EDWIN G. NOURSE.

A MEMOIR.

Mr. Edwin G. Nourse, whose death by accident occurred at Davenport, Ia., on December 8, 1897, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Horatio G. Nourse, and was born at Peoria, Ill., Feb. 13, 1849. At the age of three years, the family moved to Moline, Ill., where Mr. Nourse attended the public schools and graduated from the Moline High School in 1867. In the fall of 1869 he entered Griswold College, Davenport, Ia., where he continued his studies in fitting himself for the engineering profession until June, 1871. His first field work after leaving college was with the United States Government in the spring of 1872, under Col. Macomb, on surveys at the Rock Island Rapids, on the Minnesota River, and at the Kingston Lock, on the Illinois River, leaving the government service in the latter part of 1874. In the spring of 1875 he engaged himself with the Chicago Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company and remained with that Company until the early part of 1883. During this period Mr. Nourse had charge of location and construction of several important pieces of work, among which was the construction of their double track bridge across the Mississippi River between St. Paul and Minneapolis, the Niobrara extension in Nebraska and the Marian and Council Bluffs extension, 260 miles in length. His resignation from this Company in 1883 was for the purpose of accepting a position of chief engineer for the Chicago, Evanston & Lake Superior Railway Company, a terminal property afterward acquired by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, and which included the construction of a double main track from this city to Evanston, where the work stopped. It was during the construction of this line that distinguished him not only as a skilled engineer, but a man of rare executive ability as well, for riots between the railroad laborers and the citizens living in the vicinity through which the road was constructed were not infrequent. Early in the year 1887 he resigned his position as chief engineer of the Chicago, Evanston & Lake Superior Railway Company to accept position of assistant engineer with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company in charge of the construction of their terminal system, and later on as resident engineer of all lines east of the Missouri River for the same company. His services with the Santa Fe ended in the spring of 1890, when he became the consulting engineer for the Northwestern Construction Company, which position he resigned in January, 1891, to accept position as assistant engineer in charge of the construction of the World's Fair terminal system. His several years experience in the construction of railway terminals fitted him eminently for this work and many of us who viewed the terminal station with its net work of

tracks constructed in so short a space of time and noted for the number of trains taken care of, will concede that he had the inherent privilege to effect a deep pride in his crowning success as a very efficient railway terminal engineer.

At the expiration of his services with the World's Fair, in January, 1894, he formed a co-partnership with Mr. Patrick Haley, and laid the track for the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company, which is conceded to be the finest piece of elevated track work in this country. On October 7, of last year, Mr. Nourse became the assistant engineer for the Davenport and ock Island Construction Company, where he had charge of the construction of a railroad bridge across the Mississippi river, between Davenport and Rock Island, and it was while in this capacity that he met his untimely death. In connection with. this a communication to Secretary Litten from Chief Engineer C. F. Loweth, which is given herewith, will explain the manner in which Mr. Nourse met his death.

OFFICE OF DAVENPORT AND ROCK ISLAND CONSTRUCTION CO., 301 West Third Street,

DAVENPORT, Ia., Jan. 15, 1898.

Mr. Nelson L. Litten, Secretary, Chicago, Ill.

DEAR SIR-Complying with your request of December 23, I give you the following information concerning the accidental death of Mr. E. G. Nourse, C. E.

Mr. Nourse was assistant engineer for this company in connection with the building of a railroad bridge across the Mississippi river, between this city and Rock Island, and had been to work about two months previous to his death. He was living in Moline, and on the morning of December 8, 1897, his wife brought him from their home to the bridge site in west Rock Island, and leaving him, drove to her home; less than fifteen minutes afterward he was killed, and immediately on her return home his wife was advised of his death and her loss.

The accident occurred at a small viaduct abutment in the Rock Island approach to the bridge, the stone for this was being brought to the work on wagons from the railroad yards a short distance away; a stone had just been lifted off of the wagon, and was

or

eing held in the derrick at a height of not more than five feet above the ground, when one of the guys slipped from its fastening and the derrick fell, the mast striking Mr. Nourse on the ead, and killing him almost instantly.

Th funeral occurred on the morning of the 10th, the honorary pall-bearers being civil engineers from this vicinity.

Mr. Nourse left an aged father, and a wife to whom he had been married less than a year. Moline was the home of his boyhood, though he had not resided there for a number of years prior to his return, about the first of October, 1897.

If I can be of further service, please command me.

(Signed)

Yours truly,

CHAS. F. LOWETH.

Mr. Nourse lived through life just as his father and mother taught him to live, thoroughly conscientious and upright. Whatever he undertook he executed it with thoroughness and with a determination that knew no failure. It was this trait, perhaps, although tender at heart, that made him very decided in his likes and dislikes. While he was always modest and unassuming, he could always be found in a jovial and witty mood and ready to crack a joke whenever opportunity offered.

The Chicago Tribune of December 9, 1897, says of him: "Mr. Nourse was one of the best known and most successful scientific engineers in the West. He gained particular distinction through his achievement in the designing of the railroad terminal entering the World's Fair grounds in Chicago. For many years he was chief engineer of the Chicago & Evanston railroad and was identified with the engineering department of the Milwaukee, Northwestern and Santa Fe systems. He was also prominently identified with the building of the bridge across the Mississippi at Minneapolis, He was born in Moline and was 49 years of age.

Mr. Nourse was elected an active member of this society March 6, 1889, and served efficiently as treasurer of the society during 1893.

As has been truly said of other members of this society who have passed away, he needs no monument for identification. FRANK G. EWALD, E. C. SHANKLAND, WILLIAM LEE.