Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-11-01


BRITIsn RAiLwW STATISTICs-The report
that has Just been issued from the Railway De-
partment of the Board Of Trade brings our
knowledge of the statistics connected with these
undertakings up to the close Of the year 1854,
and at period like the present, when the in
huence of war is exerted upon all the con-.
Germs and institutions OF the country, it is high
ly satisfactory TO discover that in so important
a matter as that of railway enterprise there is
no falling off to be lamented and no deteriora-
ton to be deplored.
The development Of passenger traffic has
been steady and uninterrupted. The total
number of passengers conveyed on the always
of the United Kingdom was, reckoning in mil
lions and discarding the odd figures for 1919, 63
millions; for 1850, ~ for 1851, IS; for 1859,
| 50; for 1853, l02; and for the last year, Ill
| In stating the receipts from these passengers
| odd figures become OF more consequence, and
so we give the sums in full. These for the
years above mentioned respectively were e.
277 500. &c, s27, 76l, f7,9l0.764. E7 ,7G3 1893,
| Is, Sol or, and E9, ia ,945.--To arrive
at the gross receipts of railways for
1854, we must add to the last mentioned sum
that Of Eli $50 77J for goods traffic, being more
| than a million and half above the amount
received under the same head in 1853.
| 1t will thus be seen that goods return more
money to the companies than passengers
result which expresses steady and notable
tendency in this direction for some years past
In 1859 out Of every fl00 returnable rather
more than ESQ was yielded by passengers and
rather more than Gag by goods The latter
however, crept on. till in 1852 the products were
nearly equalized, and as the process still con
tinucd, we find goods in 1854 yielding f54 odd
of the Ei00, and passengers but SIS odd; $,
that in six years time the relative returns from
the two sources have been Just above counter
changed In the year 1919 the average rate o
dividend the Whole of the ordinary shar,
capital invested in railways, exclusive of re
turns upon preference share and loans was onl,
l SO per cent, whereas the figures last yea
stood at 3.39.
We come now 10 the case of accidents sub
) iect which, as our readers will remember, W,
have often submitted arguments for their con
; sideration The gross number of casualties o
this kind appears at first sight somewhat alarm
ing, for in 1853 no fewer than 305 persons wer
killed outright on the various railways of tn
United Kingdom and 449 injured, while evei
last year the deaths were 223, and injuries I53
These amounts. however. admit of successive
reductions, until in the end the result is not cal
culated toterrify railway passenger endowe,
{ with ordinary caution and good sense. First o
all, as many as 80 of the 223 persons killed las
year We're neither passengers nor servants O
the company, but trespassers or others brough
. either by imprudence or misfortune into harm
way.
Next, as many as 70 more re'servants, eithe
. of the company of the contractors, who me
} their deaths through their own misconduct O
want Of caution. A third deduction of 1.
must be made for passengers whose deaths wer
: brought about in similar manner so tina
only 81 fatal accidents remain TO be accounte,
for as beyond the control of the sufferers, ana @
these 80 befell contractors or companies ser
I wants. No more than IL railway passengers
therefore. met their deaths on all the railway
i'm the United Kingdom from causes beyon,
S their own control, and this is certainly not
large proportion out of Ill millions convened
Upon the whole, it is obvious that there is grea
improvement in railway management, although
the number Of passengers conveyed in 1854 wa
greater by 5000 900 or 5000 900 than in 1853
the number of those killed (fron causes beyon,
their own control) was but IL in the forme
year against 36 in the latter The injuries L
passengers show an increase, being 33l agains
$50.
: We notice with satisfaction that the averag
lumber Of persons employed per mile on rail
! ways open for traffic appears 10 have increased
: being returned at l 50 in 1851, against 1917 il
1853. On unopened railways the number o
those provided with occupations on all rail
. ways, opened and unopened together, wa
l34, $40. When We add that the total amour
of capital raised for these undertakings up I,
, the 3lst of December, 1854, was f2S6, 06S, 1874
the importance of the whole subject will be yer,
readily perceived.