ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. XVil. 
such as stations, signals, points and crossings, brakes, 
electric telegraph, etc., also the arrangements for greater 
comfort in travelling, the enormous increase in mileage, as 
well as in power and speed, and finally in the recent appli- 
cation of electricity to railway traction. The lecture 
closed with a few interesting statistics, such as the present 
mileage of the world’s railways, which is about 500,000 
with an annual increase of from 2 to 3%, the cost amount- 
ing to about £7,000,000,000, and with nearly 4,000,000 
people employed. The London railway stations alone dealt 
with 2,000,000 passengers daily, the maximum being 150,000 
at Liverpool Street Station. The great size ofa great 
modern railway station such as that at Frankfort, was 
referred to, its area being equal to that of a large portion 
of the busy part of Sydney. The largest locomotives of 
to-day were of 140 times the power specified for the Liver- 
pool trial engines of 74 years ago. As an instance of the 
safety of the enormous traffic of the present day, it was 
mentioned that nearly 31,000,000 passengers were carried 
on the New South Wales railways in the last financial year, 
without a train accident causing loss of life to one of them. 
This was a great testimony to the carefulness and efficiency 
of the railway servant, a man who meeting possible death 
and always danger in his daily duties, especially in the 
crowded lines at home, is forgotten when medals, Victoria 
Crosses, and banquets are heaped on returning warriors 
who have probably incurred less risks. The lecture was 
illustrated by numerous lime light views. 
b—July 1, 1908. 
