William Haskins
William Haskins (1828-1896)
1896 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM HASKINS, born on the 27th of May, 1828, at Coolkenno Hall, Co. Wicklow, was the son of the late Mr. Abraham Haskins.
After being educated at Dublin, he served three years under &fr. Furlong, engineer and surveyor to Earl Fitzwilliam.
Emigrating in 1852, he obtained a post as an Assistant Engineer on the Great Western Railway of Canada, on the survey and construction of which he was engaged for two years.
In October, 1856, Mr. Haskins was appointed City Engineer of Hamilton, Ontario, which position he held until his death. When the city took over the waterworks from the Board of Commissioners in 1861, the duties of manager were entrusted to him in addition to those he already performed. He made himself conversant with every detail of the Waterworks Department and brought it to a high state of efficiency. Shortly before his death he prepared a number of plans, minutely describing the whole system, and also designs for sewage disposal works at the outlets of the Wentworth Street and Ferguson Avenue sewers.
Mr. Haskins died at his residence in Hamilton on the 5th of July, 1896. He had attended at his office up to the previous day, although for the past two years he had not enjoyed good health. Death was due to a stroke of apoplexy, from the effects of which he never regained consciousness. Mr. Haskins was a Member of the Canadian Society of Engineers and was qualified to practise in the Dominion as a land surveyor.
He was elected a Member of the Institution on the 7th of April, 1891.