PERSONAL

Evening Star, Issue 21511, 8 September 1933, Page 7

PERSONAL

Mr G. A. Lewin (town clerk) returned by yesterday’s express from a business visit to Wellington. Mr J. M‘G. Wilkie, engineer to the Harbour Board, returned by yesterday’s express from a visit to Wellington. Mr Norman Falconer, manager of Messrs Briscoe and Co., left on a business trip to Wellington this morning. Mr J. C. Brown, the Westport Coal Company’s district manager, started this morning on his return to the West Coast.

Mr C. E. Wheeler was a passenger for Wellington by the 11.35 train today. A number of dentists who have been attending the conference in Dunedin left for the north by this morning’s mail train, amongst'them being Messrs A. H. Weir, D. V. Donaldson, and Dr H. 11. Allison (Christchurch), Mr E. N. T. Reese (Kaiapoi), Mr W. W. Squires (Nelson), Messrs T. B. Anson and K, A. Morpeth (Wellington), Mr Colin Brook (Te Kuiti), Mr J. H. Muir (Te Awamutu), Dr J. G. Warren, and Messrs J. M. M‘Dongall and J. W. Rishworth (Auckland). Mr S. S. Smart, wliose_ untimely death by accidental electrocution occurred at Invercargill last Sunday, first studied electricity at the Dunedin Technical College. He worked at the converter station in Cumberland street, and later at the Waipori power house. To gain wider experience he travelled to England and accepted employment at the British Thomson-Houston Company’s power house, Rugby. He volunteered for active service, but the War Council retained, him at the power house. On April 29, 1918, a serious explosion occurred at the works, three of the four men on duty in the boiler room suffering injury and shock and the fourth succumbing to his injuries. For his gallant conduct on the occasion the King awarded the .Edward Medal to Mr John Gainer, -boiler room assistant, and the coroner and the Board of Trade representative highly complimented Mr Smart, who was the switchboard attendant, for his courage and presence of mind.

Mr Charles Llewelyn Watt, who died in Melbourne on August 5 at the advanced age of eighty-six years, will be remembered in Dunedin as a member of the engineering firm of Watt and Fussell, who designed gold dredges during the boom at the beginning of this century. Mr Watt was born at New Plymouth and early showed engineering ability, exhibiting in Otago in 1873 the first working model of a steam and electric ship (the Lady Ferguson). In 1893 he went to Melbourne, where he was on the engineering staff installing the cable tram system, and subsequently he was with the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, which constructed and administers the drainage and sewerage system. On his return to Dunedin Mr Watt joined up with the late Mr J. C. M'George in carrying out the extension works of the Roslyn tramway. He was a prolific inventor, his devices including tram conductors’ bellpunches, a rabbit exterminator, a totalisator, safety catches for trams and trains, and slip rails for electric trams.

Latest arrivals at the City Hotel include Mr L. Stewart (Petone), Miss D. Ethelson (Wellington), Mr C. G. Tansey (Christchurch), and Mr E. C. Herbert (Heriot).