DEATH OF MR. ARTHUR R. W. FULTON, C.E.

Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 23, 26 July 1889, Page 2

DEATH OF MR. ARTHUR R. W. FULTON, C.E.

» It is with feol ngs of the ' most sincere regret we have to record the death of Air. A. R. W. Fnlton, Managing Engineer of (ho Wollington-Manawatn Railway Company, which melanoholy event oqeurred shortly I) of or o 7 o'clock this morning at his residonee, Kaiwarra-road, tho oauso of death being typhoid fever. Tho lato Mr. Fnlton vas a son of Mr. J. Fnlton, member of the Houso of Kopresontativoa for Taiori, and leavos n widow and thrco sons — tho latter being all of tonder ape— to monrn their loss. Tho deceased gentleman at tho tinio of hin death ;\as onl v 37 years of ago, and thus has boon cut (iff boforo reaching tho primo of manhood, and oven before ho bad attained tho aenith rf his nsofulne.ss, or cro ho had fully ron chert tho position to which his undoubted abilities an au engineer would m all probability lmvo olovated him. Mr. Fulton was a nativo of New Zealand, and was born in Otago, and having reoeived elomontary iusl motion in n private school he becamo a student at thu Dnnodiu High School, among his Boboolmni es boiugMr. H. D. Bell and Dr (Jr. G. Gillon, both of this oity. On tbe completion of hit) education young Fulton eiitorod tho Govornnient servioe an a oadotiu tho Public Works Department, where owing to htß assiduity, his skill aB a draughtsman, combined with his great inventive powers, ho attracted tho attention of his Btiporior ofnoore. On the coiistruotion of the Government railways being undertaken on tho Wo t Coast of the Middle Island tho young omjineer was dotailed for duty in that purt of the colony under Mr, C. Y. O'Connor, tho engineer in charge of those works. Koine yoars ago Mr. Fulton married a daughter of Mr. Weber, ongineor to tho Napier Harbour Board, and on tho 15th May, 18t>3, ho entered tho sorvico of tho Wellington aud Munawatu Railway Company, being th<>n second in command to Mr. Higginaon, the oninpany's ohiof engineer for tho construction of tho lino. On tho completion of tho railway, Mr. Fulton was appointed Irani o managor aud locomotive unpotintcndent, which offioe he retained till ho was elevated to the responsible position of managing onginperin fullohargoof tho company's works, which offioe he held to the tiuio of his domino. In that capacity the decoased gontloman displayed not only thorough efficiency as an engineer, but ho also showed unmistakably that ho possessed administrative abilities of no mean ordor. At tho annual mooting of the company, held on 2nd April last, his abili y and great industry wore specially referred to in the roport of Mr. Jamos Wallace, the gonoral managor, and on tho same occasion spooial votes of thanks were acoorded by tlio shareholders to Mossrp. Wallace- and Fulton, to whom in no small dogreo the fraaoess of tho company was attributed by tho directors. Tho lato engineer of the company poshosßi d the entire confidence of the dirootorfl, and with his colleagues ho was, by reßSon of his urbanity, a great favourite. To biR inf oi ior officers ha was invariably oonrtooiis, and, indeed, in his intercourse- with all men, whether as arailwnyoflicinlorin his capacity as a private citizen, he apparonlly without effort sneceedod in obtaining tho ifood will of everyone His illness was not of long duration. Throe wouks h/<o on Wodnesiay last ho complained of fouling unwoll, but it was not until a fortnight ago ho took to his bed. Ho was attondod by lJr. Collins, who four days since oiillod in'Drs. Kemp and Martin. The diseaso, however, bad obtained too groat a hold npnu him, and, notwithstanding tho unremitting attention of his medioal advisors, he succumbed at an early hour this morning. On Revering his connection with tbo New Zealand Puhlto Works Department, Mr. Fulton was associated with Mr. H. P. Higgineon as assistant engineer in the construction of tho VVaimca. Plains railway. He was likewise with Mr. Higeinson when tho lattor oreotod a larira bridgo over a river in Otago. Subsoquontly Mr. Fulton joined tho Railway Department of Now South Wales, where he remained twelve months, engaged in laying off railway linos. Mr. Fnlton was also a Justice of tho Peace. Tho remains of the doooasod gentleman will bo taken to Dunodin for intormont on Monday next.