John McTaggart
John McTaggart (1865-1902)
1902 Obituary [1]
JOHN MCTAGGART was born in Paisley en 2nd June 1865.
He received his education at a private school, and afterwards at the Paisley School of Art.
From 1880 to 1885 he served his time in the engineering works of Messrs. Fullerton, Hodgart, and Barclay, of Paisley.
In 1886 he was engaged as outside foreman in the works of Messrs. A. F. Craig and Co., Paisley.
In 1887 he entered as junior engineer the service of the British and African Steam Navigation Co., of Liverpool, and remained in their service for six years, the last two of which were served as chief engineer on one of the mail steamers.
In 1893 he was appointed manager and engineer of the several Destructor Works belonging to the Bradford Corporation, and he had also engineering supervision over the machinery at the different Hospitals throughout that city. Among the various improved methods of working the destructors, which he initiated, was that of the disposal of the clinker from the furnaces, and he so managed that the whole of the residuum or clinker was utilized in some form or other at the different depots. In conjunction with the City Surveyor, he devised an overhead railway for the removal of clinker from the furnaces, and also a complete clinker crushing and screening machine, both of which have met with considerable success.
In 1898 the duties of superintending the removal of house and other refuse throughout Bradford were entrusted to him, the work having previously been carried out by contract. He devised and installed a plant for making concrete slabs and bricks from destructor refuse, which worked successfully; and he also laid down a special plant for converting fish refuse into manure. At all the destructors under his supervision electric-lighting installations were erected, and the power required for this purpose, as well as for all the machinery at the depots, was obtained from the burning refuse. He was instrumental in founding the Cleansing Superintendents' Association of Great Britain, and in 1900 was elected its President.
At the Meeting of the British Association in Bradford in 1900, he contributed a Paper on the " Disposal of House Refuse in Bradford."
His death took place in Bradford from acute pneumonia on 5th January 1902, in his thirty-seventh year.
He became an Associate Member of this Institution in 1899.