Hugh Robert Edwards died in the United States of America on 23rd February, 1953. He was 69 years of age.
From 1899 to 1904 he was a student at the University of Nebraska, where he obtained the degree of B.Sc. On leaving, he worked as assistant engineer on the Pacific Electric Railway, Los Angeles, and subsequently as instrumentman for a few months with the Illinois Central Railway, Chicago. In November, 1905, he was appointed assistant engineer in charge of railway construction in South Dakota for the Chicago and North Western Railway. He worked in Mexico for six months in 1907 on railway location for the South Pacific Railroad, and early the following year joined the Liverpool Salt Co. of Los Angeles as hydrographic and engineering adviser, returning to the railways in November, 1908, as assistant engineer of bridges, Western Pacific Railway, San Francisco.
In 1910 he began a long association with Hammon Engineering Co. of San Francisco, beginning as field engineer on surveying and construction work for enterprises managed by the company, including the two large gold dredging companies, Yuba Consolidated Gold Fields and Natomas Consolidated Gold Fields. Hc was promoted chief engineer in September, 1912, and held that position for nearly ten years. During that period he managed and reported on the Alaska Mines Corporation at Nome, was instrumental in the formation of Fairbanks Exploration Co., was general manager of Santa Paula Oil Association, and built the oil refinery of Ventura Consolidated Oilfields at Fillmore, California.
From 1922 to 1925 Mr. Edwards held the post of general superintendent of the newly-formed Harrunon Consolidated Goldfields at Nome, Alaska. It was taken over by the U.S. Smelting, Mining and Refining Co. in the spring of 1925, and he remained as consulting engineer until the following September, when he retired and engaged in private enterprises until May, 1927. He worked for nine months as chief engineer to the Natomas Co. of California, and in February, 1928, was appointed executive engineer in London to Anglo-Oriental Mining Corporation, Ltd. He was subsequently made a director of New Goldfields of Venezuela and alternate director of the Indian Copper Corporation, and was elected to the boards of many other mining companies in following years.
Mr. Edwards was elected a Member of the Institution in 1933 and was also a member of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers.
Vol. 62, Trans IMM 1952-53, p.526
