CIVIL ENGINEER. When, in the 18th century, attention began to be given in England to such works of public value as roads, canals, harbours, docks, and lighthouses, the regulation of rivers, the production of iron by improved methods, and the construction of steam engines and of the machinery called forth by that new source of motive power, there arose men of great natural gifts, either with little technical training but great practical intel ligence and skill, such as Brindley, or of equal practical capacity coupled with scientific attainments, such as Smeaton and Watt. These men applied to beneficent purposes the mechanical and constructional arts which previously had formed almost entirely the vocation of the military engineer, and they called themselves "engineers"; but Smeaton, seeing the inappropriateness of assum ing a title hitherto belonging to military men, adopted the title "civil engineer," to make it clear that he was a civilian practitioner of those arts.
It was with this conception of the civil engineering profession that the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded. A royal char ter of incorporation was granted to the institution on June 3, 1828. Before applying for the charter, the Society drew up a definition of the profession, "the art of directing the great sources of power in Nature for the use and convenience of man." Many societies have since arisen having for their object the advancement of particular branches of engineering work, but the institution adheres to the conception of civil engineering held by its founders, and admits to its ranks any engineer who is ade quately trained and experienced in the design and execution of any works or machinery instrumental in the application of sources of power for the benefit and convenience of- mankind. The roll of the institution in 1928 numbered upwards of 10,00o. Its house in Great George street, Westminster (the third building which it has occupied in that street), was built in Specialization has brought about separate grouping of those interested in mechanical, electrical mining, etc., engineering. Underlying all groups is the work of the civil engineer, whose field particularly is that of structures. Foundations, simple or ex tremely complicated, are within his realm. He designs and super vises the construction of bridges and great buildings, tunnels, dams, reservoirs and aqueducts ; he brings water to the centres of population and disposes of their wastes. He irrigates the desert and reclaims the swamps. He lays out, constructs and maintains highways and railroads, digs canals, regulates rivers, deepens har bours, builds lighthouses and constructs wharves and piers. He measures the earth's surface and the objects on it, and charts the resulting data. The work is frequently of a very definitely pioneering character, involving protracted physical effort. The civil engineer must have a scientific attitude of mind, and should have imaginatioc, initiative, accuracy and good judgment, trained by special study. He should be able to work with men as well as with materials, and he should have administrative ability. In the United States with over ioo million inhabitants, probably 75,000 persons would call themselves civil engineers.
The American Society of Civil Engineers, founded in 1852, admits engineers from various fields. It has a membership of about 14,00o and is an important engineering institution.