HYDRO-ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Evening Post, Issue 65, 13 September 1924, Page 8

HYDRO-ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

MR. F. T. M. KISSEL APPOINTED AS CHIEF The position of. Chief Government Hydro-electric Engineer, rendered vacant by the death of-Mr. L. Birks, has I neen filled by the appointment of Mr. 11. T. M. Kissel, .B.Sc.E., A.M.1.C.E., | A.M.I.E.E.

Mr,' Kissel, .who .has for some years past acted as Principal Assistant Government Electrical Engineer, was born at "empleton, Canterbury, in 1882, and was educated at the Christchurch Boys' High School and, Canterbury College. After a successful college career, he joined the service of the Midland .Railway Com-

pany as assistant engineer. He was enfeaged on the original detailed _ waterpower survey of Lake Coleridge', under the late P. S. Hay, Engineer-in-ChieE to the New Zealand Government, who made a special report on the wator-power resources of the; qountry. In 1906 ho returned to the service of the Midland Railway Company for a short period, and was then assistant engineer to the Selwyn County Council, on water supply and irrigation works from the Waimakiriri River. In 1907 and 1908 he was engineer to the Wairarapa South County Council, with headquarters at Carterton, engaged on roads and bridges, but particularly on river protection works. In 1910 ;,he -.returned to the Selwyn County Council as , engineer-in-charge, being chiefly engaged on water supply works and river, protection. At this'time he furnished the Christchurch City Council with a special report in connection with the Lake Coleridge .hydro-electric power scheme." The City Council, acting on tliis report, besought the Government to empower it to. develop the Lake Coleridge scheme, but the development was then taken over by the Public Works Department. Mr. Kissel at this time joined the Department, and was appointed resicient engineer in charge of the survey and construction works at Lake Colelidge. He held that position from the .inception of the Coleridge scheme until the plant was put into continuous operation in 1915. In that year he. came to. headquarters in Wellington-as Principal Assistant to the. Chief Electrical Enginr.er, first with Mr. Evan Parry, and later with Mr. L. Birks, working on the investigation and design of all the new works and extensions of the Department's hydro-electric developments. In 1922 Mr. Kissel was selected by the Government to visit America and Europe in connection : with : hydro-elec-trical development schemes in operation in those countries, so that the Dominion

engineers-might bo pjile to utilise the knowledge gained by the study of the' most modern methods in the prosecution of the hydro-electric schemes- in New ■Zealand. On that v tour he visited the United States, Canada, England, Norway, Switzerland, and Italy. The knowledge thus gained by Mr. KisseMias been "f great value in the initiation and; prosecution of the Mangahao, Arapuni, and other hydro-electric .works " throughout New Zealand.