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Martinius Stixrud

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Thomas Martinius Stixrud, (30. april 1866 i Risør- 1901 i Seattle, Washington, USA) var sønn av Emil Severin Aslaksen (1835-1900) og Anne Sofie Thomasdatter (1845-1892). Gift 12. september 1895 i Cook County Illinois med Thora Sofie Johannesdatter Haugen (2.10.1869 i Gjøvik-1963 i Seattle).

Barn: Helen K (1897-), Earl Thomas Eugene (24.8.1897-24.1.1893), Lydia E., Thora Louise (27.11.1900-24.6.1982)., Edith Lucille (9.5.1903-22.9.1969)., Chester R., Adolph W.

Martinius Stixrud gikk på Latinskolen i Skien. Han ble utdannet ved Chalmers Tekniske Skole i Gøteborg 1878 og deretter i Aachen Polytechnicum. Han utvandret til Amerika i 1881 og begynte hos Manitoba Railways. Senere samme år flyttet han over til broavdelingen hos Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway i Minneapolis samme høst. I 1883 kom han til Northern Pacific og ble sendt til vestkysten.

Hans arbeid omfattet design av en bratt passering av Stampede Pass hos Oregon Pacific Railroad, og planlegging av traseer for passering av Cascade Mountains gjennom Snoqualmie Pass for Seattle, Lake Shore, and Eastern Railway. Han planla og konstruerte bruer for passering av Spokane River.

I 1890 ble han city engineer i Seattle. Senere rådgivende ingeniør i Seattle.

Omtale i The American Society of Civil Engineers:

His first summer in this country was spent as a transitman and draftsman on the Manitoba Railways. During the winter of 1881 - 82 he was engaged as a draftsman and computer in the Bridge Department of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, at Minneapolis. Early in 1883 he was engaged by Northern Pacific Railroad , with office at Brainard, but from there was sent out to the Pacific Coast by that company.

In 1883 he designed the switchback over the Stampede Pass, under V.G. Bo gue, M. Am. Soc. C.E., who at the time was Principal Assistant Chief Engineer of the road . Mr. Stixrud continued his engagement with this railroad until 1885, and during part of this time he was Assistant Engineer to W. H. Kennedy, M. Am. Soc. C.E.

In 1885 - 86 he was Engineer on the location and construction of the Oregon Pacific Railroad. During 1886 - 87 he was Locating Engineer for the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway, running lines across the Cascade Mountains through Snoqualmie Pass. This party suffered a great deal during the winter, from exposure and shortage of provisions, and at that time Mr. St ixrud contracted an ear trouble, which caused him much pain ever afterward.

In 1887 - 88 he was Engineer in Charge of Location and Construction of the Seattle, West Coast Railway (afterward the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway). In 1888 he went to Spokane, in the interests of the same company, and designed and constructed the bridges, of this company, over the Spokane River. In 1889 he continued as Locating Engineer for the same company. In short, up to this time he had been eng aged constantly on railroad work, on both location and construction, and his reputation as a reliable and able engineer in those branches was established.

In 1890, very much against his inclination, Mr. Stixrud became City Engineer of Seattle, but did not give satisfaction to the politicians, who were unable to use him and his office as they pleased. He was most shamefully treated and although ousted from office, was completely exonerated, and came through this blackmailing process victorious. Some time before this, he was engaged with J.E. Ericson, M. Am. Soc. C.E., later City Engineer of Chicago, in preparing plans for water and sewage systems for Seattle, under Mr. Benezette Williams.

From 1890 Mr. Stixrud was located permanently in Seattle, and pract iced as Consulting Engineer, forming a partnership in 1892 with Mr. C. Nästen. To be a consulting engineer in that western country required the most diverse knowledge and practice, thus bridge and structural engineering, water supply, sewerage, drainage, irrigation, and also railroad surveys, comprised the firm's work.

In 1892 - 93 Mr. Stixrud spent the winter in California and Mexico, having in view the irrigation of the desert lands in the Colorado River Basin. Plans were prepared to irrigate 600,000 ac res. The proposed intake was on the Colorado River near Hanlon's Ferry, not far from Yuma. However, the business part of the undertaking failed at that time. In 1893 he was engaged as Engineer for the Board of Tideland Appraisers for King County, Washi ngton. In this capacity he made a very extensive survey of Seattle and Ballard Harbors, establishing harbor lines and waterways, and plotted the tideland areas at Seattle, Ballard and part of Tacoma Harbors. Especially for Seattle, this was a work of gre at importance, as it dealt with the future plans of Seattle Harbor, railway terminals, and manufacturing districts. Mr. Stixrud did not succeed in getting his general plan of the main part of Seattle Harbor accepted. Captain T.W. Symons, M. Am. Soc. C. E ., representing strong interests, had a revised plan, which was accepted. Mr. Stixrud's plan was one with tidal basins, the rise of the tide being 16 ft. Captain Symons' plan was for open waterways, which appeared to suit the immediate or near future. Mr . Stixrud had ignored the South Canal Waterway. In the winter of 1896 - 97 Mr. Stixrud was the Chief Engineer for one of the cable tramways, constructed over the Chilkoot Pass, Alaska.

Se også

Kilde

  • Kenneth Bjork. Saga in Steel and Concrete. Norwegian Engineers in America, page 349.
  • Ancestry.com.
  • Find a grave
  • SAK, Risør sokneprestkontor, F/Fa/L0004: Ministerialbok nr. A 4, 1865-1882, s. 6