AIRD, SIR JOHN, 1ST BART. (1833-1911), British engi neer, was born in London Dec. 3, 1833, the only child of John Aird, contractor for gas and water plants. He joined his father's business at 18, and was entrusted with the removal of the Crys tal Palace buildings from Hyde Park and their re-erection at Sydenham. He took part in many enterprises, such as the Hampton and Staines reservoirs, the waterworks of Amster dam, Copenhagen, Moscow, Bahia, Para, Calcutta, Simla and Berlin, and later (in the joint firm of Lucas and Aird, afterwards John Aird and Co.) St. John's Wood railway, Hull and Barnsley railway and docks, the W. Highland railway and the great Aswan dam across the Nile. He represented N. Padding ton in Parliament as a Unionist from 1887 to 1 go5, and was its first mayor in 'goo. In 1901 he was created a baronet. He made a fine collection of pictures by British painters, the illustrated catalogue to which was printed in 1884. He died at Beaconsfield, Bucks., Jan. 6, 191I.