Francis Joseph Edward Spring
Sir Francis Joseph Edward Spring (1849-1933), Indian Railways and Port of Madras
1915 Indian Biographical Dictionary
Spring, Hon’ble Sir Francis Joseph Edward, K.C.I.E., 1911; C.I.E. 1894; Chairman and Chief Engineer. Port Trust, Madras; Member, Madras Legislative Council, since 1913; s. of Rev. E. Spring of Cork, Ireland; b. 1849; educ: Middleton School, Cork, and Trinity College, Dublin; joined service, 1870; has been connected with the working of Indian Railways for 45 years; Major, South Indian Railway Volunteer Rifles; Director, Railway Construction; Deputy Secretary to Government of India; Under Secretary, Government of Bengal; Engineer-in-Chief, Krishna Bridge; Engineer-in-Chief, and Manager of the late East Coast Railway; Fellow, Madras and Calcutta Universities; Secretary, Government of Madras (P.W. Branch) for seven years; also Senior Government Inspector for Railways, Madras; retired, as Chief Engineer, 1904; became Chairman and Chief Engineer, Madras Port Trust; maker of Madras Harbour of today; is a member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers; Member, American Society C.E; M.A.I, honoris causa; L.C.E. Trinity College, Dublin. Publications: Has written on technical education, light railways for District Boards in India and on the training and control of great rivers; many reports on Madras harbour and its improvement. Address; Harbour, Madras. Clubs: Oriental, Bengal, Bengal United Service, Madras.
1933 Obituary [1]
Sir FRANCIS JOSEPH EDWARD SPRING, K.C.I.E., had been for thirty-four years concerned with railway construction and operation in India, and for an additional fifteen years was chairman and consulting engineer to the Port of Madras, holding this position until his retirement in 1919.
He was born in 1849 and received his theoretical training at Trinity College, Dublin.
He then spent one year in the locomotive shops and drawing office of the Great Southern and Western Railway.
In 1871 he went to India, where he was concerned with the construction of railways and locomotives. He was responsible for the construction of the Kistna bridge, consisting of twelve spans of 300 feet each, and of other important bridges. He was appointed engineer-in-chief to the East Coast Railway and later became manager.
From 1893 he had acted as consulting engineer to the Government of India upon railway affairs and was created C.I.E. in 1894. He was Director of Railway Construction, India, and Deputy Secretary to the Government of India. He was also Under-Secretary for Railways to the Government of Bengal and Senior Government Inspector of Railways.
In 1904 he was appointed chairman and consulting engineer to the Port of Madras and later acted as consulting engineer to the port authority at Chittagong. A knighthood was conferred upon him in 1911.
He died in Jersey on 25th August 1933, at the age of 84.
He had been a Member of the Institution since 1896 and was also a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers.