John Evans (1877-1914)
John Evans (1877-1914)
son of William Evans (1843-1915)
1914 Obituary [1]
JOHN EVANS was born at Rhymney, Mon., on 23rd January 1877.
He was educated at private schools in his native town and at Shrewsbury Public School for three years.
He commenced his apprenticeship in 1894 in the Cyfarthfa Engineering Works of Messrs. Crawshay Brothers, going through the pattern and fitting shops and the drawing office, and in 1896 he became assistant blast-furnace manager.
This position he held for three years, when he went to the Barrow Hematite Steel Co.'s Works in the same capacity.
In 1900 he returned to the Cyfarthfa Engineering Works to act as blast-furnace manager, under his father, who was managing director of the Company; and shortly after the Works were taken over by Messrs. Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds, he became Works Manager in the iron and steel department at Dowlais.
He always gave evidence of his aptitude for mechanical engineering, and designed a hydraulic ingot mould stripper, which has been adopted at several large steel works in this country. He also conceived the idea of erecting regenerative stoves on substantial iron supports at a height which would enable persons to walk under them and examine every part of the previously inaccessible bottom portion; previously the stoves had been placed flat on a bed of brick masonry. He was also interested in several other useful inventions, such as automatic boiler-feeding, and the mechanical manipulation of bars in connexion with the rolling of rails and other sections of bars.
His death took place at Dowlais on 11th February 1914, at the age of thirty-seven.
He was elected a Member of this Institution in 1906.
1914 Obituary [2]
JOHN EVANS died on February 12, 1914, at the age of thirty-seven.
He was the son of Mr. William Evans, Vice-President of the Iron and Steel Institute, and was works manager at Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, for Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds, Ltd.
He served his apprenticeship at the Cyfarthfa Works, where he became blast-furnace manager. On the works being acquired by Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds he was appointed works manager at Dowlais.
He was elected a member of the Iron and Steel Institute in 1899.