122 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[April, 



AMERICA. 



INTERN'AI. IMPROVEMENTS AND PBOSPECTS OF THE PROFESSION. 



[Tlie following article lias liccn forwardcJ to us by our highly valued cor 

 respondent at New York, it was written for the Anieriean Railroad Journal, 

 and is well deserving the perusal of the Engineers and Gfivei-nm^nt of this 

 country, many of the remarks are ecjually as applicable to the latter as they 

 are to the American Government.] 



The attempt to form an Institution of Civil Engineers, has, we arc sorry 

 to say, failed. W'c are not, however, without hopes that another effort, more 

 successful, will soon be made. We have beard a variety of opinions on this 

 important project, and, earnestly as we desire its success, we must admit 

 that there are difficulties in the way, which it is much easier to ])oint out 

 than to overcome. In the first place, it seems impossible to fix on any place 

 where the leading members of the profession could meet even once a year, 

 far less evei-y week, as in London. The public works of the United States 

 are scattered over such an immense extent of country, that there is probably 

 no point where even half a dozen engineers, in charge of as many works, 

 could meet even monthly. If we are right in this view, it is evident that the 

 plan which succeeds so well in England, or rather in London, is not adapted 

 without modification to this country. Then, again, the distinction between 

 Members and Associates woidd lead to endless contention, though all will 

 admit that some such division is both necessary and i)roper; but where to 

 draw the line is the grand question. They who have held the rod, have 

 carried the compass and level, liave surveyed hundreds of miles for railroads 

 and canals, and superintended the constniction of not a few", are not pleased 

 with the idea of being ranked with those who, having failed as la«7ers, 

 doctors, store-keepers, or otliee-bunters, "turn their attention," as the phrase 

 is, to civil engineering, and who, in only too many instances, have at once 

 received appointments to which they should have looked after five or six 

 years ai-duons scmce in the field in the various grades of the profession. 

 More than one of our readers could, without much difficulty, point out men 

 in the situation of Residents, or even higher, wlio would he puzzled, if directed 

 to take the goniometer into their own bands, and run out a curve of a given 

 railius, to join two tangents given in position, while the same feat constitutes 

 one of the veiT easiest duties of tlieir assistants— the unpresuming title of 

 those who do almost everything. There is a veiy large class of assistants in 

 the United States who, from want of education, or subsequent .wersion to 

 study, or both, are unable to reach the highest stations of the profession, to 

 which their long experience and ])ractical skill fully entitle them. It is only 

 when acting under men who combine liberal and scientific attainments with 

 the proper experience, that this large class of eminently useful engineers can 

 ever attain their deserts, and it does appear reasonable to suppose, that they 

 woidd derive great advantages from a well-constituted institution, where 

 their industry, skill, and perseverance would be honouraldy registered by 

 those who are alone capable of appreciating them. On the other hand, 

 young men of superior talent or acquirements, have only to offer original 

 communications to the Institution to be immediately known, and to be at 

 once installed into the very position to which they are by their merits en- 

 titled, being neither ruined by injudicious flattery nor chilled by neglect. 

 How dift'erent are the means by which a young engineer now seeks to rise in 

 his profession, on the Government works, in which are inchided nearly all 

 the works of this country. His political creed, and the number of votes he 

 and his friends can command, would far outweigh tlie professional claims of 

 a rival who might unite in himself the genius of all the engineers of tlie age ; 

 and this is the grand obstacle to the advancement of the profession in the 

 United States. 



We will briefly allude to the manner in which many works are " got Tip," 

 more especially in the Western States. A "celebrated engineer" is eni|)loyed 

 to survey a railroad from 100 to .500 miles long ; he makes a " higldy fa- 

 vorable report" to the Legislature, on the strength of which they "authorise 

 a loan," and " locate the line," though it is known to every well-informed 

 man in the State, that the work cannot be put into operation for less than 

 three or four times the original estimate, and when it is capable of demon- 

 stration, that the country cannot possibly furnish business enough to keep 

 the work in repair and pay interest on the loans, far less pay anything 

 towards diminishing the debt, until the population has increased at least ten 

 fold — say in from .50 to 100 years. Now it is obvious, that sneli men as 

 Walker, Brunei, Stephenson, and a host of others in England, and we are 

 proud to say, not a few in this country, whom we do not feel ourselves at 

 liberty to name, are found utterly impracticable in such cases, and tliey arc 

 consequently avoided with as much care by the projectors of works to be 

 built on the credit of the government, as they arc zealously souglit for by 

 those who project works to be executed by the cxiicnditurc of their own 

 actual capital. The evil of emploving men incomjietent from want of edu- 

 cation, practice and character eventually recoils on the State ; hence the fi- 

 nancial difficulties of all the States who have largely embarked in the con- 

 stniction of public works. 



The Stale of New York furnishes some very instructive examples. By 

 dint of much management a law was passed some years since, that, if a cer- 

 tain canal could be made for a million of dollars, it should be forthwith un- 

 dertaken by flic State. An engineer was immediately employed to survey 

 the route, and he reported, that the work could be constructed for nine hun- 

 dred and ninety odd thousand dollars, though this was only at the rate of 



one half tlio actual cost of a similar canal, presenting fewer engineering diffi- 

 culties, wliicli had just been completed. The insufficiency of the estimate 

 must have been as well known then as now, still, the law had ]>assed, and 

 the engineer had reported " favorably," so the mUlion was spent, and a mil- 

 lion an<l a half more was then required to complete the canal in the cheapest 

 manner. Three years after handing in an estimate for the enlargement of 

 the Erie canal, the following reasons arc given for requiring 100 per cent, 

 additional. " A uniform plan " was not "adopted in the estimates," " and 

 not much reflection had probably been bestowed on the particular manner in 

 which the work should be done." It is also very properly observed, that 

 frost is a very destructive agent in Northern climates, that a large canal re- 

 quires stronger banks tlian a small one, and that work done in the winter 

 costs more than in summer — all which would have readily suggested itself to 

 individuals about spending their omi money, even had it escaped the pene- 

 tration of their engineers for two or three years. 



Again, the Croton Water-works, nominally city works, though such no 

 further than that the cily pays for thcui, wdl contribute their mite towards 

 developing the wonderful facility with which govermnent engineers adapt 

 professional opinions to the wishes of government commissioners. We must 

 premise that the water commissioners bad, till last year, delayed fixing on 

 the iilan for crossing the Harlem river, the most difficult anrl important work 

 on tlie whole line. The plan then brouglit forwanl was opposi-d by certain 

 proprietors of lands on the river, and the legislature decidcil unanimously 

 against the commissioners, though the party to whom they owed tiieir ex- 

 istence had a large majority in one branch — a case nearly imiiaralleled in 

 New York legislation. The use of iron pipes for crossing, by means of an 

 inverted syphon, the commissioners' plan, was unnecessary, with the high 

 bridge prescribed by the Legislature, but, as the former are as averse to being 

 interfered with as they are prone to interfere with others, Ibey have an- 

 nounced their intention of comjilying with the law no further tlian absolutely 

 necessary, that is, they will keep the aqueduct 12 ft. below grade and use 

 the ])ipes. We quote their own words : 



" The bill as revised, * * * is in substance as follows : — the aque- 

 duct to he constructed over the Harlem river, with arches and piers, the 

 arches in the channel of said river to be at least 80 feet s|>an, and not less 

 than 100 feet from high water mark to the under side of the arches at the 

 crown. 



" The original design of a high bridge, as designated in our report of .Ian- 

 uary, 1838, required arches of 112 feet in the clear above high water mark, 

 which is 12 feet more than that required by the Act of May, 18.19. A bridge, 

 therefore, of 100 feet height of arches above tide, will have to be passed by 

 iron pipes or syphons, to accommodate the ascent and descent of the 12 feet 

 from grade. This bridge will he more economical in its construction, and 

 not subject to so many contingencies, from its less elevation, as the plan 

 originally proposed. The parapets will only be 114 feet in height, wiiicii is 

 17 feet lower than the (ilan of 1838 j and as the arches are thus reduced in 

 height, stone of a diminished tliickness may be used. It is jiroposed to carry 

 the water over the river, at the commencement of supply, by two three-feet 

 pil)cs, adopting the work, however, to carry two pipes of foui feet diameter, 

 when the city shall recpiire it. The same arrangement for pipe vhambers, 

 find vmsfe cocks, vill be rerpiired in this structure, as was required for the 

 syphon bridge formerly proposed. 



The engineer echoes, " In relation to the bridge, the law prescribes that 

 the arches in the channel sliall be 100 feet at the under side of the crown, 

 above common high water mark of the river, and not less than 80 feet span, 

 conforming in these resjiccts, we are at liberty to make the plans in aU others, 

 without restriction from the law. 



The arches of the briilge originally designed to maintain the grade of the 

 aqueduct, were elevated 112 feet above the high water mark of the river, 

 which is 12 feet higher than the Act rei/uires. It is obvious, therefore, that 

 100 feet will not be sidficicnt to maintain an aqueduct of masonry, but will 

 reijuire iron pipes as conduits for the water. This I do not consider an ob- 

 jection, as 1 am fully satisfied iron pipes will make the most suitable conduit 

 for the water on such a bridge, and therefore have had a plan jirepared, with 

 a \iew to comply with the law, and avail of the economy and greater per- 

 manence from a less elevated structure. The less height required for the 

 arclics, ami by adopting iron pipes for the conduit, the top of the parapets 

 will bo 111 feet above high water mark, which is 17 feet lower than the 

 original jilan. The superstructure being lighter than necessary for an aque- 

 duct of masonry, a diminished thickness of arch stone may with equal safety 

 be adopted." 



We should be pleased to know what diminution in the depth of the arch- 

 stones this change of plan would justify, as well as the saving in cost, which 

 latter, we strongly siisjiect, it would be dillicnlt to express in the constitu- 

 tional currency of the United States, without an extension of decimals several 

 places to the right of " mills." 



The following extracts, though trifling in themselves, go far to show the 

 estimation in which the profession is held by government commissioners. 



" Notwithstanding the oversight of the inspectors and engineers, the work 

 will, in a few cases, be carelessly performed ; and it is only by the correcting 

 influence of these repeated tours of iMspcclion, made by the commissioners 

 and principal engineers, that we can be certain the work is performed in a 

 manner which will ensure its stabihty and imperviousncss." 

 If the citizens of New York haye no better guarantee than this, that the 



