The Cyclopædia of American biography.

ALTSTAETTER

HUSTON

charge of the channels between Lake Erie, Lake nah, Georgia. He married, in Atlanta, 22 April,
Huron and Lake Superior, and was building 1908, Rebecca Barnard Raoul, daughter of
an additional lock at Sault Ste. Marie. The William Greene Raoul of New York and Atwork was rushed night and day, so that even lanta, Georgia. Mr. Raoul was president of
if the enemy should elude the heavy guard the Central Railroad of Georgia for a few
which was placed around these locks and de- years and later for many years of the Mexistroy one of them, there would be an addi- can National Railroad. Colonel Altstaetter is
tional one as. reserve to handle the commerce the father of three children: Mary Altstaetter,
at this point. These locks are closed for William Raoul Altstaetter, and Antonia Altabout three or four months in the winter time, staetter.
due to ice, but while in operation, the daily HUSTON, Charles, physician and manutonnage of Ireight moving through them facturer, b. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
amounts to about five or six times the foreign 23 July, 1822; d. 4 January, 1897, son of Robert
tonnage moving in and out of New York Har- Mendenhall and Hannah (West) Huston.
bor. Two-thirds of all the iron ore used in The Huston family for generations had
the United States moves through these locks, been prominent in the public life of Philaand iron is the most important single indus- delphia. His grandfather, William Huston,
try as far as war is concerned. A large was conspicuous in public affairs; while his
amount of wheat is hauled from the northwest father, Dr. Robert Mendenhall Huston was
through these locks, and a large amount of Dean of the Jefferson Medical College and
coal is taken through them up to the north- eminent in his profession. He was foremost
west. These with iron ore form the bulk of in the organization of the first gas company
the freight. It would require about 36,000 in Philadelphia and in building the first gas
freight trains to move the tonnage which works, a service which brought him a gift
passes every nine months through the locks from his colleagues, 3 January, 1840, of a silat Sault Ste. Marie, and because of the over- ver service set bearing the following inscriploaded condition of the Irailroads and the mili- tion: "Presented to Robert M. Huston, M.D.,
tary value of the principal articles moved, it by the stockholders in testimony of their apwas of vital importance that everything should preciation of his services to them and the
be done to keep open the channels at this public as president of the Board of Trustees
place and to complete the new lock as a re- of the Philadelphia Gas Works." Dr. Charles
serve. Incidentally, there are two new locks Huston inherited the versatility and ability
at Sault Ste. Marie of the same size. They of his father and grandfather. He was eduare the longest locks on earth, being over a cated at the University of Pennsylvania, bequarter of a mile between the inside lock ing graduated at the unusually early age of
gates. Major Altsaetter, who, in the meantime eighteen, in 1840. He then entered Jefferson
had been promoted to the rank of Colonel, Medical College, where he was graduated
applied for an assignment at the front in M.D., in 1843, after which he spent eighteen
France. Finally, a short time before the months in Europe pursuing his professional
armistice was signed, he was directed to hold studies in the best medical colleges and hoshimself in readiness for immediate service. pitals on the continent. With his return to
The armistice prevented his sailing. In No- America he entered upon the practice of his
vember, 1918, he was transferred to the United profession in Philadelphia, but following his
States Engineer Office, Savannah, Georgia. marriage with Isabella P. Lukens, of CoatesThe duties here consisted principally of charge ville, Pennsylvania, removed to that place in
of the harbors of Brunswick and Savannah. 1848. In 1849, with his brother-in-law, AbraAbout $1,000,000 a year is spent by this office ham Gibbons, he entered the iron business as
in maintaining and improving these harbors, one of the management of the Brandywine
principally by means, of jetties and dredging. Iron Works, of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, an
In August, 1920, Colonel Altstaetter was re- enterprise which had been established by
tired for physical disability, although retained Isaac Pennock, one of the pioneer iron makin charge of his work at the time. The vari- ers of the country, in 1780, and continued by
ous U. E. Engineer Offices with which Colonel his son-in-law, Dr. Charles Lukens; and upAltstaetter was connected were in charge of on the death of the latter, by his widow, Reall improvements by the Government of public becca W. Lukens. Following the death of
navigable waters of the United States, as well Rebecca W. Lukens, in 1854, the title of the
as fortification work. The work includes the enterprise was changed 'from the "Brandypreparation of projects for the improvement wine" to the "Lukens" Rolling Mills. In 1855,
of harbors and rivers, after a study of the Abraham Gibbons retired and the conduct of
commerce, present and prospective, and the en- the business devolved entirely upon Dr.
gineering features involved. Colonel Altstaet- Charles Huston. To his task he brought a reter investigated a number of different har- markable aptitude for business and an indebors and rivers and submitted reports on all fatigable industry. A student by nature he
conditions affecting their navigability. Colonel turned easily from the paths of medical reAltstaetter is a member of the Army and Navy search and investigation to the study of all
Club of New York City, the Army and Navy the various mechanical processes necessary to
Club of Washington, D. C., the Society of the production of iron, and ventured far into
American Military Engineers, the American the field of metallurgy. As the result of his
Society of Civil Engineers, the Permanent In- painstaking and intelligent labor he was not
ternational Association of Navigation Con- only one of the most successful iron masters
gresses, Duquesne Club of Pittsburgh, Penn- of his time but became well known as an
sylvania, and the Oglethorpe Club, of Savan- authority on iron and steel in this country.

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