Ernst George Fischer, former chief of the Instrument Division, who was retired August 15, 1922, died at Garfield Hospital, Washington, D.C., at 4:00 a.m., September 22. Interment was at Rock Creek Cemetery.

Born August 6, 1852, in Baltimore, Maryland, his parents took him to Germany at the age of 2, where he lived until he was 18, attending school, the Polytecnicum, and working in the Engineering Works of Moritz Kleber in Dresden.

Prior to entering the service of this Bureau on June 1, 1887, he was employed by Fault & Company, Washington, D.C., where he constructed the first Coast and Geodetic Survey tide-predicting machine under the immediate supervision of Professor William Ferrel. He was responsible for many varied improvements in instrumental equipment. His greatest contribution was his part in the construction of the tide-predicting machine, now in use, which was built in the Bureau's shop during the time he was chief of the Instrument Division.

Ernst Georg Fischer, former division chief of this Bureau, on May 16, 1934, was awarded the Howard N. Potts Gold Medal by The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, "in recognition of a lifetime spent with marked success in the design of instruments of precision for the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey." He was a member of the Philosophical Society, the Washington Academy of Sciences, and the Cosmos Club.

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ESSA Corps Bulletin, 1/1/1969