The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-12-31
DECEMBER 81, 1872.
LOCAL MATTEnS.
Deats, OF Major Edward 1.orrnin

Death Of Major Edward Lorraine.
| The city of Richmond, the State, and the
nation have suffered loss in the death of
this estimable and distinguished gentleman,
| who departed this life after brief illness at
| his residence, In this city, on Sunday night.
M,jor Lorraine WIS for many years the
chief engineer Of the James River and Ia
nawha Canal Company, and more recently
the engineer employed by the United States
! in the location Of the enlarged canal. He
| was horn in the city of New Orleans July
26, 1918. At an early age he removed 10
Richmond, and attended the best classical
schools until his preparation for college was
| complete. He availed himself of the first
opportunity presented in this State for the
acquisition of an education as a civil engi-
| necr. TO this profession he had determined
| TO devote his life. The school of civil engi-
| neering ut the College of William and Mary
was established during the session of 1886
| '37, and Mr.. Lorraine entered as q student
| in the departments Of Mathematics, Natural
| Philosophy, and Civil Engineering. Imme-
diately after his graduation, in 1887. he &C.
| cepted the position rs a rodnan in the corps
OF engineers engaged in the construction OF
| the James River and kanawha canal.
Soon after he thus became connected with
the company the following order was
| adopted by the Board Of Directors: "The
Chief Engineer having advised the Board that
Edward Lorraine and Andrew j. Minor had
| deported themselves well, and may safely be
| promoted: Resoloed. That those gentlemen
| be promoted to the rank of first rodmen, to
take elect from the 1st of July, 1887" AT
a meeting of the Board on the 10Th of De
cembcr, 1850, the following order was
adopted: "Thc Chief Engineer and Mr.. Gill
principal assistant engineer, having recon-
mended that the pay of Edward Lorraine
and James N. Harris, first rodmcn, be in
creased on the ground Of great length o
service and faithful performance of duties
Resolved, That the pay of said Lorraine anC
Harris be augmented from 3I.50 to 50 PEI
day."
! MIR. Lorraine was soon afterwards promo
| ted 10 the position of assistant engineer
and continued faithfully to discharge his du
ties until his resignation. as appears from
the record OF the proceedings of the Board
of Directors on the 18th April. 1910:
| ga letter under date of 10Th March, from
Edward Lorraine, assistant engineer, to the
| President, Joseph &. Cabci, was laid before
the Board, conveying to the Board a message
from said Lorraine that he had made up hi.
mind to resign his appointment in the corps
OF engineers sooner than submit to the regll.
lation requiring daily visits from the assist
ant engineers to the works in progress above
the town OF Lynchburg, but that he waF
disposed, in order not to subject the compa.
| ny TO inconvenience, TO continue his services
till the end Of the month";"
| Id this transaction the firmnesS, fidelity
and Integrity OF the man were strikingly dis.
| played, as they have ever been in every rela
tion in life. The correspondence in this case
shows that he acted strictly from sense Of
professional duty.
After his resignation Mr.. Lorraine studied
medicine and removed to the city of Peters.
| burg. For while he engaged in mercan.
tile life, until he was appointed postmaster
Of that city.
| On the oth Of May, 1S47, Mr.. Lorraine was
appointed the Inspector at the gauge.dock in
the city Of Richmond, and continued in this
office until the 2lst of January, 1918, when
he was again restored to his position us III
assistant engineer.
On the 9Th OF january, 1861, the line
Of the company's improvement, extend
ing from the city OF Richmond to tho
town of Buchanan, was divided. and Mr
| Lorraine was appointed the engineer o
the western division. The resignation o.
Mr.. Walton, the engineer Of the east
ern division, having been accepted by tlt
Board, Mr.. Lorraine WAS on the 4th OF De
cemOer, 1851, appointed the chief engineer
of the company. This position was held by
him until the I'D OF October. 1869, when ht
was appointed engineer and superintendent
of the canal. These positions were held by
him until his death.
| Under the act of Congress Of July II, 1870
authorizing the survey Of the james River
and kanawha canal, Il report was made by
Colonel Craighiil, in which he referred tt
| the "Pamphlet on the Central Water-Linc,'
containing the Interesting and instructive
paper OF Mr. Lorraine, the chief engineer o.
the James River and kanaWha Company
and published tie same with his report tc
the War Department.
Under the appropriation made by Con
| greSs at its session in 1SI1-'i2 Mr.. Lorraine
was employed as the engineer in charge of {;
corps engaged in the location OF the line o.
the enlarged canal, and his report would
have been submitted to the War Department
in few months. \ preliminary report WIS
prepared, and would have been forwarded
to Colonel Craighill ere this but for the sud
den death OF Mr.. Lorraine.
His reputation asa hydraulic engineer wa:
OF high order, and no one occupied higher
position III the profession as Il practical anC
scientific engineer, or commanded a moro
universal reputation us man Of the strictest
integrity,