Background
He was the son of Gilbert and Mary (Rice) Totten, was born in New Haven, Connecticut.
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ++++ The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to ensure edition identification: ++++ The Azores, Madeiras, Salvages, Canaries, And Cape Verde Islands; Issue 102 Of H. O. Pub 2 United States. Hydrographic Office, Charles Philippe de Kerhallet, George Muirson Totten, William H. Parker, Robert C. Ray Govt. print. off., 1892 Pilot guides
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(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
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He was the son of Gilbert and Mary (Rice) Totten, was born in New Haven, Connecticut.
After attending schools in his native town, including the Hopkins Grammar School, in 1824 he entered Norwich Military Academy at Norwich, Vt. , which later became Norwich University. He graduated in 1827 during the era of canal building.
He secured a position as assistant engineer on the Farmington Canal, afterwards used as part of the roadbed of the New Haven & Northampton Railroad. He served in a like capacity on the Juniata Canal in Pennsylvania (1828 - 31), and on the Delaware & Raritan in New Jersey (1831 - 35). By this time the railroad was rapidly superseding the canal as the principal means of transportation and in 1835 Totten was employed to assist in the construction of a road from Reading to Port Clinton, Pa. ; subsequently he was engaged in similar work in Virginia; in Pennsylvania in connection with the Sunbury & Danville R. R. (1837 - 40); and in North Carolina in connection with the Gaston & Raleigh (1840 - 43).
In 1843 his first South American commission took him to the harbor of Cartagena in Colombia, where he built the Canal del Dique to connect that harbor with the Magdalena River. Associated with him in this enterprise was another pioneer engineer of the United States, John C. Trautwine.
In 1850, also in association with Trautwine, he became identified with the construction of the Panama Railroad, conceived at the time of the California gold rush of 1849, when the only methods of getting to the West were to go "the Plains across, the Horn around, or the Isthmus over. "
As engineer-in-chief of this work Totten spent some twenty-five years on the Isthmus, working under the worst possible conditions as to health and compelled to endure great hardships and privations.
When Ferdinand de Lesseps became president of the Panama Canal Company in 1879, Totten was asked to remain on the Isthmus as chief, and the only American member, of De Lesseps' staff. Later he went to Venezuela on railroad work near Car cas, served as consulting engineer in connection with the first Panama Canal project, and on many other canal and railroad works.
(This book was originally published prior to 1923, and rep...)
(This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)
He was made a member of the American Philosophical Society, January 17, 1851.
He was married at Pottsville, Pa. , July 12, 1835, to Harriet Seely of Sunbury, Pa. , who with two daughters survived him.
