rit ic ▁sm el ting ▁had ▁a ▁" hor rend ous ▁cost ▁to ▁the ▁environment ▁in ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁a ▁vast ▁area ▁of ▁rain for est ▁and ▁in ▁poll ution ▁of ▁rivers ". ▁ ▁St icht ' s ▁time ▁at ▁Mount ▁Ly ell ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁a ▁dis astr ous ▁under ground ▁fire ▁at ▁the ▁North ▁mine ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 2 , ▁when ▁some ▁ 4 2 ▁min ers ▁died ▁from ▁carbon ▁mon ox ide ▁poison ing . ▁ ▁St icht ▁had ▁a ▁hol iday ▁tour ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 – 1 5 ; ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁he ▁was ▁again ▁in ▁Tas mania ▁investig ating ▁problems ▁in ▁connection ▁with ▁the ▁Mount ▁Read ▁and ▁Rose ber y ▁or es . ▁He ▁died ▁at ▁La unc eston , ▁Tas mania , ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁April ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁and ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁Russell ▁Mer v yn ▁Murray , ▁an ▁employee ▁for ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁little ▁regard ▁but ▁who ▁managed ▁the ▁mines ▁successfully ▁for ▁a ▁similar ▁length ▁of ▁time . ▁St icht ▁was ▁surv ived ▁by ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁three ▁sons . ▁ ▁M embers hips ▁Austral as ian ▁Institute ▁of ▁M ining ▁Engine ers ▁president ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁vice - pres ident ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁Austral as ian ▁Association ▁for ▁the ▁Ad van cement ▁of ▁Science ▁president , ▁Section ▁C ▁( chem istry , ▁met all