The New York herald., 1869-07-23

j Ohm A. EnphIsnr

ys,,n A. Roeby;ng.
This gentleman one OF the most distinguished
civil engineers ia the United States died ut his resi-
dence. IN Brooklyn. at an early hour yesterday OF
retans, the result OF accident which occurred at
the Brooklyn ferry on the 2o;h ult. He had been
standing a beam. next to the standing piles which
form the entrance to the ferry house, surveying for
tho New York and Brooklyn bridge, when the boat
coming in forced the piles against the beam, acct
dentaiy catching one OF his feet between tina two.
crushing the toes frightfnIy. He was soon after
conveyed to surgeons Office, where, after an sx-
animation, 1t was decided that the mutiIated men,
bers would have to be amputated. This was done.
after which Mr.. ROebing was taken TO his residence.
Unfortunately for himself he had great faith In the
cold water cure aud instead OF seeking the advice OF
physician. az his friends recommended him. ne In
sisted upon treating the injury according TO his
ideas. The result was that gangrene act in, followed
almost Immediately after by symptoms OF tetanus.
Wien physician was called In II too late. His
recovery had become impossible and. as We have
stated above, ho died yesterday morning. In the
sixty.thrd year OF his age.
HIS BtgrHPLACE, EDUCATION AND EARLY PROBES.
sIONAL CAREER.
Mr.. Roebling was Prussan by birth, but had re-
sided In this republic for nearly forty years. He
was born in the town OF MuIhausen, In Thuringia,
Prussia, on the 12tn OF June, 1905. and received
ine education at the Royal Polytechnic School of
Berlin, from whence he graduated. taking the de-
were spent IN the service OF the government, mainly
at Westphalla, whore he superintended the public
experience iu hts profession and giving numerous
evidences Of the great engineering sk he possessed
States settling in western Pennsylvania, where he
purchased a large tract OF land. This section OF
ws men Ros%ng yr pass s and
seeing but few persons OF cultivation whose society
we're congenial to him. or course such life had
no charms for the deceased, and he abandoned at
the earliest opportunity TO resume the profession Of
engineering. His first professional work In the
United states upon the slack water navigation OF
the Beaver river. one Of the OHIO river tributaries
lie was afterwards employed on the SANDY and Bea-
yer Canal which was never completed aud later
the Upper Allegheny river. This his last connec-
ton with canal engineering. Some time alter he
entered into an engagement with the state OF Penn
OF railways across the Allegheny Mountains. This
! work employed him FOR three years. and was most
satisfactorily performed, although the roads were
| finally constructed by private company.
Mr.. Roebling now engaged in the manufacture OF
wire ropes then IN 1t8 infancy in this country, but
| now most Important branch OF business. The use
OF these ropes IN transporting tho canal boats Of he
Pennsylvania State Canal across tue Alleghany
Mountains and the experience gained by him ss to
the capacity OF wire to sustain great pressure lrst
am 81 sne e de o s a @
| tertained. AS matter of course great opposition
was encountered. There never was great enter-
| PRISE which 10 Its incipency did not meet With
ridicule and prophecies Oi failure until complete
success put end to all doubts and positive asser
of ali men OF genius lie was told that his idea
Not only impracticable, but it was utterly impossible
Of realization. he, however persey cred needless OF
adverse CRITICISM to finally WIN, and by winning,
" achieve lasting reputation.
In 1sas Mr.. Mr.. Roebng Obtained the opportunity he
had long sought for. During that year the wooden
aqueduct OF the PENNSYLVANIA State Canal across
the Aueghany required rebuilding rather 1t
was found necessary to replace II with new strnc-
ture ON the Old piera, winch were quite sound and
l Mr O1 f,, int.azf hid lar
for the contract, which he obtained to do the work
| within U specified time. Even aieer the aanelnct
| completed, cOnprisig seven spans OF 10. feet
each, aud consisting OF wooden tanks to receive the
| water, the whole supported by u continuous wire
Gable, tho opponents Of thig new method OF con.
sLrcting aqueducts declared that the sIrQctnre was
NOT safe. IL would give way, they said, before Che
Tremendous pressure OF water TO be tuinei upon It,
These predictions were never fulfilled and the com.
| piete success which attended the work placed the
engineer OF the head OF MS profession. lie subss-
aasny constructed % on The s same anne Hsn the LacGa
| ducts, on the Delaware ana Hudson Canals, all Of
which are permanent structures of great value.
But the great work with which Mr. Rocbiing's
name is associated, and which must cause hiIn
to be remembered as one OF the greatest of Ameri-
can engineers was the construction OF The suspcn-
SION bridge across the Niagara river, connecting
! Canada with She United States by rail- Efforts had
been made TO buid this bridge and III iact there had
| been temporary bridge erected for the use OF
travellers and light vehicles. In addition, Ir. ENet,
the engineer, had been employed by the New York
| Central Railroad and The Great western halfway
Company 0i Candia, To construct Suspension
bridge, but some 81 time passed without ANYTHING
subject Ol this sketch was then engaged to col-
srnct the bridge. How Wen and how permanently
| 1t WAS done we need not state here. For the frst
une in the history OF civil engineering 500 feet
Of water were covered BY single span, and bridge
calculated to sustain almost any weight that could
| be placed upon 1t constructed and supported 10y
| four wire cables Of ten inches In diameter
ton of much greater work, Il being the construc
| ton OF suspension bridge across the Kentucky
river, the line Of the Cincinnati and Chattanooga
~ A
great work was never completed Tor want oil funds.
Two other suspension bridges. one at Cincinnstl and
| time Of his death ne was engaged upon what would
probably have proved the main work Of his llfe--
q clear span OF 500 feet IL is O satisfaction 70
know however, that all his plans h1r ana etstss , S
constructed according to them.
CONCLUSION
Some years AGO Mr.. KoebliDg left the West and
moved TO Trenton, n. j.. where he established ids
works. He also took up his regular residence there,
and was living III Brooklyn only temporarily. Ills
body VIII be conveyed to Trenton for interInent
The death Of Mr.. Roebing must he regarded
public calamity; for although the work ON which he
was engaged will undoubtedly be carried out 20
successful termination according to his plans. era
were others recurring great engneering skill TO
incaculable benefit. Personally too, Mr. Roebling
was much esteemed ana his numerous friends WIN
hear OF his death with deep regret
Sidney Smith SEQ.
telegram from Alexandria, Va, reports the
death a! his residence in Stafford county OF sidney
Smith Lee, brother Of General Robert f. Lee, and
formerly an officer Of the Union and later Of the
Confederate navy. lie was born in Virginia about
the year 1900 and entered the navy in 1920 At the
outbreak OF the rebellion he held the rank OF senior
leutenant but ne threw up his commission ana
entered tho Confederate service as commodore.
During the he did very little or note, perhaps
because he never had opportunity. Commodore
Lee and General Samuel Cooper married SISTERS, oil
the name of Mason, descendants OF General Mason,
or Gunstown Hall. After tile war he took up his
residence on the Potomac. in Maryland, but subse
uuentiy returned 10 virginia, where he died.