Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. LXX, December, 1910

by American Society of Civil Engineers

FOOTNOTES:

[4] Memoir prepared by W. Cullen Morris, M. Am. Soc. C.E.

JACOBUS VAN DER HOEK, M. Am. Soc. C.E.[5]

Died December 22D, 1909.

Jacobus Van der Hoek, son of the late Gysbertus Van der Hoek and Johanna (Tupers) Van der Hoek, was born at Goes, The Netherlands, on March 19th, 1862. He received his early education at the Public Schools, and was graduated from the High School of his native town in August, 1879. In September of the same year he entered the Polytechnic School at Delft, The Netherlands, from which he was graduated, as Civil Engineer, in July, 1883.

During 1884 Mr. Van der Hoek was employed as Inspector on the construction of a dike across the "het slaak," a shallow tidewater 1½ miles wide, and made surveys and soundings for a record map of adjacent waters covering an area of 6 sq. miles.

In 1885 and 1886 he was employed by the Dutch Government as Assistant Engineer in charge of a party, to re-survey the principal rivers of Holland, and triangulated about 25 miles of river.

During 1887 Mr. Van der Hoek was Engineer in charge of the submarine shore protection for the "Polder of Schouwen," The Netherlands. In 1887 he left his native land for the United States, arriving in New York City, on December 25th.

From the latter part of 1888 to the beginning of 1890, he was employed by the Wheeling Bridge and Terminal Railway Company, at Wheeling, W. Va., under the late Job Abbott, M. Am. Soc. C.E., Chief Engineer. The work comprised steam railway construction, a bridge 2,000 ft. in length, including one span over the Ohio River, 525 ft. long, and three tunnels from 400 to 2,400 ft. long, all double-track and heavy work throughout. The Engineer who was in charge of the work, writes:

"Mr. Van der Hoek reported to me as Chief Draftsman and Office Assistant during the period above mentioned. He was so capable and earnest in all of his work, and so well qualified to perform it, that our relations were not only uniformly pleasant, but they marked the beginning of a friendship that lasted until the deplorable end of Mr. Van der Hoek's useful life."