John Kinnaird Lindsay died at his home in Edinburgh on 1st June, 1958, at the age of 58.
When he was 18 Mr. Lindsay began work with Young’s Paraffin Oil and Mineral Light Co., Ltd., and Scottish Oils, Ltd., and between 1917 and 1921 obtained the experience and training necessary to secure his Colliery Manager’s Certificate, and for the following two years was employed underground by Niddrie Benhar Coal Co., Ltd.
Mr. Lindsay attended the Heriot-Watt College, Edinburgh, between 1923 and 1926 and gained the Associateship in mining engineering. On leaving College Mr. Lindsay returned to Scottish Oils, Ltd. , for a year, working on roadway and haulage repairs.
He left Scotland in 1927 and spent a year on the Gold Coast with West African Diamond Syndicate, Ltd., in charge of alluvial diamond plant, and in 1929 took up the position of assistant underground agent with Mysore Gold Mining Co., Ltd., South India. This was the beginning of his long association with Messrs. John Taylor and Sons. In 1932 he became senior assistant underground agent and was appointed chief underground agent in November, 1936, in full charge of underground operations at the Mysore mine. He was made superintendent of the mine in December, 1946, and held this appointment for three years. From October, 1949, to April, 1956, he was a managing director of John Taylor and Sons (India), Ltd., the managers of the four mining companies on the Kolar Gold Field.
Upon his retirement from India in 1956 Mr. Lindsay returned to the United Kingdom and retained his association with Messrs. John Taylor and Sons in London.
Mr. Lindsay was an expert in deep mining problems, particularly ground control, and he contributed greatly to the development of mining methods to combat rock-bursts. His work was successful in reclaiming large tonnages inaccessible after, damage by heavy rockbursts. In addition, he had a marked flair for underground exploration, and was able to impart his zest for following up indications of ore to many of the staff under him. He was also very much concerned with the improvement of working conditions in high temperatures.
As Chairman of the Special Committee on the Occurrence of Rockbursts in the Mines of the Kolar Gold Field, Mr. Lindsay took a leading part in the findings of that Committee, which were published in 1955.
Mr. Lindsay was three times President of the Kolar Gold Field Metallurgical Society and took a great interest in its activities. He contributed papers; to the Bulletin of the Society and one to the Transactions of the Institution, jointly; with Dr. A. Caplan, entitled ‘An experimental investigation of the effects of high temperature on the efficiency of workers in deep mines’ (vol. 56, 1946-47). For this paper he and Dr. Caplan were awarded conjointly ‘The Consolidated Gold Fields of South Africa, Limited’ Gold Medal in 1947.
In his presidential address to the Kolar Gold Field Mining and Metallurgical Society in 1958, Mr. J.T.M. Taylor said of Mr. Lindsay: ‘He was a friend of everyone, from the highest to the lowest, with whom he came in contact during long career on the Kolar Gold Field. The characteristics I remember best of his were forthrightness, dislike of cant and humbug, and above all willingness to help and encourage anyone in need. There must be hundreds of people on the Field who have been encouraged in their work or helped in their private lives as a result of interest.’
Mr. Lindsay was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1937 and transferred to Membership in 1943. He served as Overseas Member of Council for the Session 1955-56. He was also a Member of the Institution of Mining Engineers.
Vol. 71, Trans IMM 1961-62, p.45
