George L. Vose

George Leonard Vose (19 April 1831 – 30 March 1910) was a United States civil engineer and Professor of Civil Engineering at Bowdoin College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, known as educator in the field of railroads,[1][2] and from his "Manual for railroad engineers and engineering students" (1873).[3][4]

George L. Vose
Born
George Leonard Vose

(1831-04-19)April 19, 1831
Augusta, Maine, U.S.
DiedMarch 30, 1910(1910-03-30) (aged 78)
Brunswick, Maine, U.S.
Resting placeHarmony Grove Cemetery
NationalityAmerican
EducationHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Spouse(s)Abba Valentine Thompson Vose
Charlotte Buxton Andrews
ChildrenMabel Vose
Elizabeth Chandler Vose Torrey
Richard Hampton Vose
Harriet Bates
Parent(s)Richard H. Vose
Engineering career
InstitutionsBowdoin College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Early life and career

George Leonard Vose was born in Augusta, Maine on April 13, 1831 to Richard Hampton Vose (1803–1864), a politician and Governor of the State of Maine and Harriet Greene Chandler Vose (1811–1861).[5] Vose was educated at home in Salem, Massachusetts. From 1849 to 1850 he studied at the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard College.[1]

After Harvard, Vose started his career as an assistant engineer on the Kennebec and Portland Railroad, and until 1859 was engaged on various railroads. From 1859 to 1863, he was associate editor of The American Railway Times in Boston, and then for three years, he resided in Salem, Massachusetts. In 1866, he moved to Paris, Maine, and was occupied with railroad projects in Maine and New Hampshire. Vose was a professor of civil engineering in Bowdoin College from 1872 until 1881 and Hayward Professor of Civil and Topographical Engineering[6] as well as department head for civil engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1881 until 1887.[1][2][7]

Handbook of Railroad Construction, 1857

In 1854, Vose married Abba Valentine Thompson Vose (1843-1870) and they had four children, Harriet Lenora Vose (1856–1886), Mabel Vose (1859–1888), Elizabeth Chandler Vose Torrey (1863–1901) and Richard Hampton Vose (1866–1957).[5] In 1872, Vose married Charlotte Buxton Andrews (1843-1889).[8] Vose's daughter Harriet married Arlo Bates.[9]

Death and Legacy

Vose died on March 30, 1910 in Brunswick, Maine and was interred at Harmony Grove Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts.[5] Vose Spur, a subpeak of Mount Carrigain, is named for him.

Published Works

Handbook of Railroad Construction, 1857

The subtitle of the "Handbook of railroad construction: for the use of American engineers. Containing the necessary rules, tables, and formulæ for the location, construction, equipment, and management of railroads, as built in the United States." already explains the purpose and content of this work. It wants to offer rules, tables, and formulæ for the location, construction, equipment, and management of railroads. In the Preface Vose further explains that:

... the object of this work was to give in the plainest possible manner all instructions, rules, and tables necessary for the location, construction, equipment, and management of railroads.
As a general thing, American engineers are not educated for their business; and when they do possess a knowledge of pure science, they are at a loss how to apply it.
The reader is presumed acquainted with the elements of arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and mechanics ; being thus provided, he will, by a perusal of what follows, be enabled to correctly proportion bridges, of wood, stone, and iron ; abutments, piers, retaining walls, superstructure, and locomotive engines; and to plan and lay out, execute, and estimate any description of work occurring upon railroads.
As the object has been more to be useful than original, the best engineering writers and experimenters have been consulted ; among whom are, — Gauthey, Navier, Vicat, Tredgold, Barlow, Totten, Fairbairn, Hodgkinson, Clark, and Lardner. Also a great number of reports by American civil engineers upon railroad matters.[10]
Organization scheme of a railroad, 1857.
Costs of Operating and Maintaining a Railroad, 1857

Vose further explains that the work is written as "handbook" and not a "treatise", more meant as office companion than as a text-book for students.[10] Fifteen years later he renewed this work, entitled "Manual for railroad engineers and engineering students: containing the rules and tables needed for the location, construction, and equipment of railroads as built in the United States". This work had the similar table of content but was prepared for both railroad engineers and engineering students.[11]

Management

The last chapter of the 1857 handbook was devoted to management. In there Vose started explaining that railroad management can be divided into two major sections:

The financial management embraces the entire systems of accounts, and relates to everything to:[12]

The operating or operations management relates to:[13]

  • Maintaining the road-bed, superstructure, bridging, masonry, buildings, and fixed stock in working order
  • Making all repairs, renewals, enlargements, and alterations
  • Purchase, inspection, maintaining, and operating of the rolling stock.
1873 Vose Manual for Railroad Engineers book cover

Vose further goes into the general principles for efficient operation; a part extracted from McCallum (1856). The rate and direction of subordination are presented with a functional organization structure (see image), in which the General Superintendent is in charge. Vose had notified earlier, that financial management does not properly come in his days.[14] And indeed, the financial management function is not incorporated into the organisational structure pictured.

A special feature of the 1857 Handbook, were two classification charts of the organization and the costs of a railroad (see images) given in its last chapter on management. After explaining the duties of employees, the number of trains to be used, and the amount of service of engines, Vose goes into expenses, receipts, and profits. He presents another classification chart of the whole cost of operating and of maintaining a railroad (see image).[15]

Selected works

References
  1. Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1889). "Vose, George Leonard" . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.
  2. "Vose, George Leonard," in: The universal cyclopaedia, 1900. p. 604 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. Cleveland, Frederick Albert, and Fred Wilbur Powell. Railroad promotion and capitalization in the United States. Longmans, Green, and Company, 1909. p.336 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. Field, Alexander James. "The magnetic telegraph, price and quantity data, and the new management of capital." The Journal of Economic History 52.02 (1992): 401-413.
  5. "George Leonard Vose". Find A Grave. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  6. anon. (1 April 1910). "PROFESSOR VOSE DIES Was Formerly Head Of Civil Engineering Department" (PDF) (VOL. XXIX. NO. 130.). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  7. "Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Heads of the course and department". MIT Institute Archive. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  8. Vose, E. F. 1850-. (1932). Robert Vose and his descendants. Boston, Mass: S. Usher ; Fort Hill Press. pp. 412–413. Retrieved 3 October 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  9. Biographical Note, Arlo Bates and George L. Vose Papers at lib.udel.edu. Accessed January 27, 2014
  10. George L. Vose. Handbook of Railroad Construction Boston, (1857) p. iii-iv This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  11. George L. Vose. Manual for Railroad Engineers and Engineering Students (1873). p. v. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  12. Vose (1857, p. 413-14)
  13. Vose (1857, p. 414)
  14. Vose (1857, 413
  15. Vose (1857, p. 421)

Attribution

This article incorporates public domain material from Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1889). "Vose, George Leonard" . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.; and from Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920). "Vose, George Leonard" . Encyclopedia Americana..

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