Charles Howard Erskine died of influenza in Southern Rhodesia in October, 1918, aged 45 years.
Having completed his education in England in 1886, he was in the following year articled to Messrs. Dan Taylor & Go., engineers, of Durban, Natal, and during the three succeeding years he was engaged in prospecting in the Transvaal and general mining work on the Witwatersrand. In 1891 he was appointed battery foreman on a 100-stamp mill of the Simmer & Jack, Ltd., and in the next year was battery manager of a 20-stamp mill of the May Consolidated, Ltd., afterwards engaging in general underground mining with the last named.
In 1893 he took a short course in metallurgy at Cape Town, and in the following year returned to the May Consolidated, Ltd., as battery foreman of a 100-stamp mill. From 1896 to 1899 Mr. Erskine was in private practice as a mining and general contractor on the Witwatersrand, and on the outbreak of the Boer War in 1900 he went on active service, returning to his practice at the close of hostilities.
In 1906 he was engaged by Mr. G. E. Webber to carry on special experimental work underground at the Langlaagte Deep, Ltd., and on the conclusion of that he was similarly engaged by Mr. Leslie Simeon for work at the Simmer & Jack Proprietary Mines, Ltd. In 1907 he obtained the Mine Overseers’ Certificate of the Transvaal, and for the succeeding eight years he was manager of various mines in Rhodesia.
From 1915 to the date of his death he was mine captain of the Fred Mine, Filabusi, Southern Rhodesia.
Mr. Erskine was elected an Associate of the Institution in 1918.
Vol. 29, Trans IMM 1919-20, p.424
