Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-28
Offers Resignation From the
Army, Which Would Sever
District Connections.
SENDS LETTER TO LADUE
EXPLAINING HIS ACTION
Highway Department Reorganiza'
ton Among His Achievements
in D. c.

Capt. Herbert c. WhitehurSt, assist
ant Engineer Commissioner of the Dis
trict since June 5, 1926 has offered his
resignation from the Army. which would
automatically carry with it his resigna-
ton as assistant Engineer Commission
err. He has asked to be relieved at the
end of June, which would mean that
he would leave the District service at
the end of February, as he has ac-
cumulated four months leave of abb
sence. Capt. Whitehurst said he
planned Immediately to enter private
practice in the engineering profession.
In letter to Col. William B. Ladue,
Engineer Commissioner of the District,
Capt. WhitehurSt said: 1T is with deep
regret that 1 am Severing my connec-
ton with the Corps of Engineers, but,
as you well know, there is little future
in the Army for an oficer who was ap-
pointed from civil life following the
World War
Came Here from Muscle Shoals.
Capt. Whitehurst came to the Dis
trict from work with the Army engi-
neers at Muscle Shoals, Ala. He has
had executive supervision over the
Highway Sewer, Trees and Parkings
and Bridge Departments and the sur
veyor'S office, and has been the Dis
trict's representative on the co-ordi-
mating committee of the Park and
Planning Commission. He is a former
president of the city officials division,
American Road Builders Association.
81 had an attractive offer to leave
the service last Summer" he said to-
day, but wanted to wait until got
the job of repairing the Chain Bridge
of my hands. Now that that is done,
I want to wait at least until the END
of February to get our new program Of
co-ordinating work involving cuts to
streets going smoothly"
The program referred to was adopted
by the Commissioners last Friday, and
is expected to save the District thou
sands of dollars by proper timing OF
work on the highways so as to save
excessive cutting up Of the surface after
paving or repair work is done.
Recognized Highway Department.
Cant. whitehurst's major achieve
nent, while with the District was the
complete reorganization of the Highway
Department, made effective last year:
He personally designed the new type OF
work now in place on Highway Bridge,
by which the old steel buckle plates
under the paving were replaced with
wood flooring resting on steel I-beams
and which has given the bridge It's
first smooth surface in years.
He used his acquaintance with the
Army engineering work at Muscle
Shoals to borrow the machinery used
IN replacing the Virginia abutment OF
Chain Bridge with new concrete
structure.
Can't. WhitehurSt is Virginian. He
lives with his wife and two daughters
at 26O1 Calvert street.
Can't. Whitehurst attended Virginia
Polytechnic Institute, where he was
graduated with the degree of bachelor
of science. electrical engineering, in
1906. In 1907 ne was awarded SINH
lar degree in mechanical engineering.
He entered the Army Engineering Corps
when the United States entered the
World War, and attained the rank OF
major. When the war ended he was
transferred to the regular Army as a
captain.