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Deaths in Service - 1

Data table details
Date transcribed	2011-00-00
Transcribed by	FIBIS Volunteers
Comment	Data taken from IOR - L/AG/34/14A - 1

	File No	0501
	Page No	240
	Doc No	591
	Deceased Surname	Harper
	Deceased first name/s	John
	Date of Death	23 June 1875
	Place of Death	Ootacamund
	Occupation at time of death	Senior Surveyor, No 3 Topographical Survey Party
	Remarks	letter from Lieutenant TH Holditch, in charge No 3, Topographical Survey Party, to Col HL Thuillier, Surveyor General of India. Wih great regret I have to announce the death of Mr John Harper, the Senior Surveyor of this Party on the forenoon of the 23rd instant. 2. The immediate cause of Mr Harper's death was rapid consumption succeeding to a severe attack of inflammation of the lungs. 3. Mr Harper entered the Department in August 1857, and with the exception of 15 months passed on medical leave has served all his time with this Survey Party. 4. Previous to the field season just closed I believe that Mr Harper had had little or no opportunity for proving his capabilities in the higher branches of the topographical surveying and his services had been utilised principally as a plane tabler and computer - but the large amount of triangulation that it was neessary to prepare for the 1/2-inch scale work recently sanctioned led to his being employed this season to extend triangulation to the north the Indraoti river through the inhospitable tract of Abajmard and Northern Bustar. During January and February Mr Harper assisted me in laying down a few first class triangles from the Sironcha base and while so employed suffered considerable exposure from losing his camp in the wild jungly hills east of the Indraoti. This did not appear at the time to affect him and his general health was much the same as usual throughout the field season. 5. In February he started on independent work with insructions from me to complete as much triangulation as he could within a reasonable limit of time so as to admit of his reaching the depot at Rajamundry with the rest of the party. He was anxious to secure a good outturn of work and he had very peculiar difficulties to deal with. Probably no Surveyor had attempted a first season's triangulation in the face of such difficulties as Mr Harper, added to the usual trouble about supplies, roads and coolies and the inferior class of signallers with which he had to work ; the mass of hills into which he penetrated required very careful reconnoissance in order to select available points. Mr Harper spared no pains in visiting and revisiting every likely position and the large number of observations he has taken sufficiently prove his painstaking care in this respect. But this led to his remaining in the field much longer than was desirable or safe. He reached Rajamundry on the 18th May and only appeared at recess quarters early in June. He had not time to write up his angle books and examine his observations before he was obliged to absent himself on account of sickness. The fine climate of the Neilgherries during May was well calculated to restore the energies and health of any overstrained constitution - but this chance was lost to Mr Harper and the sudden change with the coming of the monsoon in June was probably the very reverse of beneficial if not the immediate cause of his fatal illness. 6. Had Mr Harper reached Ootacamund a month sooner in all probability he would have lived - and so I think that his name may fairly be recorded amongst those of many others who have directly sacrificied their lives to the intereset of the survey of India.

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Details of Uncovenanted Civil Servants as reported at the times of death in service.

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