Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1916 [PAGE 879]

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1916]

PROCEEDINGS OE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

870

Adam Prehler, premiums on fire insurance policies— 713 South Wood, $1,500 to March 25, 1918, Royal Insurance Company, No. 85124 $27 00 717 South Wood, $1,500 to March 25, 1918, Royal Insurance Company, No. 85125 33 75 719 South Wood, $1,500 to March 25, 1918, Royal Insurance Company, No. 85126 27 00 Total premium for term $87 75 Premium unexpired (2 years, 2 months, 25 days) Chicago Title & Trust Company, guarantee policy No. 348470 (including other property) Balance (credit) $39 25 49 15 69 26 $10,407 66

$10,407 66

On motion of Mr. Carr, the Comptroller was authorized and instructed to pay to McKey & Poague the balance of $121.99 still due.

ENGINE PRESENTED TO MUSEUM.

(8) A letter from Mr. Samuel Insull, President of the Commonwealth Edison Company, to Dean W. P . M. Goss, announcing the presentation to the University by the Commonwealth Edison Company of a 600-horsepower vertical triple-expansion engine:

CHICAGO, I I I . , December 20, 1915.

Dean W. F. M. Goss, Dean of the College of Engineering, Ujrbana, III. MY DEAR DEAN Goss: Learning of your purpose to establish a t the University an Engineering Museum in which shall be preserved significant exhibits of machinery which in its day was typical of the highest development in its branch of the mechanical arts, and of your desire in furtherance of this purpose, to secure one of the old engine units from the Harrison Street Station of the Commonwealth Edison Company, I take pleasure in presenting to the University of Illinois, on behalf of this company, for this Museum, a vertical triple-expansion, engine, with its direct-connected generators and their equipment of transformers, regulators, etc. This engine, which was one of ten similar units, has a normal rating of 600 horsepower and was built in the year 1893 by the Southwark Foundry and Machine Company, of Philadelphia, Pa. It was erected during the winter of 1893-4 in the above-mentioned power hQuse of the then Chicago Edison Company. Direct-connected to the engine, one on each side, were two 200-kilowatt, 150volt direct-current generators, built by the general Electric Company. The Chicago Edison Company later replaced these generators with the present double-current machines, which were among the first of this type of generators built. The unit was put into service on August 1, 1894. The large size and efficiency of its generating units (as these units were at that time regarded) made the Harrison Street Station quite celebrated for its modern equipment and great aggregation of power; but so rapid has been the increase in the size and efficiency of steam prime movers, accentuated in recent years by the advent of, the steam turbine, that within ten years from the time these engines were put 'into service they passed out of use, because they were considered small, inefficient, and inadequate. This equipment, of which a complete list accompanies jthis letter, will, a t your request, be dismantled, crated, loaded free on board cars and shipped to you at Urbana, where it may, I hope, be of historical value in your Museum. Yours truly,

SAMUEL INSULL, President.

On motion of Mr. Carr, this gift was accepted and the thanks of the board were extended to Mr. Insull and the Commonwealth Edison Company.

CHANGES IN D E N T A L BUILDING.

(9) A request for a further assignment of $1,500 from the appropriation for the College of Medicine and Dentistry to make certain changes and improvements in the dental building.

On motion of Mr. Carr, this appropriation was made.

P A T E N T S ON DISCOVERIES.

(10) A letter from Mr. C. "W. Miles, of Cincinnati, Ohio, concerning the wisdom of taking out patents on discoveries made in University laboratories: .,

CINCINNATI, OHIO, December 31, 1915.

Hon. E. J. James, President, University of Illinois, Urbana, III. DEAR S I R : My attention was called recently by a newspaper item to recent development in iron alloys having improved magnetic properties by your Engineering Experiment Station, which subject is of interest to me. The article referred to further stated that no patents would be taken, but that the discovery would be given to the public, which is a law point that has interested me for some time past. I have no personal interest as to whether this invention is patented or not, but my past experience and knowledge of manufacturing and commercial methods convinces me that you can not thus effectively donate discoveries to the public, that the real inventor of merit is in fact stepping aside to make room for a less worthy individual.