Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 09.djvu/163

 ROGERS

ROGERS

personally supervised the sinking of the caissons. During the fire in the Brooklyn caissons in Dec- ember, 1871, he was stricken with caisson fever, but continued to carry on his work from the sick room, in which he was greatly assisted by his wife. In 1873 he was obliged to go abroad for his health, but on his return after several months re- sumed his position as chief engineer and carried the work to its completion in 1883. The struc- ture when completed cost about $13,000,000 in- stead of the original estimate of $7,000,000 made by his father, the increase being due to improve- ments in the construction and cost of real estate. The total length of the bridge and approaches is 5,989 feet, and the middle span is 1,595 feet. Mr. Roebling was vice-president of the John A. Roeb- ling and Sons company, manufacturers of iron and steel wire and wire rope, at Trenton, N.J. He is the author of Military Suspension Bridge (1863).

ROGERS, Fairman, civil engineer, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 15, 1833 ; son of Evans and Clara Augusta (Fairman) Rogers. He was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, A.B., 1853, A.M., 1856 ; was lecturer on mechanics at Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, 1853-64 ; pro- fessor of civil engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, 1856-71, and a trustee of the Uni- versity, 1871-86. He was a member of the 1st troop of Philadelphia cavalry in 1861, and served as a volunteer officer of U.S. engineers, during the Antietam and Gettysburg campaigns. In 1863 he made a survey of the Potomac river north- ward from Blakiston Island, for the U.S. coast and geodetic survej-. He was a member and treasurer of the National Academy of Sciences ; a member of the American Philosophical society ; the American Society of Civil Engineers, and of the Pennsylvania Historical society. He was mar- ried in 1856 to Rebecca H., daughter of John F. Gilpin of Philadelphia. Among his important scientific papers are : Combinations of Zlechanism representing Mental Processes (1874); Notes on Grant's Difference Engine (1874); Terrestrial Magnetism and the Magnetism of Iron Ships (1883), and A Manual of Coaching (1800). He died in Vienna, Austria, Aug. 24, 1900.

ROGERS, Henry Darwin, geologist, was born in Philadelphia, Pa.. Aug. 1, 1808 ; son of Patrick Kerr and Hannah (Blythe) Rogers. He received his education in Baltimore, Md., and V.'illiams- burg, Va. ; was professor of chemistry and nat- ural philosophy at Dickinson college. Pa., 1830- 81, and studied science in London, England, in 1831. He lectured on geology at the Franklin Institute, 1833-34, and was professor of geology and mineralogy at the University of Pennsyl- vania, 1835—46. He made a geological and miner- alogical survey of New Jersey, 1835-36 ; was in

charge of the geological survey of the state of Pennsylvania, 1836-41 ; was employed as an ex- pert by several coal companies, 1841-51, and con- tinued his work on the survey of Pennsylvania, 1851-54. He removed to Edinburgh, Scotland, and engaged in the preparation of a final report of the survey, and in 1858 was ap- pointed professor of natural history at the University of Glas- gow, where he re- mained until his death. The honorary degree of A.M. was conferred on him by the University of Pennsylvania in 1834, and that of LL.D. by the University of Dublin in 1857. He was a member of the American Philosophical society, the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, the Geological society of London, a fel- low of the Royal society of Edinburgh, and presi- dent of the Philosophical society of Glasgow. He edited T7ie Messenger of Useful Knowledge (1830- 31); was one of the managers of the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, and is the author of : Description of the Geology of the State of New Jersey (1840); The Geology of Pennsylvania, a Government Survey (2 vols., 1858); A Guide to a Course of Lectures on Geology ; A Geological Map of the United States and a Chart of the Arctic Regions in the Physical Atlas, and A Geograph- ical Map of the United States, with AVilliam and Alexander N. Johnson (1857). He died near Glasgow, Scotland, May 29, 1866.

ROGERS, Henry Wade, jurist, was born in Holland Patent, N.Y., Oct. 10, 1853. He was graduated fromtlieL'niversity of Michigan, A.B., 1874, A.M., 1877. He was married in 1876 to Emma, daughter of John Ogden and Sarali Jane Winner of Pennington, N.J. He was admitted to the bar in 1877 ; was Tappan professor of law at the University of Michigan, 1882-85 ; professor of law and professor of Roman law, 1885-90, and dean of the law school, 1885-90. He was presi- dent of Northwestern university, 1890-1901, re- signing to become professor of law at Yale university in September, 1901. He was chairman of the section of legal education of the American Bar association, 1893-94; chairman ol' the World's Congress on Jurisprudence and Law Reform at the World's Columbian exposition, Chicago, in 1893, and general chairman of the Saratoga Con- ference on the Foreign Policy of the United States in 1898. The honorary degree of LL.D.