Sibley Byron McCluskey died in Oakland, California, on 23rd February 1948, at the age of 61.
He was an American, born in San Francisco, and after private instruction in mining engineering and metallurgy from 1901 to 1904, began his career as assayer and mine surveyor at War Eagle-
Consolidated Mining Co., ldaho. He later worked at the Edna mine, the De Lamar Mines, Ltd., Idaho, and the Seven Troughs mines, Nevada, returning to metallurgical research at De Lamar mines in 1909.
He went to the Descubridora Mining and Smelting Co., in Mexico in 1910, and shortly afterwards became mill superintendent of the Mexican Mining and Smelting Co. at Guanacevi, later joining the Veta Colorada Mining and Smelting Co. at Parral. After a few months at the Copper Queen mine, Arizona, in 1912, Mr. McCluskey returned to Mexico and worked for two years at Moctezuma Arizpe Development Co., Cananea, and was subsequently in charge of reconnaissance and development of deep lead gravel areas in California from 1914 to 1915. He then worked on mill design for the Contra Estaca. Mining Co. in Sinaloa, Mexico, and from there went to Salvador as mill superintendent to Butters Divisadero in 1916-17. He left to join the U.S. Army and served from 1917 to 1919 first as lieutenant in the Engineer Corps and later as captain in the Tank Corps.
On demobilization in 1919 he resumed his association with Charles Butters, for two years as metallurgist in enterprises in Nicaragua and Salvador, and from 1921 to 1922 as manager of Chontales Mines, Ltd., Santo Domingo.
From 1922 onwards, Mr. McCluskey was employed as consulting metallurgist and for the first five years was largely engaged by the Fresnillo Co. and affiliated companies in Mexico. From 1927 to 1945 he held the position of senior metallurgical engineer and consultant to New Consolidated Gold Fields, Ltd., and their associated companies, and he travelled widely in North and South America, England and Continental Europe, Southern, Central and West Africa, and Australia. Since 1945 he had been engaged in consulting work and in the development of some of his recent inventions, and he was also endeavouring to bring back into operation the old gold camp at Bodie, California.
He was elected to Membership of the Institution in 1937.
Vol. 58, Trans IMM 1948-49, pp.590-1
