Charles Edward Stewart
Charles Edward Stewart (1849-1901)
1901 Obituary [1]
CHARLES EDWARD STEWART was born on the 6th December, 1849, in Londonderry, Ireland, where his father held the posts of Secretary to the Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners, the Londonderry Bridge Commissioners, and the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company.
The subject of this notice, after being educated at Foyle College, Londonderry, the Royal School, Dungannon, and Trinity College, Dublin, served a pupilage to the late Mr. Robert Collins, to whose general practice he succeeded on the latter’s appointment as Engineer of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway in 1875.
Mr. Stewart also succeeded Mr. Collins as Engineer to the Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners, Engineer to the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company, and City Engineer.
In his capacity of Engineer to the Londonderry Harbour Board Mr. Stewart had charge of extensive works of the usual description in a port having a long navigable channel. He also built and kept in repair quay walls, tramways, wharves and transit sheds, and several lighthouses; the most important being a screw-pile lighthouse in an exposed part of the Lough, fitted with an occulting dioptric apparatus.
As Engineer of the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway, he relaid most of the line with new steel rails, and on the gauge of the railway being altered from 5 feet 3 inches to 3 feet, he made such arrangements that he was able to alter the gauge of 12 miles of line between Saturday and Monday, without interrupting any but the Sunday traffic.
As Engineer to the working company, he also superintended the construction of the Letterkenny Railway, Co. Donegal, in the years 1881, 1882 and 1883, and subsequently took charge of its maintenance.
As City Engineer, Mr. Stewart designed and carried out several new schemes for the Corporation of Londonderry, the most important being a main sewerage scheme in 1883, an extension of the water-supply, involving the construction of a large impounding reservoir in 1884, 1885 and 1886, and a smaller extension in 1887 and 1888.
Among the more important works Mr. Stewart carried oat in his general practice were a water-supply for Buncrana, Co. Donegal in 1884, and in conjunction with Mr. E. McNeilage, the preparation of Parliamentary plans far a light railway, 18 miles long, from Buncrana to Carndonagh in the same year. The contract plans were subsequently prepared; but owing to financial difficultie8 the construction of the line was not then proceeded with, though it has since been carried out by the Board of Public Works.
In 1890 Mr. Stewart left Londonderry and joined the staff of the London County Council under Sir Alexander Binnie. He was employed in the Water Department, chiefly in connection with the different Water Bills which have been promoted in recent years, and also with the proposed supply for the metropolis from the Welsh mountains.
Unfortunately his health broke down, and, after some months' illness, he died at his residence, 4 Park Hall Road, East Finchley, on the 7th July, 1901.
He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution on the 7th April, 1891.