Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-11
EDWARD BURR
He Will Act as Assistant to the Engineer
Commissioner.
Has a brilliant Record and a Friend
of Commissioner POwell-NOw
at Norfolk.

Captain Edward Burr, corps of engineers,
now on duty at Norfolk, Va, has been
ordered to this city for duty as assistant
to the Engineer Commissioner of the Dis
trict of Columbia. This detail is made by
the President in accordance with the pro-
visions of the act of Congress approved
June II, 1873 as amended by the act of
Congress approved August Z, 1894, giving
the Engineer Commissioner an additional
assistant. Captain Thomas l.. Casey, jr,
corps of engineers now stationed in New
York city, has been ordered TO Norfolk
to relieve Captain Burr of the duties under
his charge.
The New Officer.
Capt. Burr, Maj. Powelrs new assistant,
is one of the most brilliant young officers
of the engineer corps. He was born in Mis-
souri,, in May, 1859, and consequently is
but thirty-five years of age. He graduated
from the Military Academy June 13, 1SS2,
and on the same date was appointed second
lieutenant in the corps of engineers He
served Tor two years with the engineer
battalion at Millefs Point, n. Y, during
which time, on April III, 1885, he was pro-
NOTED to the grade of first lieutenant. From
October 80, 1854 he served continuously up
to 1889 in the department of the Columbia
In connection with the work of improving
the Columbia river, in the vicinity of the
Cascades, at the Dalles and Cello, and
also IN connection with the construction
of the bridge across the Willamette river
at Portland, Greg. During the earlier por-
tlon OF his service on the Columbia river ne
acted as an assistant to Capt. Powell, the
present Engineer Commissioner, and the
acquaintance formed at that time has since
rlpened and grown stronger.
Came East.
In 1889 he was relieved from duty in the
extreme northwest and was placed in charge
of river and harbor improvements in the
vicinity of Norfolk. Va, and he has re-
mained there ever since. During this period
he has also rendered valuable service in the
inspection of iron and other materials manu-
factured in the east for use on the locks in
the proposed canal around the cascades of
the Columbia. In September last tie was
promoted to the grade of captain a vacancy
having occurred by the death of Maj. Tur-
tie, one of Gen. Casey's assistants in this
city. There is good reason to believe that
capt. Burr's detail to duty in Washington
Is based on the recommendation of Engi-
neer Commissioner Powell. 1t is hardly
probable that he will be able to report to
Capt. Powell for duty for two or three weeks
yet. The transfer of his duties at Norfolk
10 capt Casey cannot be made before that
time in view of the fact that Capt Casey
will require at least two weeks time to
close up his affairs al New York.
Some Duties.
When the new assistant reports for duty
he will find assigned to his chair two of
the most important branches of the District
government He will give special jurisdic-
tion over the street-lishting department
and the general subject of overhead and
underground wires He will also have for
special investigation the subject of heating
ana ventilatinS the public schools of Wash
inSton, with view of determining the best
system in vogue for doing this work.
Then he Will be instructed TO carefully
Investigate the subject of supplying the
lower portions of the city with water, with
a view of increasing the supply for the
higher sections of the city. This will in
clude an estimate of the cost of the pump
ing station to be erected at the head of
James creek canal, when the sewage which
now flows into the canal is diverted there
from. When this is done the low level of
the city Will be supplied with water from
the river front.