Elrington Reed Lax
Elrington Reed Lax (1880-1938)
1938 Obituary [1]
ELRINGTON REED LAX was born in 1880 at Hughesofka, South Russia, and was educated at the British American School, St. Petersburg, from 1891 to 1894, when he came to England to complete his education. He returned to Hughesofka in 1897 and served a six years' apprenticeship in the works of the New Russia Company, iron and steel manufacturers.
In order to gain wider experience he joined the British Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Company, Ltd., and was employed at the firm's Trafford Park works, first as draughtsman and later as assistant machine shop foreman, from 1903 to 1906. He then returned to the works of the New Russia Company as chief draughtsman and planned several extensions to the factory buildings, and a complete Siemens-Martin steel plant, with the associated rolling mills. He was also responsible for the layout of the buildings, and the design of headgear, screening plant, etc., for the New Smoloninof Pits, Hughesofka, one of the largest collieries in South Russia.
In 1912 Mr. Lax went into business on his own account as an iron and steel merchant, and later built and managed a factory for the manufacture of bolts, nuts, and railway spikes. He also leased and worked a large anthracite colliery. Owing to the State confiscation of such property in 1918 he was forced to relinquish his business; he joined the North Russian Expeditionary Force as interpreter and intelligence officer, and remained on active service until 1919. Subsequently he returned to England and in 1923 was appointed constructional engineer to the Heston and Isleworth Urban District Council at the electricity works, with supervision of all work in connexion with alterations and extensions to the existing generating plant, including the installation of new turbo-generators and auxiliary machinery. He was promoted to be station superintendent in 1929, and held this position until his death, which occurred on 7th March 1938.
He was elected an Associate Member of the Institution in 1925.