Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-02-21
William Price Crafghiu, President
American Society OF Ciru En-
gineers.

who was elected president of the American
Society of Civil Engineers at the last an
nual meeting, was born ON July l. 1888, at
Charles Town, Jefferson CO., Va, (now
in West Virginia). His earlier education
was learned at the classical aud mathemati-
cal academy of his native town, and on
July l, 1S49, he was appointed cadet at
West Point, graduating on July !, 1858, as
second in class of 80 members. In this
class were Generals Sheridan, Schofeld,
Mcpherson, Sooy Smith, Still, Vincent,
Terrill and Tyler, on the Union side during
the Civil War, and Generals Hood, Cham
bliss and Walker, of the Confederate Army
Graduating as Brevet Second Leuten-
ant of the Corps of Engineers, he has since
passed through all intervening grades to
that of senior colonel of the corps, with a
strong probability of succession in 1895 to
the position now held by the present dis
tinguished Chief Of Engineers, Brig. Gen
I. l.. Casey.
During the Civil War he received the
brevets of lieutenant colonel and colonel for
services performed. At various times dur
ing the struggle he had charge of the forti-
fcations at Washington, Baltimore, Hamp-
ton Roads, Charleston, Savannah. the Dry
Tortugas and Delaware River He was also
on the special board to arrange defences for
San Francisco when the French we're In
| Mexico and threatened to invade California
and Immediately after the war he served on
a board to revise all the Notifications of the
United States.
For four years he was assistant professor
of military and civil engineering at the U.
S. Military Academy. at West Point, when
Professor Mahan, whose name is familiar
TO every civil engineer, was at the head of
that department.. From 1856 to 1859 Col.
Craighill was assistant in the Engineer Bu-
reau in the War Department, while Gener-
al Totten was at the head of the Engineer
Corps; and again, from 1866 to 1870, he
was on duty in the Engineer Bureau.
In connection with river and harbor
duty. Colonel Craighill has had active
charge of many important public improve
ments all over the United Ststes and has
taken an active part in the projects for
many others Among harbors may be
mentioned those of New York, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore. Norfolk, Charleston, and
| Savannah. He has had much to do with
river improvement, and among the chief
may be mentioned the Columbia, Missis-
sippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Kentucky, Della
ware, Patapsco, James, Appomattox, Kama
wha. Cape Fear, Cumberland and st. Johns
Has been professionally employed upon
| harbors of refuge at the mouth of the Della
ware, and on the coasts of Massachusetts
and Southern California and has directed
the surveys for ship canals between the
! Chesapeake and Delaware bays, the con-
nection of the Atlantic coast and the Mis-
sissipp Valley by way of the james, Kama
wha and Ohio rivers, and he was one of the
board appointed to consider the proposed
Sturgeon Bay ship canal, near Milwaukee.
Colonel Craighll has been twice sent to
Europe on engineering missions for the gen.
eral government and has five times visited
the Pacific coast on similar services. He
was president of the board appointed to
select and recommend TO Congress sites for
manufacturing heavy guns on the Pacific
and Gulf coasts; was member of the
Lighthouse Board in Washington for sever
al years, and has had the position of Super
intendent of the Military Academy at West
Point several times offered to him.
Colonel Craighil has been a member of
the American Society Of Civil Engineers
since Oct. 7, 1885, and for Two years was
member of the Board of Directors of that
body. He is also a member Of the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement of
Science the Historical Sucety Of Mary
land aud the American Economic Associa-
ton In 1861 he compiled "The Army
Officers Pocket Companion :" in 1863 be
translated and published General Duponts
"Cours de Tactique," and, in connection
with Captain Mendel, he also translated
General Jomnis "Precis de Part de la
Guerre."
While the corps of engineers OF the
United States Army is represented in the
list of honorary members of the American
Society of Civil Engineers by three distin-
guished men who have all held the Office of
Chief of Engineers, U. s. A.-Generals
Duane. Newton and Wright-Colonel
Crairhill is the first member of that corps
who has been elected president of the So
ciety. Considering the eminent standing
of the engineer corps, professionally
and personally, and the fact that it has
had for years number of representatives
in the list of members of the American So
ciety, this is a well merited recognition and
one which might we'll have come earlier
Colonel CraighIl personally has every quail
ity necessary for the honorable Office to
which he has been chosen. He has had
long and very varied professional expert
ence he is affabIe in manner, is good
disciplinarian, and talks like a soldier, say
ing what he has to say tersely and clearly.
r c. i L..