Ralph Stephen Glover
Ralph Stephen Glover (1850-1904)
1906 Obituary [1]
RALPH STEPHEN GLOVER, born on the 9th November, 1850, graduated at Queen’s College, Galway, in 1869, and served a pupilage of 1 year to Mr. B. B. Stoney, at Dublin Harbour.
After acting for a time as assistant to Mr. A. Tate, County Surveyor of Antrim, he accepted an appointment as Agent to Messrs. Stoney and Company, Contractors, of Orissa, and on arrival in India, he carried out contracts for canal work in the Orissa district in that capacity.
In 1877 he obtained the position of Engineer in charge of roads and river improvements in the Backergunge district, Bengal, resigning in 1882 to become Executive Engineer of the first division of the Dacca and Mymensing State Railway, under the late Mr. Horace Bell, Chief Engineer. In 1885, the Government having decided on the construction of a railway through the Bolan Pass, Mr. Glover was appointed to take charge of a section of the line, on which he remained until its completion in the following year, despite the unhealthy conditions prevailing.
After a short rest, he next joined the Indian Midland Railway, as District Engineer in charge of the Betwa Division, which comprised some heavy works including the Betwa River and Banda bridges.
On the completion of these works, he superintended the section between Agra and Goona as senior District Engineer, and twice acted as Chief Engineer, during the absence of Mr. Wrench on furlough. Mr. Glover remained in the service after the amalgamation of the Indian Midland Railway with the Great Indian Peninsula system, and was acting as Deputy Chief Engineer at the time of his death, which occurred on the 29th November, 1904, as the result of injuries sustained in a severe fall.
In 1881 Queen’s University conferred upon him the honorary degree of Master of Engineering, and in June, 1894, he was gazetted a Major of the Volunteer forces of Bengal.
Mr. Glover was elected an Associate Member of the Institution on the 6th December, 1887.