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Death of John B. Jervis,

The Man Who Made the Survey for the Delaware & Hudson Canal.

John B. Jervis, the veteran American civil engineer, died at his residence in Rome, N.Y. at midnight last night in his 90th year.  He was born at Huntington, L.I., December 14th 1795.  Rome has been his residence for 86 years.  He rendered important service in the construction of the Erie Canal and conducted the survey and construction of the Delaware & Hudson Canal.  Port Jervis was name after him.  He was chief engineer of the Albany & Schenectady and the Schenectady & Saratoga railroads when they were built.  For the latter road he invented the locomotive truck, the principle of which is still in use on all locomotives.  The first locomotive with his improvement was made to order at the works of R. Stephenson in England in 1832.  In 1836 he engineered the Croton Aqueduct that supplies New York city with water.  The construction of this great work was regarded as wonderful at the time and gave Mr. Jervis a world-wide celebrity.  He was alsoconsulting engineer of the Boston water works from 1846 to 1848.  In 1847 he was chief engineer of the Hudson River Railroad, continuing for two years, and doing skillful work on that line.  Later he constructed the Michigan, Southern & Northern Indiana R.R., and the Chicago & Rock Island R.R.  Of the latter he was President in 1854.  He was next engaged on the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad construction, and managed its financial affairs with success.  Since 1868 he has lived at Rome, in partial retirement, though never idle, giving particular attention to the business of the Rome merchants' iron mills of which he was secretary, and the practical head.  He wrote a book on "Railway Property" another on "Labor and Capital," and lectured on "Industrial Economy" at the age of 83.  His mind was clear and vigorous until shortly before his death, he was conspicuous for his Christian character.  His benevolence and strictly upright course in life.

Mr. James S. McEntee of this city, now in his 85th year, was a rodman with Mr. Jervis in 1820, when the route of the Erie canal was being surveyed.  In 1825 he again joined Mr. Jervis in the survey of the Delaware & Hudson canal, but this time in a much large capacity.  Mr. McEntee commenced work on the Summit, arranging the line of the canal and staking it out as it was placed under contract toward tide-water, after which he was appointed resident engineer of the work from tide-water.  In 1827 Mr. McEntee was made resident engineer of the work from tide-water to Port Jervis, and had charge of the construction of the large docks at Rondout.  Mr. McEntee and his family were intimate friends of Mr. Jervis and his family, and Mr. McEntee's son Jervis, who has achieved a nation and world-wide fame as a landscape painter, was named in his honor.

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