ELECTRICAL ENGINEER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18813, 13 September 1924, Page 10

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER.

A NEW CHIEF APPOINTED. MR. KISSEL'S SELECTION. ORIGINATOR OF POWER SCHEMES [BI TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Friday. The appointment is announced of Mr. F. T. M. Kissel, principal assistant electrical engineer, to the position of chief electrical engineer to the Government of New Zealand, rendered vacant by the death of Mr. L. Birks. Mr. Kissel is a young man, and has had a most brilliant scholastic and professional career. He was born at Templeton, Canterbury, in 1882, end was educated at Christchurch Boys' High School and Canterbury College. His academic career, to the ago of 21, comprised all available scholarships, including Junior, Senior Board of .Education, Junior Univer. sity, Gammack Scholarship and science degree. While at college he took a prominent part in all athletics, representing the college in the university championships in Rugby, athletics (middle distances) and tennis. He was secretary of tho athletic club, and first general secretary of the New Zealand University athletic tournaments, representing Canterbury College on the council for tho first four years. He joined the service of the Midland Railway Company as assistant enginoor, and spent two years with them on heavy construction work between Staircase Gully and the Cass, under Mr. J. A. Wilson, district engineer. Ho was engaged on the original detailed water-power survey of Lake Coleridge, under the lato Mr. P. S. Hay, engineer-in-chief to the New Zealand Government, who made a special report on tho water-power resources of tfhe country. 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 en water supply and irrigation works from the Wairnakariri River. In 1907 and 1908 he was engineer io 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 engiiieer-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 Coleridgo hydro-electric power scheme. The City Council, acting on this report, besought tho 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 tho department, and was appointed resident engineer in charge of the survey and construction works at Lake Coleridge. He held that position from the inception of the Coleridge scheme until tho plant was put into continuous operation in 1915. In that year ho came to headquarters in Wellington, as principal assistant to the chief electrical engineer, 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. He was the originator of both tho Mangahao and Arapuni hydro-electric schemes, as finally adopted by the Government. At various times ho has acted as chief electrical engineer, during the absenc-o of the late Mr. Birks for five months in Australia, owing to ill-health, and during.the last six months. Mr. Kissel was selected by the Minister for Public Works in 1922 to visit America and the European countries in which hydro-electric development had been mo*>t extensive, with a view to bringing the department's development into line with the most modern systems. He visited tho United States, Canada, England, Norway, Switzerland and Italy.