Arthur Gifford died on November 30th, 1915, at Madras Hospital, aged 41 years. He had undergone a serious operation, and died from collapse two days after the operation had been performed.
He was born at the Lanestosa Lead and Zinc Mines in Vezcaya, Spain, and spent the first eight years of his boyhood there and at the Pestarena Gold Mines, Italy. He came to England to be educated and attended Bristol Grammar School and the Devon County School; and afterwards spent two years as a student at the Camborne School of Mines.
He obtained experience in practical engineering at the Sandycroft Foundry and Engineering Works, and in 1892 went to Brazil to act as assistant to his brother, Mr. Henry Gifford, the superintendent of the Ouro Preto Gold Mines in Minas Geraes. Here he remained for seven years, performing at intervals the duties of reduction officer, chief mining agent, assistant surveyor and representative of the superintendent when the latter was on leave; and thereby gained a good, all-round experience.
He returned to England in 1899, and after a few months’ vacation went to India in 1900, to take up the position of assistant superintendent at the Mysore Mine. He held this post till March, 1905, when he was appointed superintendent; and he continued to act in this capacity until the end of 1914, when failing health compelled him to send in his resignation.
In 1912, Mr. Gilford had a bad attack of enteric fever, and though he recovered temporarily, it left results which eventually cut short his career. After leaving the Mysore Mine, he went to the Kotageri Hills in the hope that the rest and change might restore his health; but his condition rapidly became worse, and eventually he was compelled to come down to Madras and undergo the operation which terminated fatally.
Mr. Gifford was elected a Member of the Institution in 1904.
Vol. 25, Trans IMM 1915-16, p.396
