CRUFT ADDITION WILL BE READY IN FEBRUARY

Harvard's new Research Laboratory of Physics, now under construction, which is to connect the present Jefferson and Cruft Physical Laboratories, should be completed by the middle of February, according to Doctor F. H. Crawford, instructor and tutor in the division of Physical Sciences.

The Research Laboratory will be approximately two-thirds the size of the Jefferson Laboratory and will be devoted entirely to research. In conjunction with its erection, the interior of Jefferson Laboratory will be completely remodelled affording much greater laboratory space for students than is now available. The new building has been made possible by an endowment fund raised during the last two years by alumni and many others interested in the physical sciences.

Basement Rooms

In the basement of the new laboratory, will be rooms for high-pressure experimentation, for x-ray apparatus, and for research in high frequency and vacuum tubes. Beneath this will be a sub-basement where there will be a special x-ray work-room sheathed in lead to prevent the filteration of the rays into photographic appliances or other aparatus that they would harmfully affect. The basment is to be equipped with double walls which will prevent outside disturbances from affecting the extremely delicate measurements essential to research. Rooms will be sound proof and of constant temperature. A huge, 100,000 volt storage battery, one of the largest of its kind in the world, will also be situated underground.

Offices on Second Floor

The second floor will be devoted to offices, conference rooms and a section for high frequency and radio research work. The latter will be located near the Cruft Laboratory end. According to the contractor's specifications, the new building will have a volume of about 500,000 cubic feet and the walls of the library, lecture room, and corridors will be coated, with a special sound-absorbing, plaster, invented by Professor Sabine.

All motors will be mounted so as to counteract vibration. Another precaution against unnecessary noise is that special blocks of wood will be set in the wall to facilitate the attachment of machines at any time. There will be special electrical connections between all the rooms so that any voltage may be obtained throughout the building. All machines in the laboratory will have their own motors obviating the necessity of setting in motion a large system of generators and pulleys.

The third floor will house a physics library done in oak panelling which will be adjacent to a large conference room. The top floor will be given over to offices, small research rooms and a department devoted to computing equipment.