Evening journal., 1920-04-10
JERVEY gets
COLONEL RANK
Also to Command Baltimore
United States Engineer
District
HELPED CLEAN UP
IN MEUSE-ARCONNE

This was red letter day for Lieu
tenant-Colonel J. p. Jervey, United
States engineer ofllcer for the Whining
ton district. Not only was he assured
restoration TO rank OF fun colonel,
which he held at the close Of the great
war. but he received an order from
Washington to take command Of the
Baltimore engineer district, in addition
TO that OF the Wilmington.
The promotion In rank comes In most
happy fashion. On Thursday the Pres
ident sent TO the Senate at Washing
ton the nomination OF Colonel Jervey's
brother. Henry Jervey. as major gen.
eral. This advancement in turn auto
matically will advance Colonel Jervey
from Heutenant-colonel to colonel.
As TO the command of the Baltimore
district. Colonel Jervey today received
the following order:
In addition to your present duties
you will relieve Colonel james Q. San
ford. Corps OF Engineers, OF the duties
in his charge pertaining 10 the Balti-
more engineer district. together with
the funds. property and records con-
nected herewith.
by command OF the Chief of En-
gineers."
The order is signed by Major Y. DE-
Ardery on authority OF Major General
Lansing II. Beach, chief OF engineers OF
the War Department.
As result OF his dual command,
Colonel Jervey win commute between
this city and Baltimore, spending about
10. t. III 10
his absence from Wilmington, the To-
cal ONCE OF the engineers VIII be ip
command OF Captain John r. Conklin,
chief executive oflicer.
Colonel Jervey has had meritorious
career. He built the great locks OF TIE
Panama Canal, served In France as d.
vision engineer, and was one or the
chief assistants to the chief engineer
OF the Expedltionsry Forces at the time
the armIstice was sgined. He was born
near Richmand, Va, In 1869. and was
graduated from West Point In 1892. He
spent three years at Willets' Point. L.
l.. and In 1895 was ordered 10 Florida
where he built the first modern forti-
ticatlons at Pensacola. He had charge
Of the submarine defenses at that place
turing the Spanish-Americsn War.
Following the Spanish war. Colonel
Jervey taught civil and military engi-
neering at West Point. until 1905, when
he was ordered 10 the Philippines, in
of a company OF engineers. He
served In the islands two years and
then was given command OF Fort Ma
son, San Francisco. From there he
went 10 Panama as assistant to General
Goethals, and as resident engineer, In
charge OF the construction OF the
Gatun locks, where he remained five
years, or until the opening Of the
locks, in September, 1918. The locks
cost s2i,O000O0.
Returning 10 the United States, Col
onel Jervey constructed locks and dams
in the Ohio river, st Wheeling, West
Va; built fortincations at Cape
Henry and Fort Monroe, Va; devel-
oped the harbor facilities az Norfolk.
and completed the Albemarl e and
Canal
In August, 1917, Colonel Jervey was
sent 10 Camp Meade as division engi-
leer. He remained there until July,
1918, when he went overseas. He par
.iclpated in the famous Argonne-Meuse
irive and was made chief engineer OF
he Seventh Army Corps and thep as
;istant TO the chief engineer Of the Ex-
Forces.
Returning TO America IN December,
1913, Colonel Jervey was assigned TO
lis prent post In Wilmington.