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قراءة كتاب Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. LXX, December, 1910
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Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. LXX, December, 1910
and Vice-President of the Society of Gas Lighting, the oldest existing gas association in the United States. He was elected a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers on May 5th, 1886.
FOOTNOTES:
[4] Memoir prepared by W. Cullen Morris, M. Am. Soc. C.E.
JACOBUS VAN DER HOEK, M. Am. Soc. C.E.[5]
Died December 22D, 1909.
Jacobus Van der Hoek, son of the late Gysbertus Van der Hoek and Johanna (Tupers) Van der Hoek, was born at Goes, The Netherlands, on March 19th, 1862. He received his early education at the Public Schools, and was graduated from the High School of his native town in August, 1879. In September of the same year he entered the Polytechnic School at Delft, The Netherlands, from which he was graduated, as Civil Engineer, in July, 1883.
During 1884 Mr. Van der Hoek was employed as Inspector on the construction of a dike across the "het slaak," a shallow tidewater 1½ miles wide, and made surveys and soundings for a record map of adjacent waters covering an area of 6 sq. miles.
In 1885 and 1886 he was employed by the Dutch Government as Assistant Engineer in charge of a party, to re-survey the principal rivers of Holland, and triangulated about 25 miles of river.
During 1887 Mr. Van der Hoek was Engineer in charge of the submarine shore protection for the "Polder of Schouwen," The Netherlands. In 1887 he left his native land for the United States, arriving in New York City, on December 25th.
From the latter part of 1888 to the beginning of 1890, he was employed by the Wheeling Bridge and Terminal Railway Company, at Wheeling, W. Va., under the late Job Abbott, M. Am. Soc. C.E., Chief Engineer. The work comprised steam railway construction, a bridge 2,000 ft. in length, including one span over the Ohio River, 525 ft. long, and three tunnels from 400 to 2,400 ft. long, all double-track and heavy work throughout. The Engineer who was in charge of the work, writes:
"Mr. Van der Hoek reported to me as Chief Draftsman and Office Assistant during the period above mentioned. He was so capable and earnest in all of his work, and so well qualified to perform it, that our relations were not only uniformly pleasant, but they marked the beginning of a friendship that lasted until the deplorable end of Mr. Van der Hoek's useful life."
In 1890, Mr. Van der Hoek entered the service of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and continued with this Company until July, 1909; during this time he was successively engaged as Chief Draftsman, Assistant, Resident, and Division Engineer. During the extension of the main line of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, from Sayre to Buffalo, he was employed as Chief Draftsman, designing masonry and other structures, also as Assistant and Resident Engineer in charge of certain sections of the line. Paul S. King, M. Am. Soc. C.E., the Chief Engineer in charge of the construction of this 175 miles of double-track railroad, soon recognized the exceptional engineering ability of Mr. Van der Hoek, and appointed him, successively, Assistant and Resident Engineer in charge of several sections; of his success and ability, Mr. King writes:
"The sad and sudden death of Mr. Van der Hoek was indeed a great shock to me and his many friends in the Lehigh Valley System, particularly in New York State, his field of professional work for so many years.
"I highly regarded his technical ability, sterling character, and untiring industry, both in the field and office. During the time he was engaged with me (nearly four years), he filled the positions of Chief Draftsman, Assistant, and Resident Engineer, and earned the respective promotions by the zeal and energy which was always characteristic of him with any work he had in hand. He continued throughout the period of construction, a record not equalled by any of the dozen or more Resident Engineers connected with that work. It was this observation of his conduct and activity in executing his work that warranted me to have confidence in his ability to take up the work to be done after the Operating Department took charge of the line, recommending him as the Engineer for Maintenance of Way of part of the new line."
In 1893, Mr. Van der Hoek was appointed Division Engineer of the Buffalo Division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, and had charge, under the Superintendent of Maintenance of Way, of constructing stations, water stations, coal trestles, wharves, stone ballasting the line, building storage yards, rebuilding bridges, etc.; he continued in this position until July 1st, 1909.
One of his associates on the Lehigh Valley Railroad writes:
"I was intimately acquainted with Mr. Van der Hoek and his work from 1894 to the time of his death, and as a co-worker on the Lehigh Valley Railroad it is a privilege to testify to his exceptional engineering ability, his strong, unflinching character, his untiring energy, and implicit adherence to the lines of duty. He had exceptional executive ability combined with a thorough knowledge of details. It was these qualities that made him so successful in his work.
"Mr. Van der Hoek was a sober, unassuming, and honest man, a generous and respected superior to his subordinates, a true friend, ever ready to assist an aspiring young man to greater knowledge and better positions; by these he will be truly missed and mourned."
On July 12th, 1909, Mr. Van der Hoek entered the service of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, as Civil Engineer, under the General Superintendent of that company, at Lansford, Pa., to take charge of the railroad maintenance, water supply, land surveys, and new outside construction, on the extensive mining properties of that company in the anthracite coal fields.
Mr. Van der Hoek's exceptional ability was thoroughly recognized by his new employers, and his work and its results were fully appreciated; he had but laid his plans and perfected a proper organization when, on the afternoon of December 22d, 1909, while inspecting the work of laying a new water main through the Lansford, Pa., tunnel, he met his death by being run over by an engine, and his successful professional career was thus sadly ended. His Assistant, who had accompanied him on this inspection, met with the same lamentable fate.
On May 30th, 1896, Mr. Van der Hoek was married, in New York City, to Johanna Van der Bent, and is survived by his wife and two children.
He was elected a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers on April 7th, 1897.
FOOTNOTES:
[5] Memoir prepared by F.E. Schall, D.C. Henny, H.F. Dunham and Paul S. King, Members, Am. Soc. C.E.
LUTHER ELMAN JOHNSON, Jun, Am. Soc. C.E.[6]
Died