The Background of GA.Escher, Hollander Engineer Who Supported Jode Rijke for 40 Years*
【土木 史研 究 第19号 1999年5月 自由投 稿 論 文】 The Background of GA.Escher, Hollander Engineer who supported Jode Rijke for 40 years* - Based on 61 volumes of Ir. G. A. Escher's memoirs- Dr. Yoshiyuki KAMIBAYASHP* Abstract HollanderJohannis de Rijke workedat thePublic WorksDepartment, the Ministryof HomeAffairs , Japan, as an engineerfor around 40 years, and rendered remarkable servicesto the improvementof large rivers and Saboworks duringhis stayin Japan. He was initiallyassigned to the positionof a 4th ranked engineerbecause of the lack of his teclmicaleducation at school. However,the Government of Japan promotedhim in 1876 with the treatment of equal rank of an official appointedby the Emperor's approval and further to the rank of an official appointedby the Emperorin 1891, J.de Rijke had been supportedby GeorgeArnold Escher who graduatedfrom Royal Academyat Delft and had workedin the Bureau of Public Works,Holland (Rijkswaterstraat) as an elite engineer. By this paper, the backgroundof G.A.Escher,his personalityand profile on J.de Rijke, Hollander engineer C.J. van Doom,will be presentedaccording to his memoirs. Introduction Riverbasin in thefield of planning and design of public works. Hollander engineer Johannis de Rijke was invited by the He was then requestedby the Governmentto supervise, Japanese Government. He arrived at Osaka in Sept. 1873, adviseand designthe public works for local Governments. and ranked as a 4th class engineer (Yonto-koshi)because he Accordingto the Governorsof prefecturesof Tottori,Fukui, had no technical education at school. He engaged in compa- Niigata,Yamagata, Fukushima, Tochigi, Akita, he supervised ratively simple works like the estimation and supervision for and gaveadvice on the designnot only forriver improvement execution of public works.
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