William Harry Stanger
William Harry Stanger (1847-1903) or (William Henry Stanger)
of 23 Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, S.W.
1903 Obituary [1]
WILLIAM HARRY STANGER was born on 24th September 1847, at Pietermaritzburg, Natal, which Colony had only then recently been added to the British Dominions. His father, the Hon. W. Stanger, M.D., F.G.S., was Surveyor-General of the district, and as such took part in the legislative and executive functions of the Government. In 1851 Dr. Stanger brought his family to England, when he came on two years' leave; on his return to South Africa he only survived one year.
The son — William Harry — received his early training at Norwich Grammar School, and completed it at King's College, London.
He served his apprenticeship as an engineer at the Hunslet Engine Works, Leeds, under Mr. Campbell, and after the expiration of his time, obtained employment in the locomotive department of the North Eastern Railway.
His next appointment was as instructor of traction-engine-driving at Aldershot and Woolwich, and a few years later he went to South America as locomotive superintendent of a railway in Northern Brazil, but had to relinquish this position within two years owing to a severe attack of yellow fever.
On his return to this country in 1873 he was appointed to the staff of the Crown Agents for the Colonies as engineering clerk, his duties consisting in advising the Crown Agents in engineering matters, and inspecting work generally.
A few years later he resigned his position as a member of the official staff, and commenced business on his own account in Westminster, at the same time acting as inspecting engineer for the Crown Agents.
In 1887 be established the Broadway Testing Works at Westminster for the mechanical examination of all constructional materials. Soon afterwards, recognising the importance of chemical as well as tensile tests, he took into partnership Mr. Bertram Blount, F.C.S. Since the commencement of this establishment he has continued to act as Inspector of Engineering Work for the Crown Agents, and for the Director of Works and the Chief Engineer of the Works Loan Department of the Admiralty; and in all these capacities he has tested cement for nearly all the great works carried out for naval defence, as well as for iron works for Gibraltar, Simon's Bay, Hong Kong, etc.
At the request of the London Chamber of Commerce he carried out investigations during 1894-95 on the effect on Portland cement of the admixture with it of various foreign substances. One of the results was to create a standard which was accepted by the Chamber of Commerce, and a Paper giving the results of the investigations was contributed by him and Mr. Blount to the Society of Chemical Industry in 1897.
For many years his health had suffered in consequence of the attack of yellow fever when in South America, and be was advised in December, 1902, to take the baths at Helouan, near Cairo, and to winter in the South of France. But as he was not well enough to land at Marseilles ho proceeded to London, where his death took place on 13th February 1903, at the age of fifty-five.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1875, and was also a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, and a Fellow of the Chemical Society.
1903 Obituary [2]
WILLIAM HARRY STANGER, born on the 24th September, 1847, at Pietermaritzburg in Natal, was the son of the Hon. William Stanger, M.D., who had been with the Niger expedition of 1840 as naturalist, and in 1845 became Surveyor-General of Natal. Dr. Stanger brought his family to England in 1851 and the subject of this notice spent his boyhood in this country, receiving his education at the Grammar School at Norwich and at King’s College, London.
Mr. Stanger obtained his early training as an Engineer at the works of the Hunslet Engine Co, Leeds, and afterwards at those of the North Eastern Railway.
In 1870 he obtained the post of instructor of traction-engine driving at Woolwich and Aldershot, and, although quite a young man, showed considerable skill in demonstrating the capabilities of the road tractors of that day.
Mr. Stanger was next employed in Brazil as Engineer to the Ceara Steam-Traction and Transport Company, which became merged in the Ceara Railway Company, and under that Company he held the post of Locomotive Superintendent during part of 1872. Unfortunately he contracted yellow fever, which undoubtedly left its mark upon him, and may even have contributed to his early death.
On his return to England his father’s connection with colonial administration stood him in good stead, and on the recommendation of Sir William Sergeant he was appointed in 1873 Engineering Clerk to the Crown Agents for the Colonies and Inspector of Permanent Way Materials for the Trinidad Government Railway. . . . [more]
1903 Obituary [3]
WILLIAM HARRY STANGER died suddenly at his residence in London on February 13, 1903. He was the son of the Hon. William Stanger, M.D., Surveyor-General of Natal, and a distinguished geologist and naturalist.
Born in 1847 at Pietermaritzburg, the son came to England at an early age, and was educated at Norwich Grammar School and at King's College, London. His apprenticeship was spent at the works of the Hunslet Engineering Company near Leeds, and he afterwards worked in the locomotive department of the North-Eastern Railway.
For some time he was engaged as instructor in traction engine-driving at Aldershot and Woolwich, and in 1873 was appointed inspecting engineer to the Crown Agents for the Colonies.
In 1887 he established the Broadway Testing Works, Westminster, for the mechanical and chemical testing of all structural materials in use by engineers. In the course of his official work he undertook the responsibility for the quality of the Portland cement to be used in the various harbour works carried out by the Government, and he was the first who grasped the important problem of correlating the mechanical and chemical tests of cement.
He was elected a member of the Iron and Steel Institute in 1878.
1903 Obituary [4]
1903 Obituary.[5]