John Coghlan (engineer)
Encyclopedia
John Coghlan was an engineer born in County Kerry
, Ireland
. He spent thirty years in Argentina
(1857–1887), during which he was in charge of several public works.
In 1859 he proposed improvements for the Buenos Aires
harbor, taking into account the streams, silt
ing and other characteristics of the Río de la Plata
. In 1869 he carried out hypsometric
studies of the core of the city and its drainage capability in relation to flood
ing.
He was also involved in the Argentine railway system
, extending the railway lines from Azul
to Bahía Blanca
during his term as chairman of the Gran Ferrocarril Sur Company, and from Campana
to Rosario
as chairman of the Ferrocarril de Buenos Aires a Campana
Company.
He died in England
in 1890. Argentine railway authorities gave his name to one of their railway stations a year after his death. What is now the barrio (neighbourhood) of Coghlan
in Buenos Aires
developed around the station named after him.
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He spent thirty years in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
(1857–1887), during which he was in charge of several public works.
In 1859 he proposed improvements for the Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
harbor, taking into account the streams, silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
ing and other characteristics of the Río de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
. In 1869 he carried out hypsometric
Hypsometry
Hypsometry is the measurement of land elevation relative to sea level. Bathymetry is the underwater equivalent...
studies of the core of the city and its drainage capability in relation to flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing.
He was also involved in the Argentine railway system
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
, extending the railway lines from Azul
Azul, Buenos Aires
Azul is the head city of the Azul Partido, located at the center of the Buenos Aires Province in Argentina, 300 km south of Buenos Aires. It has 63,000 inhabitants as per the ....
to Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, and seat of government of Bahía Blanca Partido. It has a population of 274,509 inhabitants according to the...
during his term as chairman of the Gran Ferrocarril Sur Company, and from Campana
Campana, Buenos Aires
Campana is a city in the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, in the Campana Partido. It is located about from Buenos Aires City, on the right-hand margin of the Paraná River, Its population is 84,000 inhabitants as per the ....
to Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
as chairman of the Ferrocarril de Buenos Aires a Campana
Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway
The Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway was a British-owned railway company that built and operated a broad gauge railway network in Argentina, where it was known as the Ferrocarril Buenos Aires y Rosario....
Company.
He died in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1890. Argentine railway authorities gave his name to one of their railway stations a year after his death. What is now the barrio (neighbourhood) of Coghlan
Coghlan, Buenos Aires
Coghlan is a barrio , of the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.It is the name of a middle class neighbourhood located between Belgrano, Saavedra, Núñez and Villa Urquiza; it was originally inhabited by Irish and English immigrants....
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
developed around the station named after him.