KENNEDY, SIR ALEXANDER BLACKIE WIL LIAM (1847-1928), British engineer, was born at Stepney on March 17, 1847, and educated at the City of London School, and the School of Mines. About 1863 he became a pupil at Dugeon's, Millwall, marine engineers, who were constructing the earliest twin-screw engines. Kennedy took a large part in designing the first compound marine engines built on the Tyne, but by the time he went to Palmer's engine works at Jarrow-on-Tyne as a draughtsman (1868), the types were already beginning to be standardized. After a few years at Leith, Edinburgh and Glas gow, he was appointed, in 1874, professor of engineering at Uni versity college, London. His leading methods, founded on Reuleaux's kinematic analysis, have had a wide influence in England and America. He translated Reuleaux's Kinematics (1876), and The Mechanics of Machinery (1886). In 1887 he was elected F.R.S. In 1889 he set up in practice as an electrical engineer, supervising the construction of power stations in Lon don, Edinburgh, Glasgow and elsewhere. He applied the under
ground conduit system to part of the London County Council tramway service, and he acted as electric adviser to many corn panies. Kennedy was knighted in 1905. In 1913 he was a mem ber of Lord Parker's committee on wireless telegraphy. During the World War he presided over the committee on gun-sights and range-finders, and took active part on other similar bodies. He published in 1921 a book, illustrated by his own photographs, entitled Ypres to Verdun. In 192o he was chairman of the electric railways committee set up by the Ministry of Transport.
At the age of 75, in 1922, he set out to explore Petra, publishing the results of his work in an admirable monograph, .Petra: Its History and Monuments (1925). His book was also illustrated by his excellent photographs. He died on Nov. 1, 1928.