Alexander Lachenal
Alexander Lachenal (1861-1923)
1923 Obituary [1]
ALEXANDER LACHENAL was born in London on 17th October 1861.
His apprenticeship lasting five years was served in the engineering works of Messrs. J. and T. Dale, of Kirkcaldy, after which he went to sea for a short time.
In 1881 he took up the post of manager in the shops of Messrs. Witte and Co., at Manila.
Five years later he was appointed district resident engineer on the construction works of the Manila Railway, which post he held for about four years, and then became engineer-in-charge on the Sunday River Bridge in South Africa for two years, which was followed by similar work in West Africa.
In 1897 he became engineering representative for Messrs. P. and W. MacLellan, Ltd., on the erection of the Vera Cruz Fiscal Pier and carried out surveys and contracts in Mexico, North Brazil, and Peru.
In 1907 he started in London as a consulting engineer, but found the climate uncongenial after having lived in the tropics, so he returned to Central America, acting as resident engineer on various undertakings.
During the War he worked in the Shell Department of the Ministry of Munitions, on the Tanks, and in the Explosives Factory at Stowmarket.
Subsequently he went to India for some time as assistant general manager for the Bengal Iron and Steel Co. His last journey abroad was to Mexico to superintend the erection of a large wharf and oil tanks, but his health failed and he returned to England in 1922.
His death took place, after an operation, on 22nd November 1923, at the age of sixty-two.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1907.