OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3215, 27 October 1915, Page 61

OBITUARY.

DR W. G. GRACE. LONDON, October 23. Dr Grace died at Eltham. He had been aiding for some time. He had an attack of cerebral hemorrhage, a week ago, and appeared to be mending, but he suffered a relapse on Friday night. Dr Grace was %orn in 1848 at Downend, Gloucestershire. Ho found himself in an atmosphere charged with cricket, his father (Henry Mills Grace) and his uncle (Alfred Pocock) being as enthusiastic over the game as his elder brothers. Henry, Alfred, and Edward Mills. It was, indeed, in Edward Mills Grace that the family first became famous. A younger brother, George Frederick, also added to the cricket reputation of the family. The great “W.G.” witnessed his first big match when he was hardly six years old, and All England eleven v. 22 of West Gloucestershire. Dr Grace was a big man, standing 6ft 2in in height, and powerfully proportioned. He was a non-smoker, and very moderate in all matters, and kept himself in condition all the year round, shooting, hunting, or running with the beagles as soon as the cricket season was over. He was a fine runner ; his best distance was 440 yards, over 20 hurdles. At 18 years of age he scored 224 not out for England against Surrey, and tV?o days after this performance he won a race in the National and Olympian Association meeting at the Crystal Palace. The title of “champion” was well earned by one who for 36 years (1865-1900 inclusive) was actively engaged in first-class cricket. Dr Grace played his first groat match in 1863, when, at the age of 15, he scored 52 against an All England eleven, and the bowling of Jackson, Tarrant, and Tinley. The scores which first made his name prominent wore made the following year, 170 and 56 not out for the South Wales Club against the Gentlemen of Sussex. It was in 1865 that he took an active part in firstclass cricket, playing twice for , the _ Gentlemen v. the Players, but his selection was mainly due to Ins bowling powers, the best exposition of which was his aggregate of 13 wickets for 84 runs for the Gentlemen of the South v. the Players of the South. His highest score was 400 not out, made in July. 1876, against 22 of Grimsby. In first-class cricket his highest score was 344, made for the M.C.O. w. Kent at Canterbury in 1876. Two days later he made 177 for Gloucestershire v. Notts, and but two days after that scored 318 not out against Yorkshire. Both Notts and Yorkshire possessed strong bowling. This made_ 839 in three consecutive innings, only twice out. His 344 was the third highest individual score in a big match in England up till the end of 1901. Dr Grace scored 301 against Sussex in August, 1895. He made over 200 on 10 occasions, the most notable, perhaps, being in 1871, when he performed the feat twice, each time in benefit matches, and each time in the second innings, after being got out' in the first over of the first innings. Ho scored over 100 runs on 121 occasions. The hundredth time was at Bristol in 1895, when ho made 288 against Somersetshire. He made every figure between Oand 100; on one occasion ho closed the innings when he had made 93, the only total between these limits that he had not scored. In the matches between the Gentlemen and Players be scored “three figures” 15 times and at every place where these matches have been played He made over 100 in each of his first appearances at Oxford and Cambridge In consecutive innings against the Players, from 1871 to 1873, he scored 217, 77, and 112, 117, 163, 158, and 70. Dr Grace only twice scored over 100 in a bio- match in Australia. His highest aggregates wore 2739 (1871). 2622 (1876), 2346 (1895), 2139 (1873), 2135 (1896), and 2052 (1837). lie scored over 1000 runs and took over 100 wickets in seven different seasons: 1874, 1665 runs and 129 wickets; 1875, 1498 runs. 192 wickets; 1876. 2622 runs. 124 wickets: 1877. 1474 runs. 179 wickets; 1873. 1151 runs, 153 wickets; 1885. 1688 runs, 118 wickets: 1886. 1846 runs. 122 wickets. In 1895, the year ho got his hundredth century, ho scored 1000 runs in the month of May alone. In 26 different seasons ho scored over 1000 runs, and in three of these years was the only man to do so, and five times one of only two. During the 36 years, up to and including' 1900, ho scored nearly 51.000 runs, with an average of 43; and in bowling took 2800 wickets, nt an average cost of about, 20 runs. His greatest triumphs were secured when only the ‘very best cricket grounds received attention, and. as

some consider, bowling was maintained af a higher standard, and when all hits had to bo run out. He, with his two eldef brothers assisted by some fine amateurs made Gloucestershire in-one season a firstclass county, and it was Dr Grace who enabled the amateurs of England to meet the paid players on equal terms, and beat them.

In later years Dr Grace became secretary and manager of the London County Cricket Club. He was the recipient of two national testimonials—the first, amounting to £ISOO being presented in the form of a clock and cheque at Lord’s in 1879, and tho second, collected by the M.C.0., the County of Gloucestershire, tho Daily Telegraph, and the Sportsman (about £IO,OOO in all) in 1896. Dr Grace visited Australia in 1873-74 (cap. tain), and in 1891-92 with Lord Sheffield's eleven (captain). He went to the United States and Canada with Mr R. A. Fitzgerald’s in 1872.

SIR ANDREW NOBLE. LONDON, October 24. The death has occurred of Sir Andre* Noble, K.C.8., aged 84 years.

Sir Andrew Noble, British physicist and artillerist, entered the Royal Artillery, ana attained the rank of captain in 1855. In 1857 ho became secretary to the Royal Ar« tillery Institution. About this time thg question of the supersession of the old smooth bores by rifled guns was coming ta the tore, and on the appointment of tho Select Comm.ttoe on Rifled Cannon in 1858 to report on tho matter, he was chosen its secretary. In the following year he was appointed assistant-inspector of artillery, and in 1860 he became a member of the Ordnance Select Committee and of tho Committee on Explosives, serving on the latter for 20 years, until its dissolution. In 1860 ho joined Sir W. G. Armstrong and Co., and was put in charge of tho ordnance department, bv.t it was not long before his organising and administrative ability and scientific attainments enlarged tho sphere of. his influence, until finally ho became chairman of the company. About 1862 he invented his ehronoscope, for the measurement of exceedingly small intervals of time, and began to apply it in ballistic experiments for ascertain ng the velocity with which the shot moves along the barrel of a gun with different powders and different charges. Then he joined Sir Frederick Abel in a classical research on “Fired Gunpowder,” and tho conclusions they arrived at had a great effect on the progress of gunnery, for they showed how increased muzzle velocities wore to he attained without increased pressure in the gun. Sir Andrew did much in conn-'!,ion with smokeless powder and cordite. JR was made a C.B. in 1881. promoted to K.C.B. in 1893, and created a baronet in 1902. lie was the recipient of many decorations and sicentific honours, both British and foreign.