The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-05-19


4 Great Military Esgineer Knds His
Life In . DesausA.
NKw Yoxx, May ls.--Cos. David C.
Houston. iieusenan: colonel Of engineers
corps. United States army, died this
morning at the 81. Vincent hospital Of
jaundice. He was S. years Of age and .
native OF New York
Two weeks ago the colonel. accompanied
by q woman known ~ Mrs. Minnie Porter.
went 10 the Everett house and were as
signed to separate rooms and Mrs. Porter
passed ~ his niece. Each did much
drinking and the hotel people re-
fused 10 supply Mrs. Porter with
liquor after learning Of the amount she
was consuming. On Friday last some Of
Col. Hous;on's friends called At the hotel
and found the army officer in such con-
dition that they 1t once sent him TO 81
Vincen;'s hospital, bat the woman Kept up
her debauch, procuring liquor outside tho
hotel. On sunday her condition became
such that the house physician had her re-
moved 10 Bellevue hospital. where she was
placed in the alcohol ward. Before leay-
ing the hotel the unfortunate woman told
tho housekeeper that her home was in
Tennessee and her husband. son and
daughter we're living there. At the hos
p:tal today the physician said that the
woman could not live.
David Crawsosd Houston was born IN New
York city on December s, ISIS He Was gradu-
stsd from the Cnitsj States military academy
in 1856 and was retained at the academy Is 81
sisiaut professor OF natural and experimental
philosophy until September. 1857. when he was
placed on the construction Of Notifications at
Hampton Roads, Va From ls56 20 1850 he COM
manded detachment Of engineers In Oregon,
after which he was assistant engineer in ths
construction OF . fort on sandy Hook During
the war, - first lieutenant OF the eng. neer
corps, he aided In the construction Of the de-
lenses Of Washington City. He WAS at Black
burns Ford and Bull Run - engineer OF Gen.
Tyler's division and a. chief engineer Of the
First Army corTs in the division OF the Kappa
hammock. He was With the Third Army corps
In the battles OF Bull Run aud Cedar Mountain,
after which he was brevctsed captain. He BE-
came chief engineer OF the First corps in the
Army OF the Potomac, in the Maryland cam
pa.gu. and WAS engaged in the battles Of South
Mountain and Antie,am. where he was bre-
vetted major On September Il. 1867 He was in
charge Of the 1efenses OF uarpers Ferry aud of
the Department OF the Gulf during the siege OF
Port Hudson. la, In March. 1865, for which ser
vice he was bfevettsd lieutenant colonel on
June u, 1853 He took part in the expedition to
the mouth OF the Rio Graude in 1853 aud In tho
Red river campaign in 1854 He was . member
OF the special board OF engineers for the estab-
ltshmsnt OF deteases for San Francisco in ls6i6a
On March Is. 1855, he was brevstted colonel for
gallant and r,eritorious service during the re-
bel.iou." He served on the board for the estab-
lishment Of dcfenses at Wiiiet's Point, \. y,
in 1865, and from ls65 to 1867 o. the board 20
carry out in detail the notifications of the de-.
lenses near Boston, - proposed BY the board OF
January "a. 1874 He WAS also superinteu ding
engineer OF the construction Of defenses on
Na.raganscst bay in 1885, OF the river and harbor
Improvements In Rhode Island and Connecticut
from 1866 to 1870, and OF various river improve
ments In Wisconsin from July, 1874 In 1865
he Was . member OF tho board Of engineers on
tho Block island break water. on the wreck Of
the steamer Scotland. and on the improvement
OF the Ogdensburg aud Osws9o harbora In 1859
he served on the Walabout channel and in tho
New York navy yard In ISL no WAS given
charge OF the plans for docks in the Chicago aud
from 1871 until December. 1873, he was engaged
In constructing haroors in tho Northwest He
was also experimenting engineer on modifca-
tons proposed for the Michigan City harbor in
Indiana In July and on the improvement Of the
Fox and wiscousin rivers in August, 1878. He
became major Of the corps OF engineers on
March :. 1867, lieutenant colonel ON June 30,
lss2. and since 1856 has been q member OF tbs
board Of engineers for iosttncations and rive.
aud hafbor improvements1