Charles Sheibner Du Riche Preller
Charles Sheibner Du Riche Preller (1844-1929)
1929 Obituary [1]
CHARLES S. DU RICHE PRELLER, M.A., D.Sc, Ph.D., F.R.S.E., born in Saxony in 1844, came to England at an early age to join his uncle's family in Yorkshire, where he was educated, naturalized in 1873, and, in the same relative's firm, acquired considerable business experience.
He completed his education and training by studying political economy, engineering, chemistry, physical science and geology in Paris, Lyons and Dresden, and in the universities of Leipzig and Heidelberg, in the former of which he gained his diploma of Doctor of Philosophy.
From 1879 he was engaged as engineer in railway and electrical undertakings, more especially in Italy and Switzerland, where he was chief engineer and, later, chairman of the Limmat-valley Electric Railway, Canton Zurich.
At the same time he was actively interested in hydro-electric power transmissions, electric and other mountain railways in Switzerland and the contiguous countries, and in the electric lighthouses on the coasts of France.
Apart from his professional engineering work, he was keenly interested in geology, more especially in the glaciology of the Alps. After his retirement from professional work in 1902, he resided in London and later in Edinburgh, where he devoted himself to science, art, history, dramatic literature and music.
In 1926, in recognition of his work in Italy, he was made Hon. Doctor of Science of the Royal University of Florence.
He died at Edinburgh on the 17th February, 1929, in his 85th year.
He was elected a Member of the Institution in 1893.
1929 Obituary [2]