White, Canvass

White, Canvass

(1790–1834) civil engineer; born in Whitesboro, N.Y. In 1816 he became an assistant to Benjamin Wright, chief engineer of the Erie Canal. In 1817–18 he was sent to England to study construction methods, and on his return he surveyed improved routes for the canal. He also developed a high-quality cement, patented in 1820, and he worked on other canals and water projects.