TOWER

TOWER 12.01. 1819 Cohasset MA/USA 20.03. 1900 Cohasset MA/USA Zealous Bates Tower was an American soldier and civil engineer who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was most noted for constructing the solid defenses of Federaloccupied Nashville TE, which proved to withstand repeated attacks by the Confederates. He graduated with first honors at West Point in 1841, serving then in the Mexican War. After the war, he served as an engineer, responsible for the initial construction of the Federal facilities on Alcatraz Island, and Fort Point, San Francisco CA. Following the acquisition оf California by the USA аs result оf the Treaty оf Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, ending the Mexican-American War, аnd the onset оf the California Gold Rush the following year, the US Army began studying the suitability оf Alcatraz Island fоr the positioning оf coastal batteries tо protect the approaches tо the San Francisco Bay. Іn 1853, under the direction оf Tower, the Army Corps оf Engineers began fortifying the island until 1858, eventuating іn Fortress Alcatraz. The island's fіrst garrison аt Camp Alcatraz, numbering 200 soldiers аnd 11 cannons, arrived аt the end оf thаt year. When the Civil War broke оut іn 1861 the island mounted 85 cannons іn casemates around іts perimeter, though the small size оf the garrison meant that оnly а fraction оf the guns cоuld be used аt оne time. Tower remained in the regular army after the Civil War. In 1865, he became lieutenant colonel in the US Army Corps of Engineers. He supervised the work of improving major harbors, both for commercial and military purposes. He was promoted to colonel in 1874, and retired from the service in 1883, returning to Cohasset MA, where he lived until his death. He was a notable military engineer and became known for river, harbour and fortification improvements. He received eight brevets for ‘gallant and meritorious service’. He was one of the original members of the Aztec Club founded at Mexico City in 1847. Anonymous ((1889). Tower, Zealous B. Appleton’s Cyclopaedia of American biography 6: 146. Appleton: New York. Anonymous (1900). Zealous B. Tower. Engineering Record 41: 281. Tower, Z.B. (1871). An analytical investigation of the possible velocity of the Ice-Boat. Van Nostrand’s Engineering Magazine 4: 55. https://www.triposo.com/loc/San_Francisco/district_alcatraz_island https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealous_Bates_Tower P

TRACY E.H. 31.03. 1817 Whitesboro NY/USA 28.08. 1875 Carmel NY/USA Edward Huntington Tracy began his engineering career under John B. Jervis (1795-1885) as rodman on Chenango Canal NY. His work was thoroughly and satisfactorily accomplished so that he was in 1838 after the completion of the Canal engaged as assistant engineer on Croton Aqueduct, for which Jervis then served as chief engineer, and completed the work in 1842. Tracy constructed the portion of the aqueduct extending from Fordham Church to Manhattan, thereby superintending the entire works of the High Bridge over Harlem River. When the aqueduct was nearly completed and Jervis had stepped down from his position, Tracy took over in view of his capabilities, holding the position for a decade. In 1852, after having been actively connected with the Aqueduct for 14 years, he also resigned to become partner of iron works, but two years later was employed by the Canadian Government to make plans and surveys for a ship canal to connect the waters of the St. Lawrence River with Lake Champlain in the north of New York and Vermont States. On accomplishment of this commission Tracy was appointed by the State of Iowa to superintend the design the slack-water navigation on the Des Moines River. He further made surveys on Mississippi River at Le Claire for the Rock Island, Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company. Later he was appointed by New York State to superintend the removal of the Harlem River obstruction at McComb’s Dam, and to erect Central Bridge on the site of the old dam. In 1870 Tracy was appointed chief engineer of Croton Aqueduct, which position his familiarity with the requirements of the aqueduct enabled him to fill excellently the office. His superior qualifications and extensive engineering operations won for him great confidence in his skill and capabilities, and conferred upon him a high and enduring reputation in his profession. He died of a heart disease, so that John C. Campbell (1817-1890), whose career had been similar to that of Tracy’s, took over as chief engineer of the Croton Aqueduct. Anonymous (1875). Edward H. Tracy. The New York Times (Aug. 29). Anonymous (1878). Tracy, Edward H. Proc. ASCE 5: 337-338. Burrows, E.G., Wallace, M. (1999). Gotham: A history of New York City to 1898. Oxford University Press: Oxford. Wegmann, E. (1896). Water supply of the city of New York 1658-1895. Wiley: New York. (P) New York NY Daily Graphic 1875 Aug-Jan 1876 Grayscale – 0180.pdf P