertheless valuable and certain; some day these non-resident members will want to have literature compiled or translated for them in a hurry, and a t no place can it be done as well as a t The Chemists’ Club; or they may wish to have information as to the literature of a certain art, and that can be done no better anywhere than at The Chemists’ Club; they may want t o have in their hands a book not accessible a t their local libraries; if such book is in duplicate in The Chemists’ Club library, it is loaned t o them, and if not in duplicate, a copy, photographic or otherwise, will be made and forwarded a t a substantial cost; or they’ may want to obtain the services of a man skilled in a particular branch-the only place that they can turn to and get satisfactory information is The Chemists’ Club. I t may very well be that a particular non-resident member might want such service only once in two years, but if he does, whatever he has expended in the way of membership fees is undoubtedly amply repaid by the very fact that such opportunities exist and are always a t his command. Preparedness and ability to do, or have done, such things is something of such great value, that beside it the annual contribution towards the realization and maintenance of such a state of affairs is wholly insignificant; each chemist must make his contribution so that these opportunities may exist when he needs them. I t is merely another variation of “ I n time of peace prepare for war.” Cooperation is the only way in which a profession can advance, and the opportunity of cooperation necessary to the advancement of the chemical urofession is offered bv The Chemists’ Club. Without personal contact with men of the same profession and without opportunity for such professional contact, the growth of the profession must necessarily be slow, if it does not diminish to an extent properly to be describedas a standstill.

409

Resident, life and honorary 41 135 130 143 138 150 172 164 169 195 208 225 308 412 447 447 455

OF

THE CHEMISTS’

Son-resident and foreign 48 56 109 118 123 134 142 166 165 161 167 167 34 1 524 570 607 638

Junior

.. , .

.. .. ..

..

7 11 22 25 24 19 28 47 75 80 92

CLVE

Total 89 191 230 26 1 26 1 284 321 34 1 356 381 399 41 1 677 983 1092 1134 1185

the extent, a t least, of becoming a non-resident member, and making full use of the opportunities offered. An organization like The Chemists’ Club grows with the service required of it, and with thi. support given it; it is to be hoped that every chemist wherever he may reside in the United States, and every person engaged in business involving chemistry, will feel that he has not done his full duty by the profession and business of chemistry until he has actively identified himself in some way or other with The Chemists’ Club. It is now three years since the new quarters a t 50-52 East 41st Street, New York City, were opened, and those who have

D I N I N GR O O M

sacrificed much time and effort in developing The Chemists’ Club to its present state feel encouraged by the growth in the interest in the Club which is manifested throughout the United States.

410

T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y

I n order that a mental picture of the growth of The Chemists’ Club and its influence may be obtained, information has been collected as per table on preceding page.

The clerical, linguistic and literary service was begun in March, 19x3, and the following statistics show a satisfactory and wholesome growth in the work:

LABORATORIES ’

Of these there are five floors and all of nent tenants. The three “transient” laboratories, which are maintained by have all been taken and usually there is factory size.

Subscribers Searches, to the literary clippjng and hTo. of words service patent 2,850 4 1 8,010 6 6 37,500 8 10 9,540 21 14 15,030 22 1,325 24 25,300 28 10 25,525 30 10 90,800 48 7 36,940 51 11

-

Translations

them rented to permaor so-called “Club” The Chemists’ Club, a waiting list of satis-

LIBRARY, CLERICAL, LINGUISTIC A N D LITERARY SERVICES The library now contains 36,000 volumes, including 400 journal sets. Many of the volumes (18,ooo) are duplicates or triplicates and are available to members for loan purposes for which no charge is made except that necessary ( 2 5 cents) t o cover cost of packing and insurance, the member paying transportation charges both ways. The range of service rendered by the library staff includes

Vol. 6 , No. 5

1913 March. . . . . . . . . . . . April.. . . . . . . . . . . . May.. . . . . . . . . . . . . June . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July.. . . . . . . . . . . . . August.. , , , , . , . , , . September.. . . . . . . . October... . . . . . . . . November., , , .. , . , December.. . . . . . . . 1914 January.. . . . . . . . . . February . . . . . . . . . . Total,.

.........

NO. 2 3 3 6 9

z

5

17 14 9 11 14

26,525 62,675

28 -

55 58

342,020

121

18

19 -

-

120

The translations average 2,826 words each and 26,300 words per month, or I O average translations per month. These services, i. e . , translations, clippings, searches and copies or photographs as well as the use of the library are available to the public and are not restricted to the membership of The Chemists’ Club. EMPLOYMENT BUREAU

This was begun in 1905. Its activities are reflected below; its use is open t o all, whether members of The Chemists’ Club or not: APPLICANTS c

Enrolled 1905,. . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 1906.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 1907. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 1 1908. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 582 1909.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 1910.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 1911 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1912 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 464 1913 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647 1914-January a n d February. . . . . . . . 112 Total.

ENTRANCE TO AUDITORIUM

not only copies or photographs of publications or of pages thereof and translations into English from other languages, but also the collection of the literature in not only the library of The Chemists’ Club but other libraries in New York City or elsewhere, if necessary; further, systematic recording of current literature in which members may be professionally and otherwise interested and for which they pay a nominal fee; searches USERSOF THE CHEMISTS’ CLUBLIBRARY 1911 , 1912 1913 124 148 January. . . . . . . . . . . 137 190 February... . . . . . . . . 127 196 March. . . . . . . . . . . . 129 224 April. . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 252 .. May. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 257 June. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 150 227 July. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 131 260 75 August. . . . . . . . . . . . 134 256 September. . . . . . . . . 98 261 125 October. . . . . . . . . . . 109 105 250 November. . . . . . . . . 106 100 330 December. . . . . . . . . 115 129 238 95 Average. . . . . . . . . . .

1914 346 348

...

... ...

...

... ...

...

... ,..

_ ., , . . , , . .

POSITIONS

Placed 21 20 86 39 72 92

Enrolled 28 51 108 64 120 217

Filled 21 20 86 39 72 92

120 119

216 294

120 119

66

15 -

...

...

15

-

-

2761

5 84

~

1164

...

584

A total of 584 positions was filled in 8 years (omitting 1911 for which figures are not available), or an average of 73 positions per year; the disparity between positions available and positions wanted, namely z to 5 , or in numbers 1597, clearly shows the desirability of encouraging employers of chemists and of chemical assistants to make more extended use of this branch of The Chemists’ Club. RESTAURANT

In January, 1912,The Chemists’ Club took over the management of the restaurant from the caterer, who had theretofore conducted it. The number of meals served for each month since is as follows: January. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . February. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . March. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . June.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . July. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . September. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . October. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . November. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . December. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1912 901 1,162 1,577 1,643 1,483 1,392 1,352 1,599 3,930 1,392 1,409 1,495

~

T o t a l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19,335 Monthly average., . , . , , . . 1,611

1913 1,482 1,522 2,051 1,924 1,631 1,488 1,540 1,320 1,328 1,503 1,462 1,600

_18,851 1,5il

1914 1,898 2,245

... ...

... ... ... ... ...

...

... ... 2 , 070

347

of literature, patent and otherwise, on intricate and complex chemical questions as well as statistical and similar searches and compilations are undertaken. The number of users of the library is increasing as shown in the preceding table.

Many times the patronage that has so far been bestowed upon the restaurant could be satisfactorily served, without in the slightest crowding or overworking the mechanical equipment of the restaurant (which is the smallest unit that could be installed).

LlaY, 1914

T H E JOURh’AL O F I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y SLEEPIiYG ROOMS

The information regarding these shows clearly how our nonresident membership is increasing its use of the quarters provided; the tenmcy of these 18 rooms is divided into resident members and non-resident members and guests; the number of times per month that the quarters were all taken, i. e., “sold out” and that members had to be sent to the “Annex” (The Murray Hill Hotel) for the night is shown in the following: Resident

January........ February. . . . . . . March. . . . . . . . . April. . . . . . . . . . May. .......... June. . . . . . . . . . . July. . . . . . . . . . . August. . . . . . . . . September.. . . . . October. . , , . , , , h-overnber. . . . . . December.. . . . . loid

January.. . . . . . . February . . . . . . .

9

13 14 15 17 21 21 21

;;18 15

22 1.5 14 16 li 14 17 19 I7 19 18 21 16 16

Sonresident

45 55 49 37 47 37 37 28 37 40 36 40

Guests

Total

53 41 47 48 47 47 46 32 45 49 45

12 10 9 11 2 8 8

60

9

66 78 i2 63 76 66 66 51 55 67 61 64

62 53

11 3 4 5

12 10 13 9 5

2

4 10

7 1.5 8

86 59 65 69 76 71 76 60 67 72 69 88

93 77

“SO!d

out

0 1 0 4 1 11 8

3 1

2 5 4 5 8

3

8

7

3 7 2 4

1

1 0

8 4

However, even with this encouraging showing, it is nevertheless true that The Chemists’ Club itself can provide hotel accommodations to very many more than are now making use of it. SOCIAL GATHERIiYGS From January 1 1 , 1912, to March I, 1914,1 1 1 private dinners or public banquets and all connected with meetings of a chemical nature were given in the quarters of The Chemists’ Club; these were attended by 6539 persons. RUMFORD HALL

This is an auditorium seating 300; is equipped with ample demonstration and experimental facilities. It is the regular meeting place of the New York Sections of The American Chemical Society, The Society of Chemical Industry and The American Electrochemical Society. A number of social, musical and literary organizations not connected with The Chemists’ Club also use Rumford Hall for their several functions. This showing demonstrates a healthy growth in the membership of and in the interest in The Chemists’ Club since it left its modest quarters a t Fifty-fifth Street, where it provided merely a meeting place for the New York Sections of The American Chemical Society, The Society of Chemical Industry, The American Electrochemical Society and The Verein Deutscher Chemiker; there i t had its own modest library, combined with the libraries of the American Chemical Society and the Society of Chemical Industry. The new quarters and the new facilities are due to the initiative, the foresight, the loyal enthusiasm and abiding faith in the ultimate outcome of an enlarged Chemists’ Club, on the part of its former president, the late Professor Morris Loeb. By founding The Chemists’ Building Company, whose sole aim and object was to finance, build and develop a structure suitable for what was then considered as the true and full purpose of The Chemists’ Club, the start was made toward an actual realization of what had long been in the mind’s eye of many of the thoughtful and far-seeing chemists of the country, as a true and real and serviceable Chemists’ Club. The Chemists’ Building, which is the home of The Chemists’ Club, is an eleven story fire-proof structure, centrally located in New York City and having a 56-foot frontage. The structure put up and the facilities provided are on the smallest scale that could reasonably be regarded as being efficient. Nevertheless, the total investment of The Chemists’ Building Company in the building occupied to the extent of 50 per cent of its avail-

41 1

able renting space by The Chemists’ Club is appraised a t $440,Practically all the stock of The Chemists’ Building Company is sold, and fully paid up, and is held wholly by members of the chemical profession and business. The capital stock was taken by 1 7 1 subscribers; 139 subscribers domiciled in the resident membership area took seven-eighths of the capital stock and 32 subscribers domiciled in the non-resident membership took the remaining one-eighth. Some of the stockholders, following the example of the late Professor Loeb, have cancelled their stock, or transferred it to The Chemists’ Club. The issued stock calls for a cumulative 3 per cent dividend; no dividend has yet been paid nor are the stockholders insisting upon such payment. This magnanimous and generous action on the part of the stockholders is bringing nearer and nearer the day of a complete realization of what was planned by the Founders of The Chemists’ Building Company and it is confidently expected that these dividend obligations, for which The Chemists’ Club is in the final analysis wholly responsible, will be ultimately fully discharged. The Club itself represents an investment over $60,000 in library and equipment, thus bringing the total financial investment in this enterprise up to more than $5oo,ooo. However gratifying the growth shown in the foregoing may be to those who have given the best of their efforts, time and thought to the realization of The Chemists’ Club, yet it is perfectly clear that the members of the chemical profession generally have not made a contribution toward the continuance and maintenance of The Chemists’ Club commensurate with the benefits derived or to be derived from it, nor can it be truthfully said to be even proportional to the effort and energy contributed towards it by the Founders of The Chemists’ Building Company.

ooo for taxation purposes.

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY NASHVILLE,TENWESSEE

CHEMICAL ABSTRACTING B y J O H N J. MILLZR Received M a r c h 19, 1914

At various times and places during the last few years the question of international cooperation in chemical abstracting has been promulgated and has brought forth some comment. So far as we know, however, no comprehensive data concerning this subject have been gathered other than those recently published in Science Gazeto, the official organ of the International Esperanto Scientific Association. The appearance therein of an article giving the membership of the German, French, London and American societies, the costs of the abstract journals per member, pages of abstracts, etc., prompted an investigation of the figures given and finally the writing of this article. Table I gives the data (for 1911)printed in the above mentioned periodical and Table I1 the results of our calculations: TABLE I

Chemical Abstracts.. J. C h e m . SOC. . . . . . . Chem.Zentr. Bull. SOC. chim.Fr..

5,603 $31,557.00 $5.65

4,741 20,916 0 . 1 7 1,542 5,179

3,132 13,031.00 4.15 2,586 5,1590.41 3,352 14,706.00 4.40 4,422 9,231 0.39 1,024

7,159.50 7.00 2,291 4,073 0.43 ~

T o t a l . . . . . 13,111

66,453.50

__

~

14,040 39.379

169 161 17 1,097

--_

__

l,i28 6,437

The great discrepancies are due to various errors in Table I. For example, for the Journal of the Chemical Society no editorial expense seems to have been considered. For Chemisches Zentralblatt the total membership of the German Society is