Stanislaus Charles Napier Bell died on June 30th, 1918, after a long and painful illness.
He was born at Wellington, N.Z., on November 12th, 1874, and was the son of the late Charles Napier Bell, M.Inst.C.E., of Christchurch, N.Z, He received his education at Christ College School, Christchurch, and was afterwards trained as a civil engineer by his father. On completion of this training he acted as assistant to a railway surveyor in Western Australia for a year, but in 1898 his father suggested that there was a better opening for mining engineers in the Colonies, and Mr. Bell accordingly spent the next three and a-half years in a course at the Otago University School of Mines, where he obtained the Associateship of the School. During the University recess, he obtained practical knowledge of his profession by working at the Mount Bischoff Tin Mine, Tasmania.
On leaving the University, he spent a further eight months as a miner at the Mount Lyell Copper Mine, Tasmania. In the early part of 1902, he was employed at the Skippers Mine, Otago, in the erection of a cyanide plant for the treatment of blanket concentrates, subsequently taking over the control of the treatment. To gain further experience, he obtained employment for three months above and below ground at Matarui, N.Z., and a year at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. In October, 1904, he was appointed manager of the New Brothers’ Home Tin Mining Co., Derby, Tasmania, where he remained until April, 1907. During his residence at Derby he was appointed Justice of the Peace for the district, being the youngest member of the Australasian Bench.
On May 1st, 1907, he was installed as metallurgist to the Peak Down Freehold Copper and Coal Co., in Queensland, where he remained until the mine closed down about a year later. Before returning to Tasmania in 1909, he reported on various gold and copper properties in Queensland, and managed a tin mine in New South Wales, until he was appointed assistant engineer to the Mount Bischoff Extended Tin Mining Co., Tasmania.
In November, 1911, he came to England, where he spent some time. During the latter part of 1912, he was engaged in tin mining in Northern Nigeria, where he fell ill and had to be invalided home in January, 1913.
He was, as already mentioned, an Associate of the Otago School of Mines, and in addition a Fellow of the Geological Society, and a member of the Mining Institute of Australia, and the American Institute of Mining.
Mr. Bell was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1906.
Vol. 22, Trans I.M.M. 1912-13, pp. 715-16
