Page:Canadian Alpine Journal I, 2.djvu/200

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Canadian Alpine Journal

IN MEMORIAM.


Colonel A. Laussedat.

It is with deep sorrow we have to record the death of one of our Honorary Members, Colonel Aimé Laussedat, a scientist of world-wide reputation and a man of most lovable personality. Dr. E. Deville has kindly prepared the following biographical note for the Journal:

"In March of last year, the members of the Alpine Club of Canada were grieved to learn of the death of Col. Aimé Laussedat, a distinguished Honorary member of the Club, after a short illness of only six days. Although eighty-nine years old, he had, during the preceding summer, made what he called a pleasure trip to Italy, but which actually was a visit to the scientific establishments and an investigation of their work. The fatigue of the trip proved too much for him, and shortly after his return he became seriously ill. A good long rest at his country place restored his health. Feeling quite strong, he came back to his Paris residence to take part in a vote at the Academy of Sciences; he had also arranged to give, on March 24th, a lecture in which particular mention was to be made of Canada and of the honor conferred upon him by giving his name to one of the Rocky Mountain peaks. Alas! Six days before the date of the lecture the recent illness had returned and carried him away.

"Born in 1819, Laussedat was admitted to the Ecole Polytechnique in 1838, graduating in 1840 as an officer of Engineers. As Captain of Engineers he was detailed in 1846-48 to survey the Pyrennees Mountains in connection with the Franco-Spanish boundary. It was while making this survey that he conceived the idea of