History of Orleans, (Barnstable County) Massachusetts United States of America

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Thomas Doane, engineer, was born in Orleans, Mass., Sept. 20, 1821; son of John and Polly (Eldridge) Doane. His father was the originator of forest culture in America, and held several public offices. The son studied at the English academy at Andover, Mass., and in 1843 entered the office of a civil engineer in Charlestown, Mass. In 1847 he became head engineer of a division of the Vermont Central railroad. He was consulting resident engineer of the Cheshire railroad, Walpole, N.H., 1847-49, and in the latter year opened an office in Charlestown, Mass. He was connected with the Boston & Maine railroad and with other roads as civil engineer, and in 1863-67 was engaged as chief engineer of the Hoosac tunnel, locating the line of the tunnel and building the dam in the Deerfield river to furnish water power. In this work he introduced nitroglycerine and electrical blasting in America. In 1869-73 he was in Nebraska, engaged in building a 240-mile extension of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy road. He located and named all the towns along the line, and was the chief instrument in the rounding of Doane college at Crete, Neb., in 1872. After his return to the east in 1873 he was reappointed on the Hoosac tunnel, and when it was opened ran the first engine through the tunnel. He was engaged on the Troy & Greenfield railway until 1877 and in 1879 was consulting and acting chief engineer of the Northern Pacific railroad. He was president of the Boston society of civil engineers, a member of the New England historic, genealogical society and of numerous other organizations. As early aS 1873 he proposed a compressed air power plant to do away with the boilers and fires used in cities. He died at West Townsend, Vt., Oct. 22, 1897.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Orleans, (Barnstable County) Massachusetts

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