John McGlashan (1874-1948)
John McGlashan (1874-1948)
1948 Obituary [1]
JOHN McGLASHAN was born at Bombay on the 24th September, 1874, and died at Hatfield Peverel, Essex, on the 2lst April, 1948.
He was educated at Gordon’s College, Aberdeen, and received his scientific training at Aberdeen University. After serving his pupilage under the late Mr. R. Gordon Nicol, M.I.C.E., Harbour Engineer of Aberdeen, he remained with Mr. Nicol as second assistant until 1898, when he took up an appointment as assistant Engineer to the Bombay Port Trust.
In 1902 he became a Resident Engineer to the Commissioners for the Port of Calcutta, and he continued in their service until his retirement in 1929, rising successively to District Engineer in 1909, Deputy Chief Engineer in 1913, and finally, in 1918, Engineer in Chief. Among the many works carried out under his supervision were the extensions and improvements to the Calcutta jetties in 1910-1912, the extension of dock No. 2, the five riverside berth sheds at Garden Reach, and the construction of King George’s dock, 1920-1928. His services in connexion with the King George’s dock were recognized by the award of the C.I.E.
In 1921 he was appointed by the Government of Bengal as a member of the Special Engineers Committee for the New Howrah Bridge, and later was a member of the Bridge Construction Committee. During the first World War he served in the Calcutta Volunteer Rifles and the Calcutta Port Defence Corps, and also acted as Secretary to the Calcutta Port Administration. Mr. McGlashan was elected a Member of The Institution on the 6thDecember, 1910, and served on the Council, as representative for India, from 1922 until 1925.
In 1929 he presented a Paper entitled "The Sinking of Trial Monoliths for King George’s Dock, Calcutta." He was also a Vice-President of the Institution of Engineers (India), by whom, in1927, he was awarded the Viceroy’s Prize for the best Paper read before it, on the 80-foot lock entrance at the Kidderpore docks, and Chairman of the Bengal Association of Engineers ; and he delivered a series of Lectures on Dock Engineering at the Seebpore Engineering College, Calcutta. In 1907 he married Grace Isobel Fraser, and had two sons and two daughters.