Abstract
THE former Director-General of the German Continental Gas Co., Dr. W. v. Oechelhaeuser, died on May 31,at Dessau (Anhalt). He was born on January 5, 1850, at Frankfort-On-Main. He studied engineering science at the Technical High School in Berlin, made rather extensive journeys in foreign countries and entered in 1887 into the services of the German Continental Gas Co. at Dessau, of which firm he was Director-General during the years 1890–1912. His technical achievements, based upon sound scientific knowledge, have been acknowledged by the bestowal of the honorary degrees of Dr.Ing. and Dr.PhiL Dr. von Oechelhaeuser contributed largely to the development of the gas industry; for example, he substituted for the old type of horizontal gas retorts, with their great amount of hand work, the vertical retorts, in which the coal glides down by its own weight and at the same time is gasified. On the other hand, he constructed the first engine on the Oechelhaeuser system, by which it became possible to use the gas from a blast furnace directly for power production. In addition to this, he was successful in raising the social standing of the engineer in Germany, in his capacity of president, during many years, of the Society of Gas and Water Engineers and of the Society of German Engineers.
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[Obituaries]. Nature 112, 172 (1923). https://doi.org/10.1038/112172b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/112172b0