Twenty men—with two guests from the outer darkness of un~ practical things—sat at a table May atthe Shanghai Club. They men who, by, diploma of the Idest professional institution in Great Britain, were skilled in direct-{ing the resources of Nature for the jenefiy of Man. In short Colonel Logan was presiding over the dinner designed to inaugurate the formation of a local association of the Institution of Civil Engineers, With the object of, maintaining pro fessional standards of which en-sincere ar exceedingly jealous, The Body at that. table was. represent-'Alive of many branches of the professions "it comprised men who fre accustomed, as Dr, Chatley put ATGuting the evening, to push things doing. the speeches therefore were atte hey had been made
Tnlee wes elected to carty out th Sena, Sbjct Igiatst in Gaanel Lagat it was agreed "that the civil engineers of this Kingdom do form themselves into a Society"—this minute was signed (amongst others) by John Smeaton who, 12 years previously had designed and construct the Eddystone Lighthouse. During the ensuing 21 years the membership of the Society incres ed to a total of 65 and included such well-known names as Robert Whitworth, Matthew Boulton aid James Watt, the inventor of the modern steam engine. In 1793, the Society Was reconstructed with' a stricter constitution under' which there were three classes of members—the first were ordinary members described as "real engineers" employed as such in public or private service, the second and third classes were honorary members. the invention of the steam engine and the events which follo ed upon its introduction called into Bionel Gin, Dr.
och, that committee [being a class of men whose pro-von Tustord, as fessional avocation was distinct Members of. the, Insttafrom the purely military pew, Chum and ficance which the term "engineer"
lark as Associate Mer had previously implied, and, by way ani die As He Martin as of distinction, the "term Bers art Member' with Mtr. He engineer" came tobe ado Studer wi nose work in organic Smeaton writing in 1798, speak inevdimer was doy applaud his profession as secre oe which in be 0."
nye In og "in engineer. ye. years later, on January 2, 1818, the Institution Its 'BreChatiey. conisbuted a of Civil Engineers' was founded. Bought appreciation of the At that time engineering was openines importance in world poli ing out in all directions in the Hee Gh einphastzed. the varus. of the Insttation i that its diplo United Kingdom; the country was [being covered with a net-work of canals, the highroads were being eeademi di and showed how the Member of improved, mineral railways were Institution could balance, the be being constructed and the steam fits. receiving from membership by driven locomotives of Blenkinsop-Dutting all he knew into furthering Headley and Stephenson were in Teg interests, Mr. Pearson set the operation upon them. Symington alt rolling for the formation of the had tried his steam barge, the committee, Mr, Tuxford pointed out "Charlotte Dundas" on the Forth that" no" engineer sat on thi Clyde Canal successfully, and six Boxer "Indemnity Commission—an years earlier the S.S. Comet had omission which it was felt the new Zommenced running on the Clyde; Committee should immediately take river navigation and harbours were mtn too, on Mr. Pearson being improved. suggestion. the "Importance fessional "engineer son the, China ring representation of the Ten years later, on June 3, 1828, the original Royal Charter Resoelation was added to the, list Incorporation was granted embody-Of things which" the (Committee ing the well-known statement of Sfould have to press on the atten-the objects of the Institution, and tion of the appropriate authorities, of "the of knowledge which {Was pointedly observed that, al constitutes the profession of a civil se°dgstable members of a Chamber engineering salesmen might engineers," and 80 little careful to safeguard its title that a of Commerce, the services. of the simple description of profession then laintrented "professional engineer formally assumed and rendered cere essential for the proper dis-valuable by its efforts, came into cussion "of modern problems China, The gathering, was imbued general yse and for many with a suitable pride in the emin-Apart from the designation Mem thee of British" engineering the ber or Associate Member of the arid over. It rejected, inferiority
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.