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103

how, and a good mechanic often drives a Cadillac to work (the truth -- I have seen machinists driving Cadillacs to the shop.)"

[[underline]] To Willie, November 1925: [[/underline]] Did you know that the famous "Coolidge Tube" was invented by Dr. Coolidge of the Research Laboratories? He is the great authority on x-ray apparatus, I guess. I see him often around the plant. Note: Dr. Coolidge is still living and I think will be 100 next year. FHC 1/16/73.

[[underline]] To Mother, November 19, 1925: [[/underline]] It is approaching five o'clock now but I still have time to tell you a little about the famous "61." Imagine a huge building open to the roof, just one tremendous open room 1000 feet long,, 100 feet high, 60 or 80 feet wide, filled with the most confused and complex machinery, piping, huge valves, runways, turbines, generators, all kinds of apparatus, and filled also with a steady, unvarying, ceaseless roar, so terrific that it is impossible to make one's self understood by another less than two feet away except by shouting at the top of one's lungs, imagine this if you can, and you have a fair conception of what "61" is like. But the noise, although deafening in reality, is as little noticed by one who is used to that sort of thing as if it weren't there at all. It is just a natural addition to the atmosphere of the place. It is steady, never varies in the slightest, so it goes unnoticed. We are running tests on a turbine nozzle mounted inside a soecial machine for the purpose. It is a very complex apparatus. I don't understand half of it yet. Last night I had one of the most famous jobs on test, 'holding P-One." "Holding P-One" means holding the initial steam pressure to the machine constant by means of a small bypass valve. You sit there with a mercury column in front of you and a wheel controlling the small valve, in your hand. Your job is to keep that column of mercury at a certain height by manipulating the valve. There are many jobs, eight of them on this particular test, and we swap around each night. Tonight I'll probably hold "superheat" constant. They have an electric superheater to heat the steam above the temperature it has when it comes from the boiler. You are kept in touch with the steam temperature by an electric pyrometer, or two thermo-couples located in the nozzle lead inside the machine. Incidentally, I always liked the sound of "thermo-couple." There are eight of us fellows on nights in 61 besides the three fellows in charge of the test. As usual, the men are from everywhere. There is one Sato from Japan, and Bolton from Richmond, Va., who is killing. There are a couple of other Southerners and the other night, we had a man from somewhere in South America. I will have to stop now but will continue this description of 61 on Saturday when I have more time. There is much to tell, as you can imagine. My cold is nearly gone now, just a sniff occasionally. I walk to and from work. I'd like to read that book but all I can find time to read now is a mercury column and a thermometer.