Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-20
ENGINEERS IN SESSION
Annual Convention of Amer
lean Society.
WELCOMING ADDRESSES
MR.. MCFARLAND AND ADMIRAL
MELVILLE SPEAK.
President Moore Delivers His Annual
Address-The Opening Pro-
ceedings.

The large hall Of the New Willard was
crowded this morning with delegates to the
annual convention Of the American Society
of Civil Engineers, which convened at 1920
o'clock, when addresses were delivered by
Commissioner H. B. F. Macfarland, Rear
| Admiral George w. Melville, chairman of
the local committee arrangements: Mr..
Robert Moore, president Of the national
organization, and Mr.. Chas. w. Hunt, sec
rotary.
In addition to the large number Of dele
gates present at the opening session there
were a great many ladies in attendance,
who seemed to evince considerable interest
in the proceedings.
The main lobby of the hotel was crowded
with delegates wearing the blue and white
badge designating them as members of the
| society, and over 400 delegates, alternates
and members have already arrived in the
city.
Promptly at 1920 o'clock this morning the
convention was called to order by Admiral
Mordecai T. Endicott of Boston, who intro
duced Commissioner Mcfarland. Mr.. Mac
farland welcomed the delegates to the city
on behalf of the District government. He
said:
THE government of the District Of Co
lumbia Is especially glad to welcome the
American Society of Civil Engineers at its
semi-centenary to the national capital. For
this national society, with an international
membership, representing every continent
and all the great Islands of the sea, has.
through many of it's members, rendered ser
vice to the District of Columbia. We rec
ognize today not only the appropriateness
of your meeting in the capital of the coun-
try, which, in the fifty years since your
society founded has been distinguished
by your achievements, but a feeling of graft
tude on the part of the citizens of the
District Of Columbia for what you have
done here.
City the Work of Engineers.
THE city of Washington might be said
to be, of all the cities in the world the
work Of engineers. George Washington,
father not only of his country, but of its
capital, who, as a boy, leaving school for
ever for the university of life, made his
first money and his first reputation
surveyor and engineer, whose name the
federal city inevitably bears Pierre Charles
L Enfant, the brilliant Frenchman. and An
drew Ellicott, the brilliant American-those
are the names that Immediately occur to
our minds when we think of the beginning
of the permanent seat of the government Of
the United States. Washington more nearly
than any other city in the world, not
cepting St Petersburg, was designed
throughout on engineers plans, and has
been built up in conformity with them. Its
are due largely to that fact.
During the many years when the Dis
trict of Columbia had no executive govern
ment and no general development of the
original plan Of improvements was carried
on engineers constructed the Washington
aqueduct, besides what they did in work
on buildings and bridges. Since 1878, when
the permanent executive government of the
District was established, the national capt.
tai has been fortunate enough to have the
only complete engineer department, manned
throughout by engineers, to be found any
where. Much of the success of the present
form of government is due to the fact that
all engineering and construction work has
been In charge of engineers of high charac-
ter and capacity. AS a citizen of the Dis
trict l am glad to acknowledge the great
debt we owe to the honest, intelligent and
efficient men who have successfully served
as Engineer Commissioners and assistants
to the Engineer Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia. They have, without ex-
ception, maintained the high reputation of
the corps of engineers of the United States
army, and they have In many cases won
the personal regard of the people Of the
District. l can speak from intimate knOwl-
edge of the work of recent years, beginning
with that Of former Commissioner Black,
and 1 want to say that it commands my
admiration.
These distinguished army officers have
had the assistance of a permanent staff of
civil engineers gathered through years of
careful selection, which is not / venture
to say, excelled by any similar body of men
anywhere in the world. Appointed retain
ed and promoted on merit alone, encouraged
and stimulated by honorable incentives,
these men have done and are doing remark
able work. Throughout nearly a quarter
of a century the engineer department of
the District of Columbia has had shining
reputation for honesty and efficiency and
deserves and has received, the confidence
and appreciation of all that is best in our
citizenship.
"Other engineers completed the Wash
ington Monument and built the Library OF
Congress and others have cared for the
parks. You behold the monument of en-
gineers wherever you look around you here.
You, of all men, will appreciate what they
have done and also all that is now planned
to be done in the development and embe-
lishment of that capital which every Amer1-
can wants to see the finest in the world
At the conclusion of his remarks Com
missioner Macfarand was greeted with en-
thusastic applause
Admiral Melville Speaks for Society.
The chairman then introduced Admiral
Melville, who extended welcome to the
members of the body on behalf of the Dis
trict of Columbia society, and said, in part:
1.-The local committee of ARRANGEMENTS