XXXVI. C. O. BURGE. 



rence of such droughts as the one we are now suffering 

 from, should enforce upon our serious consideration the 

 necessity of taking immediate steps to acquire that com- 

 plete knowledge whereby alone we can hope to alleviate 

 the miseries and losses of our people in the future. 



In submitting this paper to your consideration, the author 

 feels confident that even if all he advocates does not meet 

 with entire approval, the broad question of Federal initia- 

 tion and maintenance of hydrography in the States of the 

 Commonwealth is worthy of discussion at your hands. 



RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGH SPEED RAIL- 

 WAY CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING. 



By C. O. BURGE, M. Inst. C.E. 



[Read before the Engineering Section of the Royal Society of N. S. Wales, 

 August 20th, 1902.] 



A paper on this subject cannot have so much immediate 

 practical interest to us in Australia, where, as regards 

 railway speed, we are slow going, as that on hydrography 

 at our last meeting. But it is very desirable that we 

 sliould know what is going on elsewhere, in the progress of 

 time saving work, in anticipation of the demand for it here. 

 A recent visit to Europe enables me to place before the 

 Royal Society a summary of the progress within the last 

 few years in methods for achieving rapid land locomotion. 



As regards speed of the long distance trains in the United 

 Kingdom, there does not appear to be much demand for a 

 higher through speed, including stops, than 50 miles per 

 hour. Prom London to Glasgow, Edinburgh, or Dublin, is 



