'Another old resident of Shang-Bai, Me. "ALE" L." Blechynden, managing director "of the New Engineering and Shipbuilding Works, Lid, has retired after 33) years in this country, of which 27 ave been spent with' the New Engineering Works, and is to-day Teaving Shanghai for good, to settle Vancouver, B. C.
My, Blechynden, who was born Now Zealand in 1880, came to Shanghai when he was but 16 years of. age, He belongs to a well-Imown engineering family. After aerying his apprenticeship with the Shanghai Engineering Works between 1805 and 1000, during which time he served as an engineer in the China Merchants 8. N. Con, he engaged in erecting machinery at the Tussian Coal fines.
In 1001, his father, the late Mr. John Blechynden, who was an old Japan hand, founded the New Eniinecring Works in this port, and Mr, Blechynden joined his father's frm, which eventually became the New Engineering & Shipbuilding Works, Ltd,, ti 1904, He worked all' departments, including" the drawing office and estimates depart-mont. During this early period of tig firm's history, Mr, Blechynden erected buildings, of tanks, boilers, and machinery in Chinkiang, Hankow, 'Tongku, Peking, Weihaiwei and' Shanghai, and, in 1907 and 1008, he assisted in the construction of the Yangtszepoo Dock, belonging to the New Engineering & Ship-Dduilding Works, Ltd.
In 1013, the Vulcan Tron Works, id, was! amalgamated with his firm and My. Blechynden was uppointed assistant manager of the combined concern, becoming "mai gor in 1915, feint managis director two years later and sole managing director in 1926, Amportint Undertakings During Mr. Blechynden's manage-mont the firm undertook many and important ropaire to all classes of pamela, apart from comploting en-@inesring contracts of all kinds.
constructed a large number very successful self-propelled ids, steam machinery for which, well as the. hull, being manufactured and built' by his. firn~ 'Among these may be mentioned fight cargo vessels for Norwegian owners, including the Hentiky Haytur, ere and Hydra, and tevoral' high class vessels for the Yangtze and coastal service to the order of the Asiatic Petroleum Ca., (North China) Ltd. (including the Chingkwang and Haikwang),. the Standard Oil Company of New York (the Melhsia and Meiping includ~ ed), the Indo-China 8, N. Cow Ltd. Mosars.. Butterfield & Swire, the China. Merchants 8. N. Ca," (the Hain Ningshao among others), and the Chinese Maritime Customs, ete, Up to date the total. number of ships and engines built since the opening of the works is approximately 650, 'The Now Bngineering Works started in 1901 with a punching machine and about 60 mon, and today has developed into the most modern shipbuilding yard in North' China, with about 1,500 hands, Shipbaikling was in its infancy in Ohina when Mr, Blechynder. arrived. There were no Chinese yards at, that time and the only people who built big vessels were the Shanghai Dock & Engineering Go, "Mr. Blechynden's firm was established later. As for shipping companies, the China Merchants Ewo, and Taikoo were the principal ines, but there were few Chinese ships.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.