ANNUAL REPORT.

ROLL OF THE SOCIETY.

The Council notes with satisfaction that during the past year the membership of the Society has steadily increased. The elections comprised, twenty-eight members, nineteen associate members, twenty four associates, and thirty-two students, while from various causes nineteen have been removed from the list, the net increase for the year being eighty-four.

The resignations were:—

Member, W. Barclay Snow.

Associate, Andrew T. Drummond.

During the same period the Society has lost one member by death, R. Boag, a memoir of whom has appeared in the Transactions.

The total number on the list at the present date includes, two honorary members, two hundred and fifty-nine members, eighty-seven associate members, forty-seven associates, and one hundred and forty-five students, or five hundred and forty-two in all.

Experience has made it evident that more attention should be given by members to the qualifications required for admission into the several classes, and it would much facilitate the work of the Council if a proposer would communicate to the Council, through the Secretary, his opinion as to the proper classification of a candidate.

It should also be borne in mind that in the case of the students, it is absolutely necessary that the candidate should produce satisfactory evidence of a general education, as required by By-Law 18, for the admission of students who do not possess a proper degree of culture would lower the tone of the Society.

It is encouraging to find that eminent engineers, both in England and the United States, are enrolling themselves as members of our Society. It is a mark of its growing importance and surely a presage of its future success.

The Society is to be congratulated on the opening of the list of Honorary Members.

The first name on the list is that of,

His Excellency the Right-Honourable Lord Stanley of Preston, G. C. B., P. C., Governor General of the Dominion of Canada, &c., &c., who, eminent as a statesman, and fully recognizing the importance of great Public Works, has followed with deep interest the progress of engineering science.

The second name on the list is that of,

Sir William Dawson, LL.D., F.R.S., K.C.M.G., Vice-Chancellor and Principal of McGill University, whose name would honour the roll

of

any scientific Society, and who was the first to make a practical move in this country, in the direction of technical education, by the establishment at McGill College of a department of engineering, in the year 1856. In connection with this, it is of interest to know that our first President was also the first Professor of Engineering.

ORDINARY MEETINGS.

There have been sixteen Ordinary meetings of the Society during the year 1888, at which the following papers have been read :

From January to June:

On the "Telephone," by F.N. Gisborne ; on the "Six-foot Wooden Conduit for the Toronto Water Works," by T. J. McMinn; on "Concrete as a Substitute for Masonry in Bridge Work," by M. Murphy; on "Railway Accidents and a Railway Commission," by A. T. Drummond; on the "Canadian Pacific Ry. Bridges at Ste. Anne and Vaudreuil," by C. E. W. Dodwell; on "Cedar Block Carriage-Ways," by A. Macdougall; on "Electric Lighting," by H. S. Thornberry; on Masonry Arches for Railway Purposes," by W. B. Dawson.

From October to December:

On the "Sewerage System of Vancouver," by E. Mohun; on the "Evolution of the Telegraph," by F. N. Gisborne; on the "Construction of the Toronto Sewers," by C. H. Rust; on "Coal Mining in Nova Scotia," by E. Gilpin, Jr.; on "A Mine Pump Working under Heavy Pressure," by H. S. Poole; on the "Spring-Hill Colleries," by R. W. Leonard.

Particular mention might be made of Mr. Gilpin's Paper on Coal Mining, which gives an exhaustive description of the present condition of the several collieries, and which will prove a valuable addition to the mining literature of the Dominion.

Under the auspices of the Society, a public lecture upon the "Electric Telegraph and other Electrical Inventions" was delivered by Mr. F. N. Gisborne, member of Council, upon the 29th October. The lecture was one of much interest, and was listened to by a large and appreciative audience. The Council hopes, from time to time, to make arrangements for similar lectures upon scientific subjects.

The discussions upon the different papers have been most animated, and have considerably enhanced their value. They might, however, with advantage, receive still greater attention, and the Council would especially

urge non-resident members to shew their interest in the Society by sending written criticisms of the several papers.

At the conclusion of the Annual Meeting, on the 12th January, 1888, a Conversazione was held at McGill College. An important feature of this entertainment was the delivery of the Annual Address by our past President, Mr. T. C. Keefer. He most appropriately opened his address by a brief statement of the proceedings which had led to the formation of the Society, and continued with a most complete and valuable review of the important engineering works of the Dominion, severally treating them under the heads, Railway, Hydraulic, Civic, Mechanical, Mining and Electrical Engineering.

STUDENTS' MEETINGS.

There have been three Students' meetings, at which papers were read on the "Montreal and Maskinonge Ry.," by E. S. M. Lovelace; on the "Water-supply of the city of Charlottetown, P.E.I.," by S.R. Lea; and on "Locomotive Construction," by J. P. Tuplin.

Great care, thoughtfulness, and observation were shewn in Mr. Lea's paper, which the Council has deemed of sufficient merit to be published in the Transactions. The Council would impress on the students, the importance of making it a more regular practice to prepare papers, which will prove of no small advantage to themselves, and will fit them to become valuable members of the Society.

LIBRARY.

Since the last general meeting, a number of donations to the Library have been received, and among these mention should be made of the following:

From The Royal Society of Canada, a complete set of the Proceedings and Transactions of the Society, up to date.

From The Institution of Civil Engineers, London, a further donation of 20 volumes, in addition to 16 vols. previously received, making a complete set of the Proceedings from vol. 59 to vol. 94 inclusive. From the Commissioner of Patents, London, about 200 volumes of Abridgments of Specifications of Patents.

A number of valuable contributions have also been received from members of the Society.

Special reference should be made to the donations of Messrs. T C. Keefer, Past President; S. Keefer, President; H. F. Perley, VicePresident; C. Baillairgé, L. M. Clement, D. McMillan, K. Blackwell and J. Peck.

A complete list of members who have sent books, or money for the purchase of books, will be printed as soon as possible.

In addition to the above, a number of valuable and interesting photographs have been presented to the Society.

Rules for the Library and the catalogue are now in the printer's hands, and will be issued in a short time.

From these rules it will be seen that arrangements are being made, by which members residing in the Dominion of Canada may borrow certain of the books from the Library.

The Council would again remind all members of the obligations contracted by them on election to subscribe books, or their equivalent, to the Library. The proper equipment of this branch of the Society's work is most essential to its efficiency.

ACCOMMODATION.

The Society continues to use rooms at McGill University through the kindness of the Governors. Some progress has been made towards a fund for the erection of a building to meet the growing needs of the Society. The following statement will give the present condition of the Building Fund.

BUILDING FUND.

The Building Committee, appointed by the Council under the resolution passed at the last annual meeting, has, during the present year, issued two circulars, one on the 11th February and one on the 1st October. Up to the present date, 36 members, 13 associate members, 2 associates, and 17 students have identified themselves with the fund, the total sum promised being $3,281.00, of which amount $1,809.25 have been paid to the Treasurer.

The Council has been especially gratified to observe the hearty response to the circular on the part of the students.

The Council, however, feels that this important question has not attracted the consideration it deserves, and hopes that within the next few months large additions may be made to the Fund.

FINANCES.

The income for the year ended on the 31st December, 1888, amounted to $2777.64, and the general expenditure reached $1789.64, leaving a balance of $988.00, which, together with the balance of $960.92, brought forward from the year 1887, gives a total balance of $1948.92 to be carried forward.