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       SUCCESSFUL WISCONSIN
                   ENGINEERS_
  MAGNUS SWENSON, (Met. E. 80 M S. 83 -M. F. '98),
now Chairman of the State Council of Defense and Federal 1Food
                                    A -7... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I
should serve as an inspiration
to all present and future engi-
neers. If the details of his
varied experiences could he
written they would read more
like a romance than a chapter
from real life. Unfortunately
the space allotted will permit
of only a brief outline.
  In 1868 he left his native
land, Norway, in a sailing ves-
sel, bound for America.. The
voyage was long and tempest-
ous.  It lasted twelve weeks.
during which time, twenty-two
of the sixty passengers died
of starvation and exhaustion.
The ship finally landed at the
island of Anticosta, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence river.
  From there the ship was towed to Quebec where the passengers
were landed. No friends were there to welcome him; even the
skics were dark and foreboding; and a thunder storm was raging
such as Magnus had never seen nor heard in Norway. Hie now
found himself a stranger in a foreign land, unable to speak a
word of its language. His assets were a few personat belongings
in a little -wooden chest, barely enough money to take him to his
destination, and a never failing optimism and courage. lie was
bound for Wisconsin and in spite of the hardships of the ocean
voyage he again took passage on a boat, up the St. Lawrence
River and thin the Great Lakes to Detroit. It was a freighter
and at night fle curled up en the (deOk and sIJe)L uIae a 1ILLIC
soldier. From Detroit he weut to Chicago by rail and then on
t~o Wisconsin.