DEATH OF MR. WM. WARE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 300, 19 December 1922, Page 5

DEATH OF MR. WM. WARE.

A WELL-KNOWN ENGINEER. BUILT OLD AUCKLAND DOCK. I The flag at tie Northern Club this morning was flying half-mast high for one of itß oldest members, Mr. William Ware, of Remuera, who passed away after a brief illness of three days at the age of 87. Tall and distinguished looking he carried himself like a soldier in spite of his four score years, and his commanding figure would attract attention even In a crowd. He never looked his age, and up to his last illness he was out and about. The son of one of the Duke of Wellington's Peninsula officers, the late Mr. Ware was .born at Quebec, Canada, and after being J educated at the Quebec High School he took up civil engineering as his profession. His first billet was manager of ; the Quebec Waterworks, and then he ! went in for railway construction work, being the engineer of the first railway to St. John's, New Brunswick. I Deciding to.travel to gain experience he visited and did work in England, Wales, Brazil, Holland, and Germany, and coming out to New Zealand in the seventies he took up contracts under Messrs. Brogden and Sons, who built the first railways in this country. Mr. Ware ( was engineer for the 6ection between Auckland and Mercer, which was completed in 1875. In partnership with Mr. Jones he built the old Auckland Graving Dock, and in connection with this work a characteristic story is told. As soon as the contract was let the stonemasons formed a ring and decided that they could and would demand their own pFice. {An enormous amount of dressed stone was required—it is now incorporated in the eastern wall that runs-out into the harbour from Campbell's point. Keeping his own counsel Mr. Ware let a contract for the stone in Melbourne, and one day much to the chargin of the would-be combine a specially chartered barque arrived in the Waiteraata with all the stone aboard. Mr. Ware's firm afterwards built I the Lyttelton Dock, and he was consulting engineer to the Auckland Harbour Board when the Calliope Dock was bein" built. In private life Mr. Ware had a large circle of friends. As mentioned he was one of the oldest members of the Northern Club and was made president at the time of the first visit of Lord Jellicoe to New Zealand. He was a keen sportsman, a good shot, and in his younger days rode to hounds. Mr. Ware married the eldest daughter of the late Mr. Edwin Fairburn, of Parnell, who survives him, and he also leaves a grown up family of three sons and two daughters. The interment, which is private takes place to-morrow. '