Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, edited by James
Grant Wilson, John Fiske and Stanley L. Klos. Six volumes, New York: D. Appleton
and Company, 1887-1889 and 1999. Virtualology.com warns that these 19th Century
biographies contain errors and bias. We rely on volunteers to edit the historic
biographies on a continual basis. If you would like to edit this biographyplease
submit a rewritten biography in text form.
If acceptable, the new biography will be published above the 19th Century
Appleton's Cyclopedia Biography citing the volunteer editor
Virtual American Biographies
Over 30,000 personalities
with thousands of 19th Century illustrations, signatures, and exceptional life
stories. Virtualology.com
welcomes editing and additions to the
biographies. To become this site's editor or a contributor
Click Here
or e-mail Virtualology here.
SMITH, Charles Shaler,
engineer, born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, 16 January, 1836; died in St. Louis,
Missouri, 19 December, 1886. He attended a private school in Pitts-burg, but at
the age of sixteen entered on the study of his profession by securing an
appointment as rodman on the Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven railroad.
After various services he became in 1856 engineer in charge
of the Tennessee division of the Louisville and Nashville railroad. Subsequently
he became chief engineer of bridges and buildings of the Wilmington, Charlotte,
and Rutherford railroad in North Carolina, where he remained until the beginning
of the civil war.
He then entered the Confederate army as captain of
engineers, and continued so until 1865, during which time, as chief engineer of
government works in the Augusta district, he constructed the Confederate states
powder-works, with a daily capacity of 17,000 pounds of powder, and one of the
largest that had then been built. Mr. Smith continued in the south as engineer
of bridges, and constructed the Catawba and Congaree bridges on the Charlotte
and South Carolina railroad.
In 1866, with Benjamin H. Latrobe, he organized the
engineering firm of Smith, Latrobe and Co., which in 1869 became the Baltimore
bridge company, with Mr. Smith as president and chief engineer. This company
continued in business until 1877, and did a large amount of work.
He removed to St. Charles, Missouri, in 1868, to take
charge of the railroad bridge then just begun across Missouri river, and in 1871
he went to St. Louis, where he remained until the end of his life, mainly
occupied as a consulting engineer. His name will ever be connected with the
great bridges that were built under his supervision. They are hundreds in number
and include four over the Mississippi, one over the Missouri, and one over the
St. Lawrence.
His most important work was the practical demonstration of
the uses and value of the cantilever, beginning in 1869 with the 300-foot
draw-span over Salt river on the line of the Elizabeth and Paducah railroad, and
including the Kentucky river bridge on the Cincinnati Southern railroad, that
over the Mississippi near St. Paul, and finally his last great bridge across the
St. Lawrence river a short distance above the Lachine rapids.
Mr. Smith was elected a member of the American society of
civil engineers in 1873, and was a director of that organization in 1877-'8. His
publications are confined to a few professional papers, notably "A Comparative
Analysis of the Fink, Murphy, Bollman, and Triangular Trusses" (1865)"
"Proportions of Eyebars, Heads, and Pins as determined by Experiment" (1877);
and "Wind-Pressure upon Bridges " (1880).
SMITH, Charles Shaler, engineer, born in Pitts-burg, Pennsylvania, 16 January, 1836; died in St. Louis, Missouri, 19 December, 1886. He attended a private school in Pitts-burg, but at the age of sixteen entered on the study of his profession by securing an appointment as rodman on the Mine Hill and Schuylkill Haven railroad. After various services he became in 1856 engineer in charge of the Tennessee division of the Louisville and Nashville railroad. Subsequently he became chief engineer of bridges and buildings of the Wilmington, Charlotte, and Rutherford railroad in North Carolina, where he remained until the beginning of the civil war. He then entered the Confederate army as captain of engineers, and continued so until 1865, during which time, as chief engineer of government works in the Augusta district, he constructed the Confederate states powder-works, with a daily capacity of 17,000 pounds of powder, and one of the largest that had then been built. Mr. Smith continued in the south as engineer of bridges, and con-strutted the Catawba and Congaree bridges on the Charlotte and South Carolina railroad. In 1866, with Benjamin H. Latrobe, he organized the engineering firm of Smith, Latrobe and Co., which in 1869 became the Baltimore bridge company, with Mr. Smith as president and chief engineer. This company continued in business until 1877, and did a large amount of work. He removed to St. Charles, Missouri, in 1868, to take charge of the railroad bridge then just begun across Missouri river, and in 1871 he went to St. Louis, where he remained until the end of his life, mainly occupied as a consulting engineer. His name will ever be connected with the great bridges that were built under his supervision. They are hundreds in number and include four over the Mississippi, one over the Missouri, and one over the St. Lawrence. His most important work was the practical demonstration of the uses and value of the cantilever, beginning in 1869 with the 300-foot draw-span over Salt river on the line of the Elizabeth and Paducah railroad, and including the Kentucky river bridge on the Cincinnati Southern railroad, that over the Mississippi near St. Paul, and finally his last great bridge across the St. Lawrence river a short distance above the Lachine rapids. Mr. Smith was elected a member of the American society of civil engineers in 1873, and was a director of that organization in 1877-'8. His publications are confined to a few professional papers, notably "A Comparative Analysis of the Fink, Murphy, Boll-man, and Triangular Trusses" (1865)" "Proportions of Eyebars, Heads, and Pins as determined by Experiment" (1877) ; and "Wind-Pressure upon Bridges " (1880).
Unauthorized Site:
This site and its contents are not affiliated, connected,
associated with or authorized by the individual, family,
friends, or trademarked entities utilizing any part or
the subject's entire name. Any official or affiliated
sites that are related to this subject will be hyper
linked below upon submission
and Evisum, Inc. review.
Please join us in our mission to incorporate The Congressional Evolution of the United States of America discovery-based curriculum into the classroom of every primary and secondary school in the United States of America by July 2, 2026, the nation’s 250th birthday. , the United States of America: We The
People. Click Here