117:'s natural flow, for Egyptian agriculture requirements, and was capable of holding a summer water supply for lands reasonably expected to be converted to summer irrigation in the immediate future. By 1905 however, it appeared that Egypt was experiencing a cycle of low years in regard to the volume of water passing down the river during the summer. The Government was thus very soon faced with the problem of finding additional storage room to meet possible demands for the existing area, as well as making adequate provision for future extension. A scheme for thickening and heightening the existing Aswan Dam was prepared by Benjamin Baker, and a great deal of the work involved was undertaken by MacDonald. The project was brought to fulfillment principally under his direction, with the "first heightening" completed in 1912.
136:, the Esna Barrage downstream of Aswan, and effected large-scale improvements to Alexandria Harbour. But even in the 1910s, the propagation of many of these schemes for the development of Egypt aroused much controversy. One expert commission after another was set up to examine the projects and investigate the criticisms of them, and it was in this connection that MacDonald prepared a detailed report entitled
83:, and following its completion he spent some years as an assistant engineer on various railway construction projects in Northern Scotland. Among them, there was the building of the Black Isle line between 1890 and 1894, and the widening of the main line between Dalnaspidal and Blair Athol. Years later, MacDonald noted that his early railway work included the design and construction of a small earthen dam and
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practicability of the works involved, and a report dealing with the whole problem was presented to the Board. The report was printed in early March 1941, but its construction was delayed by the war and until further serious flooding emphasised its urgency. In the mid-1950s the work was started in earnest under the direction of MacDonalds's firm, but he would not see its completion.
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time, MacDonald was responsible for work undertaken to strengthen the Esna
Barrage, and he advised on various schemes for land drainage and irrigation in Greece and Portugal. After World War II, he was again consulted by the Government of Egypt about the Aswan Dam, and submitted a report advising that a third heightening was practicable, though never carried out.
102:. MacDonald's appointment as an assistant engineer during the building of this significant structure marked the beginning of a 23-year term of service in Egypt. During the same dam's first heightening between 1908 and 1912, MacDonald was director-general of irrigation for the Egyptian Government. He subsequently became Under Secretary of State for
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In addition to project work over his long civil engineering career, MacDonald gave his services to other spheres. He was elected an associate member of the
Institution of Civil Engineers in 1892, and became a full member in 1909. He presented two papers to the Institution dealing with various aspects
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flood protection scheme. The latter was first considered early in 1938 following serious flooding in the Fens. Several proposals were put forward, and he was asked to formulate a protection scheme in conjunction with the River Great Ouse
Catchment Board. Detailed surveys were made to determine the
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Following his departure from
Egyptian service and starting Sir M. MacDonald & Partners, he continued his work on Egyptian irrigation schemes. The firm was invited to submit proposals for a second heightening of the Aswan Dam, and the work was carried out between 1929 and 1933. About the same
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There were, however, several other projects initiated by Sir
Murdoch during his years of service with the Egyptian Government. He was responsible for the planning and completion of overall drainage schemes for lower Egypt which finally dealt with about 3,000,000 acres. He also designed the
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all show
Macdonald with the description Liberal National in 1945. At his last election, he became the House's oldest MP. He remained a member of his constituency association, which was aligned with the National Liberals. He sat until he retired as the oldest MP in
132:, which was built upstream in the Sudan, but also provided 4 billion cubic metres of regulated storage annually for irrigation downstream in Egypt. He designed and constructed the head works of the Menufia Canal, downstream of the
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Between 1951 and 1953, he was engaged on the design of four new schemes, for the
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on the Blue Nile, and put into operation the first stages of the Gezira irrigation schemes for the conversion of virgin land in the Sudan for cotton growing.
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Members of the
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179:(CB) in 1917. For his service during the construction of the initial
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Knights
Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
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of the work on the Aswan Dam, and was twice awarded the
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by profession starting in 1890, MacDonald would work in
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Presidents of the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers
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175:(KCMG) in 1914, and was appointed a Companion of the
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MacDonald worked on the initial siting and design of
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183:he in 1902 received the 3rd class of the Ottoman
514:Presidents of the Institution of Civil Engineers
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352:contributions in Parliament by Murdoch Macdonald
257:http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge45/i11.htm
67:from 1927. In 1932, he became President of the
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529:National Liberal Party (UK, 1922) politicians
302:, London: Thomas Telford Ltd, p. 252,
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19:For other people with a similar name, see
171:He was created a Knight Commander of the
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252:Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
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437:Professional and academic associations
259:1945 General Election result, Inverness
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323:"No. 27517"
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222:. However
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