Charles Conrad Schneider
Encyclopedia
Charles Conrad Schneider , often referred to as C. C. Schneider, was an American
civil engineer
and bridge designer.
in the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
. He graduated from the Royal Technical School at Chemnitz
, Germany
, in 1864, and came to the United States in 1897. Having emigrated to the United States, he engaged in locomotive and bridge construction. He was one of the engineers that were involved in the erection of the Statue of Liberty
in 1886. Among the many bridges he designed and built are the cantilever Fraser River
bridge on the Canadian Pacific Railway
, and the Niagara Cantilever Bridge
. Schneider also was the head of the team investigating the first collapse of the Quebec Bridge
in 1907, and in 1911 became a member of the board of engineers for the bridge.
He was vice president of the American Bridge Company
1900-1903. In 1905 Schneider was named president of the American Society of Civil Engineers
. He was twice awarded with the Norman Medal which “recognizes a paper that makes a definitive contribution to engineering science,” in 1905 and in 1908. About 1910 he ran an engineering office together with Frederick C. Kunz in Philadelphia.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and bridge designer.
Biography
Schneider was born in ApoldaApolda
Apolda is a town in central Thuringia, Germany, the capital of the Weimarer Land district. It is situated in the center of the triangle Weimar - Jena - Naumburg near the river Ilm, c. 15 km east by north from Weimar, on the main line of railway from Berlin via Halle, to...
in the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
The Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created in 1809 by the merger of the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach. It was raised to a Grand duchy in 1815 by resolution of the Vienna Congress. In 1877, it officially changed its name to the Grand Duchy of Saxony , but this name was...
. He graduated from the Royal Technical School at Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in 1864, and came to the United States in 1897. Having emigrated to the United States, he engaged in locomotive and bridge construction. He was one of the engineers that were involved in the erection of the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
in 1886. Among the many bridges he designed and built are the cantilever Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
bridge on the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, and the Niagara Cantilever Bridge
Niagara Cantilever Bridge
The Niagara Cantilever Bridge or Michigan Central Railway Cantilever Bridge was a cantilever bridge across the Niagara Gorge. An international railway-only bridge between Canada and the United States, it connected Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls, Ontario, located just south of the...
. Schneider also was the head of the team investigating the first collapse of the Quebec Bridge
Quebec Bridge
right|thumb|Lifting the centre span in place was considered to be a major engineering achievement. Photo caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] Magazine, December 1917...
in 1907, and in 1911 became a member of the board of engineers for the bridge.
He was vice president of the American Bridge Company
American Bridge Company
The American Bridge Company is a privately held civil engineering firm specializing in the construction and renovation of bridges and other large civil engineering projects, founded in 1900, and headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh.-Products and industry positioning:The...
1900-1903. In 1905 Schneider was named president of the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
. He was twice awarded with the Norman Medal which “recognizes a paper that makes a definitive contribution to engineering science,” in 1905 and in 1908. About 1910 he ran an engineering office together with Frederick C. Kunz in Philadelphia.
Bridges and buildings
- Niagara Cantilever BridgeNiagara Cantilever BridgeThe Niagara Cantilever Bridge or Michigan Central Railway Cantilever Bridge was a cantilever bridge across the Niagara Gorge. An international railway-only bridge between Canada and the United States, it connected Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls, Ontario, located just south of the...
, Niagara Falls (New York)Niagara Falls, New YorkNiagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
/ Niagara Falls (Ontario)Niagara Falls, OntarioNiagara Falls is a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903...
, 1883 - CPRCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
Bridge crossing the Fraser RiverFraser RiverThe Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
at Cisco (Siska), 1884 - Washington BridgeWashington BridgeThe Washington Bridge carries six lanes of traffic over the Harlem River in New York City between the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx, connecting 181st Street and Amsterdam Avenue in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan to University Avenue in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx...
, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, 1886 - Railway terminal, Jersey City, 1891
Writings
- General Specifications for Railroad Bridges (1886)
- General Specifications for Highway Bridges (1901)
- General Specifications for Structural Steel Work in Buildings (1905; new ed., 1910)