Andrew Cassels Howden

Andrew Cassels Howden (1837-1875)

1869 Birth of son. 'HOWDEN, wife of Mr. A. C., C.E., Great Indian Peninsula Railway, at Akola, West Barar, Feb. 28.'

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1875 Obituary

MR. ANDREW CASSELS HOWDEN, son of the late Mr. Howden, was was born in 1837. Owing to his father being in pecuniary difficulties, he had to leave school, and was thrown on his own resources, at the age of fourteen. He was then a regular attendant at the evening classes at King’s College and at South Kensington, where he attained proficiency as a quick and neat draughtsman.

His first engagement was in 1856, when Mr. William Dempsey, M. Inst. C.E., employed him to assist in the supervision of railway material in South Wales.

On the completion of this work he was engaged by Messrs. Smith and Knight, contractors, on the construction of the Boston, Sleaford, and Midland railway, also in the construction of the North Level Sluice in Cambridgeshire. Subsequently he spent a few months in surveying a portion of the Buntingford and Ware railway.

In September 1859, Mr. Howden was appointed a 3rd Class Assistant Engineer on the Great Indian Peninsula railway, and in the same month proceeded to Bombay. For the first two years he was occupied in preliminary surveys and permanently staking out portions of the line.

From 1861 until the end of 1874, when Mr. Howden left India, he had charge, from time to time, of lengths of line varying from 25 miles to 75 miles from the commencement to their completion, and carried out many important works both under the departmental and the contract systems. In fact, during an active service of fifteen years, he was engaged on all parts of the line and on works of every description.

In 1866 he was promoted to the grade of 2nd Class, and in 1870 to that of 1st Class Resident Engineer.

Mr. Howden was elected an Associate of the Institution of civil Engineers on the 1st of March, 1864, and in 1868 contributed a Paper on Floods in the Nerbudda Valley, with Remarks upon Monsoon Floods in India generally; for which he was awarded the Manby premium.

He died at Tenby on the 20th of March, 1875, after a few days’ illness, from pleuro-pneumonia, to the great regret of his colleagues and friends, by whom he was much respected, both for his professional attainments and his personal character.

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