Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-12

same system throughout the entire length
practibility along two reaches of twenty
declined to continue further appropria-
tions, and the attempt was abandoned
His last great enterprise was the build
lne OF a ship railway across the isthmus of
Iehuantepec. This stupendous work was
estimated to cost $4,000, 900, and for
several years he tried to pursuade the Natl
onal authorities to but failing IN this he
set to work to build it by private means.
| A bill TO incorporate company for that
that purpose was passed by the United
States senate during It's session of 1857,
but failed in the house. Mr.. Eads' death al
at New Providence, on the Bahama
Island, during March, 1887, put an end to
anv further action in the matter.
| The degree of l.. L. d. was conferred
upon him by the State University of Mis-
souri, in 1872, and in 1884 he received the
Albert Medal from the British Society of
Arts. He was twice president of the st.
Louis Academy of Science, fellow of the
| American association for the Advance
ment Of Science, member of the Ameri-
can Society of Civil Engineers and a
member of the National Academy of Sci
ences from 1872.
| We have in the preceding sketch
given something of the history of man
who gained for himself reputation as
great engineer, but who lacked the advan-
! tage of education.
| In the case of William Augustus Norton
who was born in East Bloomfield n. Y,
| in October, 1910, the case was entirely
| different. His youth was spent in that
part of western New York which was not
ed as center of literary culture, and he
was educated at the United States Mill
| tary academy, where he graduated with
honors in 1881. Among his classmates
were General A. A. Humphreys, Colonel
| Henry Clay. Jr., and Professor Roswell
| Park.
He was assigned to the fourth artillery
but he was ordered to duty at West Point
as assistant professor of natural and ex-
perimental philosophy. With the excep-
| tion of few months service in the Black
Hawk expedition of 1882 the only military
duties were those Of an instructor, and
after two years he resigned from the
army.
He had attained distinguished reputa-
| ton as teacher, and his recognition from
the army was in consequence of his ac-
ceptance of the professorship of natural
philosophy and astronomy at the univers-
ity of the City of York, where he remain
ed for six years, and then passed to a
similar chair in Delaware college, Newark,
Del, of which institution he accepted the
presidency in l649.
i year later he was called to Brown uni
versity, where he accepted the chair of
natural philosophy and civil engineering
but, after two years service there, he be-
came professor of civil engineering at the
Sheffield scientific school of Yale, where he
remained until death in September, 1888.
His work was chiefly that of teaching,
but from time to time he published the re-
suits of his scientific researches in the
American Journal of Science. Although
few in number, they were on special sub
| jects, which, at the time they were written,
stood IN the front rank of scientific inquiry
and occupied the attention of the best
minds of the period. They were chiefly in
the domain of molecular physics, terres-
trial magnetism and astronomical physics,
Presis ent Porter of Yale said of him
Norton was eminently liberal student
and kept himself fully abreast Of the specu-
lations and science of the times
While at the university of the city OF
! New 1ork ne prepared the hrSt or MS text
books, and in 1889 published his "Ele-
mentary Treaties on Astronomy" and in
1858 he published his First book of
Natural Philosophy and Astronomy"
The degree of A. NJ was conferred upon
him by the university of Vermont, and he
was member of various scientific socie-
ties, including, the American association
for the Advancement of Science, and SUBJ
Sc Iuent TO 1873, of the National Academy
of Science. Professor William B. Trow-
bridge Che of Yale not of Columbia) has
written: Professor Norton belonged to
the rare class of men who, in pursuing the
even tenor of their duties to the end OF
long and laborious careers, leave as their
best and most precious legacies memories
and records of lives without reproach and
of unselfsh devotion to their duties and
to their fellow men,"
MARCUS BENJAMIN.