Geo. S. Morison, Chemical Engineer
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History Geo. S. Morison, Ch. Eng'r chusetts, on December 19, 1842, the son of a Unitarian minister. He moved to Milton, ~ith an unwavering quest for Massachusetts, in 1846; however, he spent a truth and accuracy, Morison great deal of time at his grandparents' home in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Family tradi parlayed a prolific bridge tion had it that as a child he was a loner and building spree into an esteemed did not seem to need friends his own age, consulting career that being content to associate with adults. Family stories indicated that he frequently spent time ultimately changed global in designing and building various mechanical economics and politics. toys, etc., and was independent and introspec tive. At age 14 he went to Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, a school that his FRANCIS E. GRIGGS, JR. father and uncles had attended earlier. Even eorge Shattuck Morison was one of though the curriculum at Exeter emphasized the greatest bridge builders of the late the Classics, it did offer a significant amount of G nineteenth century. He built many mathematics - a subject in which Morison major bridges over the Missouri, Ohio and excelled. After two years, he was accepted at Mississippi rivers in the Midwest as well as Harvard University and began his studies, many in the far West. He earned the title of again in Classics, in 1859. His father graduated Pontifex Maximus for his work, which he from Harvard, and it was thought that the described in many monographs (that he also young George might end up in the ministry like wrote himself). He was the first assistant of him. While at Harvard, he does not appear to Octave Chanute who went on to an exception have continued his study in mathematics and al career. He was a member of many special instead took the standard liberal arts curricu commissions of engineers who passed judg lum, which included some science. He graduat ment on a wide range of engineering projects, ed ninth out of 121 students. As a student, how including the Panama Canal. ever, his classmates would later write: Early Life "that although the capacity of his mind and Morison was born in New Bedford, Massa- strength of his character were recognized CNIL ENGINEERING PRACTICE FALL/ WINTER 2009 7 He returned to Harvard in 1864 to study law. For the next two years, he was a success ful student and won the prestigious Bowdoin Prize for best dissertation in his class. Professional Life He received a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1866 and went to work for the New York City law firm named Evarts, Southmayd and Choate, which was located at 52 Wall Street. He was admitted to the bar in New York State shortly thereafter. Evarts and Choate were Harvard Law School graduates and the firm was one of the most prestigious in the city, with a practice that spread across the country. Morison found that the practice of law was not to his liking and he noted that the law was "a heteroge neous mass of precedents through which cases were more often determined upon .former decisions than upon the abstract merits."2 He reflected on his situation, according to his nephew George A. Morison (whose memoir of his famous uncle furnishes most of the early history of the elder Morison). At the time, Morison came up with three alternatives for his future and entered them into his journal. These alternatives were: The Young George Morison. • To continue the practice of law, and per they did not appreciate the fact that he was haps become a successful lawyer, which likely to become perhaps the most distin did not attract him at all; guished graduate of the class of 1863."1 • To study the theories behind the practice of law, and render signal service to his The Civil War was in progress when he profession by formulating these theories . graduated and his father paid for a substitute either as a professor in a law school or so Morison would not be drafted and exposed elsewhere; or, to fighting. Instead, Morison went to St. • To "relinquish the profession and enter Helena Island off the coast of South Carolina without previous training the compara after it came under control of the Union forces tively new profession of civil engineering, in 1862. When Union troops took over the which with the development of our island, they found that most of the white plan Western country, offered a unique oppor tation owners had already fled, leaving over tunity to an original and ambitious mind."3 12,000 slaves who were now freemen. Many northern abolitionists came to educate the for In order to reflect on his options further, he mer slaves and help them run the plantations decided that, even though he was leaning to on their own. Morison spent a year on the leaving the profession of law, he would wait island, and it is thought that he was involved until May 1, 1867, to make his final decision. in running one or more of the plantations. Part On August 1, he resigned his position at of the time it is believed he worked for the Evarts, Southmayd and Choate and never United States Sanitary Commission in north returned to the practice of law. In the three ern Virginia. months between his decision and resignation, 8 CiVIL E NGINEERING PRACTICE FALL/WINTER 2009 FIGURE 1. Kansas City Bridge 1869-1917. he looked into potential openings in the field feet long or greater, and piers parallel with the and identified people who could help him current. If the bridge had a swing span, it obtain his first job. There is little doubt that his should be 160 feet clear on each side of the colleagues in the law firm knew everybody swing span pier, with adjoining spans not less who was anybody in the railroad business. than 250 feet in length. The spans had to be 30 His father also had contacts in Boston, and it feet above low water and not less than 10 feet was probably through them that he linked up above high water. These requirements were with the so-called "Boston party." Members of against Chanute's better judgment and he was the Boston party were financing projects of the forced to build the bridge with a swing span at Detroit railroad man James F. Joy, who was 363 feet. He got some relief, however, from the building extensions to the Michigan Central War Department on the length of the adjacent and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy rail spans and was allowed to build them at 134 roads in Illinois and Michigan. Octave feet and 200 feet instead of 250 feet (see Chanute was appointed Chief Engineer in Figures 1 through 4). January 1867 on the construction of a bridge Prior to this project, the Missouri River had across the Missouri River at Kansas City for not been bridged, and the placement of foun the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, one of dations for piers in the turbulent river created Joy's subsidiaries. Joy wrote a letter recom many problems. Starting work on the founda mending Morison to Chanute. tions in the fall of 1867, Chanute developed By an Act of Congress in July 1866, the techniques to design and place each pier foun bridge company was required to meet the dation based on the different current and soil same clearances as set forth for the Mississippi conditions found at each particular location. River bridges approved at the same time. If Between the fall of 1867 and May 5, 1869, the bridge was to be a continuous span (no work continued on the foundations when the swing spans), it was required to be 50 feet masonry on Pier #2, the last of the five piers above extreme high water, with all spans 250 and two abutments, was completed. Chanute CML ENGINEERING PRACTICE FA~~/WlNTER 2009 9 FIGURE 2. A profile of the Kansas City Bridge. and another assistant engineer, T. Tomlinson, which he felt was "a simple and stupid task at had completed designs for the fixed spans and which I suppose I must be kept for the pres thereupon in early August 1867 requested ent, it certainly does not furnish very good construction bids for the fixed spans based on opportunities to learn engineering."4 either their design or designs proposed by the However, even though the record is not contractor. The contract to build the super clear just what Morison did to gain the confi structure was awarded to Jacob Hays Linville dence of Chanute, he advanced to the posi and the Keystone Bridge Company on tion of Assistant Engineer during the con October 30, 1867. struction of the Missouri River bridge. There Morison arrived at the project on October is little doubt that under the mentorship of 16, 1867. He wrote in his journal: Chanute and with a fair amount of self-study, Morison became a key member of the team. A "took train to Kansas City; put up at Pacific month and a half after he began his civil engi House; a wretched place. Went to Kansas neering career, Morison began a program of City Bridge office and presented my letters study that would lead him to success. The to Mr. Chanute, the Chief Engineer; he said program was: he thought this a very poor place to learn, but in the afternoon he told me I might stay "To the end that my time may be spent here and receive $60 a month and in the with advantage, my mind improved, my meanwhile consider whether it would be professional standing bettered, and my life best to continue."4 made a useful one, the following resolves are this day made: Chanute may have remembered the day eight "1st.