Kall Alfred Olsen

  Death Notes:

Obituary of Mr. K. A. Olsen - Port Chalmers Inventor
Mr. Kall Alfred Olsen, who died at Port Chalmers recently, was of an inventive turn of mind and was recognized by residents of the town as a person who, with technical training, would have accomplished a great deal. Mr. Olsen followed the vocation of carpenter and joiner as well as that of a sayer in and about Port Chalmers and Dunedin. He was born at Ravensbourne 72 years ago, the son of the late Anton Olsen, afterwards of Purakunui.
He was foreman builder in the erection of Knox College and later worked at the timbering of gold dredges in Central Otago for the Setvenson and Cook Engineering Company. Often Mr. Olsen was called in by tradesmen to help with difficult jobs requiring the devising of special tools, for he had the sort of mind that delighted in that kind of problem. One of his inventions was a circular saw for internal as well as external cutting, for use in building the flumings of the Ravensborune Fertiliser Works, while many years ago he produced and often played a musical saw, which he claimed as the forerunner of that which featured in variety entertainments a few years back.
To help fishemen Mr. Olsen designed a split link of easy joining of chains and joining two ends, and this is now in wide use at sea, especially in the navy. Prior to the last war Mr. Olsen worked for many years upon a flame thrower, which threw a flame for an astonishing distance. Official interest in the possibilities of this drew him to Wellington, but lack of scientific training hindered its development and meantime similar weapons were produced overseas. None of Mr. Olsen's inventions were ever patented and he drew no revenue from them, his chief purpose being rather to meet particular needs.
Mr. Olsen married Miss Robina Logie, who prdeceased him a number of years ago. He is survived by two daughters and five sons.

Kall married Robina Constance Logie, daughter of Fredrick Logie and Marian Adela Pearce. (Robina Constance Logie was born on 18 Feb 1878 in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand and died on 6 Dec 1941.)