Ernest Cox Durden died of pneumonia following influenza after a brief illness, at Ottawa, on October 11th, 1918, at the age of 33.
He received his technical training at the Royal School of Mines from 1904 to 1908, gaining the Associateship in Metallurgy in June, 1908. For the next four years he was obtaining experience in private business, and from January to June, 1918, he took the special ore-dressing course at the School of Mines new ‘Bessemer’ plant. In August of that year he obtained, after examination, the position of third assistant assayer at the Royal Mint, Ottawa, Canada, at one time having charge of the refinery during the absence of his senior officer.
His work included electrolytic separation and the refining of gold and silver, with the extraction of platinum, palladium and iridium, and the use of the Miller (chlorine) process for refining gold.
Mr. Durden was admitted to Studentship of the Institution in 1908, and was transferred to Associateship in 1918.
Vol. 29, Trans IMM 1919-20, pp.423-4
