Frederick Bernard Doering
Frederick Bernard Doering (1838-1899)
1900 Obituary [1]
FREDERICK BERNARD DOERING was born on the 8th July, 1838.
At the age of fifteen, he was sent to Dortmund, in Germany, to school, where he remained two years, and was then apprenticed to underground work at the Nachtigall Mine, in Westphalia.
In 1856 he was engaged on a difficult sinking of a round shaft, through 400 feet of marl, interspersed with layers of quicksand, at the Java Mine.
In the following year he entered, as an apprentice, the engine works of Messrs. Fawcett, Preston and Co., Liverpool, and in June, 1861, he passed the competitive examination for admission to the Public Works Department of the Government of India, and was appointed an Assistant Engineer on the Bari Doab Canal Works in the Punjab.
Owing to bad health, he was obliged to resign the service in 1864, towards the end of which year he made a survey in Italy, assisted in a survey for a proposed railway from Falmouth to St. Just, and was engaged in designing iron-roof work.
In 1865 he went to Germany to continue his studies in mining, and afterwards designed the drill known by his name. He also superintended the execution of some deep borings for coal at Bokhold.
In 1866 he took a contract at the Gelria Mine, in Westphalia, to drive a deep level by rock-drills, and put up air-compressing plant for the purpose: and in the following year he went to Cornwall, took contracts at Tincroft and Dolcoath Mines, and became well acquainted with Cornish mining.
From 1867 to 1871 he was connected with the Siegena Sulphur Mine, as a Director and technical adviser, and with the Heidberg and Westphalia Silver-lead Mines.
In 1871 he erected large sugar works in Egypt for the Khedive.
From 1873 to 1878 he was Manager of the Welsh Main Colliery, and afterwards went to Bavaria, as Sub-Manager of the lead mine at Freillund.
In 1880 he took a contract to work the Cae Cock Pyrites Mine in North Wales; and in 1881-1882 he was engaged for Messrs. Fawcett, Preston and Co. in designing air-compressing and other mining machinery, and in superintending the erection of the machinery and designing the dressing works at the La Reyna Mine in Spain.
In 1883 he designed the air-compressing machinery for the Forth Bridge works, and a timber pier and large storehouses for the American Boghead Mining Company.
From 1884 to 1888 he practised as a Mining and Consulting Engineer, reporting on mines in Spain, Portugal, Galicia, Germany, Mexico, England, Wales, and the Gold Coast of Africa, and for some months was Manager of the Akankoo Gold Mine.
In 1888 he was engaged by Messrs. Fawcett, Preston and Co., in making experiments in evaporating fluids. He subsequently held for some years the post of General Manager of the Argentine Concessions Limited Gold Mine.
Mr. Doering died at Bad-Nauheim, Germany, on the 25th August, 1899, at the age of sixty-one.
He was elected a Member of the Institution on the 7th December, 1897.