Thomas Andrews (1847-1907)

Thomas Andrews FRS (1847-1907) of Wortley Ironworks, Sheffield

of Thomas Andrews and Co

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Obituary 1907

The death occurred on the 19th inst., at Wortley, near Sheffield, of Mr. Thomas Andrews, F.R.S., head of the firm of Thomas Andrews and Co., iron manufacturers of Wortley. Mr Andrews was born at Sheffield in 1847; he was the only son of Mr Thomas Andrews also a native of Sheffield. He was educated at Broombank School, and subsequently received private tuition. He was carefully trained in metallurgy, mining and engineering, by his father, and on the death of the latter he succeeded him as proprietor of the Wortley Ironworks and the Wortley Silkstone Colliery.

In June, 1888, Mr. Andrews was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He had previously been awarded the Telford medal and the Telford premium in 1884 by the Institution of Civil Engineers, and Telford premiums in 1885 and 1886.

During the four years prior to his election to the Royal Society he had, at considerable cost, conducted research at Wortley Ironworks on the "Effects of Temperature on the Strength of Railway Axles," and from time to time the results of his investigations were published. His object was to determine on a large scale the resistance of metals to sudden concussion at varying temperatures down to zero (0 deg.) Fah., and at the same time to ascertain, if possible, some of the causes lending to accidental fractures on our railways. In the course of low temperature observations on this large scale above 800 tons of snow were consumed for the freezing mixtures, &c., and over 400 railway axles were tested to destruction.

Electrochemical effects on magnetising iron next occupied Mr. Andrews' attention, and in June, 1889, he read a paper on this subject before the Royal Society. In 1895 he was awarded the Bessemer premium by the Council of the Society of Engineers, London, for his papers on "The Effect of Strain on Railway Axles" and "The Minimum Flexion Resistance Point in Axles," and in 1902 he was awarded the gold medal of the same Society for a paper on "The Effects of Segregation on the Strength of Steel Rails."

He was widely known as an author on scientific subjects. It would not be possible with the space at our disposal even to give a list of the books and papers which he gave to the world at various times. Few men have expended more time and effort and research work in connection with metallurgical, physical, and engineering science than did Mr. Andrews.

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1907 Obituary

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