Alexander Toporkoff died on December 6th, 1935, at the age of 54.
He was of Russian nationality, and studied at the Imperial Technical College, Moscow, from 1897 to 1901, receiving the degree of Engineer. Some years later he studied at the Technical Institute of Tomsk, where he received a diploma in mining engineering in 1914. From 1903 to 1905 he was employed in the construction of the Moscow electric tramway, and for two years from 1907 he was Government Surveyor in north-eastern Siberia.
In 1909 he was appointed prospecting engineer to the Olekma & Vitini Gold Co., in Russia, and held this post until 1911, when he was employed as surveyor and engineer in charge of drilling in eastern Siberia by Messrs. Bainbridge, Seymour & Co. From 1912 to 1916 he was engineer in charge of prospecting operations for the Olekma & Vitim (Lena) Gold Syndicate, Ltd., and from 1916 to 1917 was chief of the technical department of Lena Goldfields, Ltd.
In 1919 he started practice as a consulting mining and mechanical engineer in London and Paris, and in 1929 he was appointed engineer in charge of prospecting by the Cie Minière de Bolivar. From 1932 until his death he was attached to the Mission Topographique at Agadir, French Morocco.
Mr. Toporkoff was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1931.
Vol. 46, Trans IMM 1936-37, p.834
