CAPTAIN WILLIAM HENRY JAQUES 
LIFE MEMBER 
William Henry Jaques was born in Philadelphia, Pa., December 24, 1848, 
and died November 22, 1916. 
His education was received in the schools of New Jersey, and in Sep- 
tember, 1863, he entered the United States Naval Academy as midshipman. 
Being graduated with honor in June, 1867, he went immediately into active 
service; was promoted to ensign on December 18, 1868, master on March 21, 
1870, and lieutenant, March 21, 1871. 
During his active service in the navy, Captain Jaques served on board 
the Constitution, Marblehead, Minnesota, Canandaigua, St. Louis, Quinne- 
baug, and the monitors Saugus and Manhattan, and at various times per- 
formed duties as aide to the President, Secretary of the Navy and Com- 
mandant of the New York Navy Yard. 
He also had charge of various important scientific works :—1870-1874, 
assistant in the United States Coast Survey, in charge of triangulation, 
surveys, chart-making, deep-sea research and astronomical work; 1874-1878, 
assisted the New York Board of Education in technical education; in 1881- 
1882 was assistant inspector of ordnance; in 1883-1885 member and secretary 
of the United States Gun Foundry Board and member of the Board for the 
Improvement of the Washington Branch of the Potomac River; in 1886-1887 
secretary to the Senate Committee on Ordnance and Warships. 
Captain Jaques introduced into the United States the system of fluid 
compression and hydraulic forging of heavy masses of steel and was the 
inventor of many improvements in the manufacture of heavy ordnance and 
armor, notably the double-forging process of armor adopted by the United 
States, and was the leading exponent of the employment of nickel in steel. 
He was for some time associated with Capt. John Ericsson in the development 
of submarine artillery. 
Captain Jaques resigned his commission in the navy, November, 1887, 
and accepted a position with the Bethlehem Iron Company (now the Bethlehem 
Steel Company) to superintend the design, construction and adaptation of 
machinery for the establishment there of ordnance and armor-plate works; 
and introduced there powerful hydraulic presses for the fluid compression 
and forging of large masses of steel. He continued as ordnance engineer 
of the Bethlehem Company until June 1, 1894, when, having successfully 
accomplished all the obligations involved in the enterprise he advised them 
to undertake and in the new industries developed thereby, he retired. 
He then became associated with the eminent engineer and naval architect, 
