The Riverside Biographical Series

ANDREW JACKSON, by W. G. BROWN JAMES B. EADS, by LOUIS HOW BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, by PAUL E. MORE PETER COOPER, by R. W. RAYMOND THOMAS JEFFERSON, by H. C. MERWIN

_IN PREPARATION_

WILLIAM PENN GENERAL GRANT LEWIS AND CLARKE

Each about 100 pages, 16mo, with photogravure portrait, 75 cents.

HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO. BOSTON AND NEW YORK

[Illustration: Jas. B. Eads]

JAMES B. EADS

BY

LOUIS HOW

HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY Boston: 4 Park Street; New York: 11 East Seventeenth Street Chicago: 378-388 Wabash Avenue

The Riverside Press, Cambridge

COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY LOUIS HOW ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PREFACE

I must mention with particular gratitude several books that were invaluable in preparing this sketch, in supplementing the usual biographical dictionaries and naval histories. These are: Captain Mahan's "The Gulf and Inland Waters;" Boynton's picturesque "History of the American Navy during the Great Rebellion;" Mr. Fiske's "Mississippi Valley in the Civil War;" Snead's "The Fight for Missouri;" Mr. C. M. Woodward's "History of the St. Louis Bridge;" Mr. Estill McHenry's edition of Eads's "Papers and Addresses," with a biography; two memoirs by Senores Francisco de Garay and Ignacio Garfias, of the Mexican Association of Civil Engineers; and, above all, several memoirs and addresses and the history of the Jetties by Mr. Elmer L. Corthell, C. E., without which I could scarcely have written this Life.

I must also cordially thank for kind personal aid and advice Chancellor Chaplin (of Washington University), Dr. William Taussig, Mr. Albert Bushnell Hart, Major George Montague Wheeler of the Engineer Corps (retired), Messrs. Winston Churchill, William L. Wright, C. Donovan, E. L. Corthell (who was as obliging as he was helpful), Estill McHenry and John A. Ubsdell, Mrs. Susan F. Stevens, and especially my mother--to whose help and encouragement this Life of her father is due.

L. H.

ROCKPORT, MASS., July 30, 1900.

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. EARLY TRAINING 1

II. THE GUNBOATS 22

III. THE BRIDGE 49

IV. THE JETTIES 75

V. THE SHIP-RAILWAY 105

JAMES B. EADS

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: James B. Eads by Louis How
• 2: IEARLY TRAINING James Buchanan Eads was born in Lawrenceburg
• 3: The Mississippi did in that of Eads
• 4: Eads at once returned to Keokuk
• 5: At last Eads and Miss Dillon were married
• 6: Eads was left with debts of $25
• 7: While hesitating at actual secession
• 8: Eads prepared a statement of his views
• 9: In 1861 ironclads were a rather new thing
• 10: The stern wheel being entirely covered by the rear casemate
• 11: For the turrets Eads submitted designs of his own
• 12: In addition to the fourteen gunboats
• 13: Bates charged him to take care of himself
• 14: IIITHE BRIDGE Eads was bred to the Mississippi
• 15: Eads in his speech showed that he foresaw it plainly
• 16: When Eads had arrived at the town
• 17: And three arches of respectively 502
• 18: As the caisson sank and the shaft was lengthened
• 19: Eads was as charitable as ever
• 20: Eads was a very well known engineer
• 21: In 1874 the bridge was finished
• 22: Dredging by stirring the bottom was tried
• 23: And against the idea of jetties
• 24: The one which Eads had proposed to use
• 25: He had studied many jetties in Europe
• 26: The Jetties were not getting along well
• 27: What Eads has accomplished with his Jetties is certain
• 28: Which the Jetties first made possible
• 29: A scheme which Eads blasted years ago
• 30: In the case of the Mersey he was called in
• 31: And it was at Tehuantepec that Eads proposed building
• 32: Eads finally decided to withdraw it