XII THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



part of the "international jury of Engineering and Architecture." 

 It was in 1878 that he was created a Companion of the Order of Saint 

 Michael and Saint George by Her late Majesty Queen Victoria, and 

 received from the French Government the decoration of the Legion 

 of Honour for his distinguished services. The late Mr. Keefer designed 

 and built Montreal's first aqueduct, and he was also employed on the 

 construction of the waterworks system of Ottawa and Hamilton. 



In 1849 Mr. Keefer produced his "Philosophy of Railways," a 

 work which is reputed to have exercised a powerful influence on the 

 policy of the Government of the day in respect of the construction 

 of railways in Canada. In 1850, for his essay on "The Influence of 

 the Canals of Canada on her agriculture," he won Lord Elgin's prize. 



In this essay, Mr. Keefer advocated a moderate system of pro- 

 tection with a view of developing the natural resources of his native 

 country. A list of the writings of our late-lamented Fellow may be 

 found in the Supplement to the volume of Transactions of The Royal 

 Society of Canada for 1891. 



The late Mr. Keefer was undoubtedly the greatest hydraulic 

 engineer of his day, having been consulted in practically all the 

 large and important works and enterprises in this country and in the 

 neighbouring Republic. His work and worth no doubt led to his 

 selection as one of the founders of The Royal Society of Canada. 



He was a profound lover of books, especially of those dealing 

 with his science and with the history of Canada. These he read from 

 cover to cover, and had the happy faculty of assimilating their contents 

 in a masterful degree. 



In 1912 Mr. Keefer had the signal honour of being elected an 

 Honorary member of the "Institution of Civil Engineers of Great 

 Britain," established in London in 1818. He also held honorary 

 membership in the Canadian Society of Civil Engineers and the 

 American Society of Civil Engineers. It has already been noted that 

 Mr. Keefer was a charter member of our Society. The disabilities 

 of advancing age rendered it impossible for him to attend the annual 

 meetings during past years, but his interest in the work of the Society 

 continued unabated, and it may be gratefully acknowledged that his 

 early association with the Society was a source of strength and 

 influence to us. 



(5) Alfred Ernest Barlow. 

 Alfred Ernest Barlow, M.A., D.Sc, F.R.S.C, F.G.S.A., etc., etc., 

 became a Fellow of this Society in 1903. News of his sudden and 

 tragic death, and of that of his wife with him, on that dreadful night 

 when the collier Storstard struck the Empress of Ireland, near Father 

 Point, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and sank it, came as a shock to 



