Edward Augustine Wyke-Smith died as the result of an accident on May 17th, 1935, at the age of 62.
He resided in the United States for eight years prior to 1899, during which he was engaged in mining and general engineering work, but in January, 1900, he entered definitely into the mining profession and went to Mexico, where he was engaged for several years on the property of the Zapoteca Mining Co., Oaxaca, followed by the management of mines owned by the Mexican Gold and Silver Recovery Co., and three years as underground manager of the Mexico Mines of El Oro. He was also retained for several years as consulting engineer by Messrs. S. Pearson & Son, Ltd., in connexion with geological work, drilling, and the installation of machinery on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and in Tabasco.
In 1913, he left Mexico for Egypt to take up the position of general manager of the Sinai Mining Co., Ltd., and had charge of the construction work from the outset, including the erection of a ropeway which at the time had the largest known span. During the War the plant was destroyed by the Turks and had to be rebuilt. During the War also, Mr. Wylie-Smith designed floating bridges over the Suez Canal which were of great use in military operations. A description of one of these was given by him, under the title ‘A Design of Floating Bridge on the Suez Canal’, and appeared in the Transactions of the Institution, vol. xxxi. After the War, he was engaged on examination work, including extensive diamond drilling, in Norway, Spain, Portugal, and South America, and was subsequently for several years the general manager of the Fabulosa Mine, Bolivia. From 1928 onward, he was occupied on examination work in connexion with Beach Tin, Ltd., in St. lves Bay, Cornwall, and elsewhere.
Mr. Wyke-Smith was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1910, and was transferred to Membership in 1911.
Vol. 45, Trans IMM 1935-6, pp.525-6
