Delaware State journal and statesman., 1862-06-06

cars, 2j,8l4 ~
l5 new passenger cars, 2g,3l6 10
. new locomotives, l1,IOb l8
Total, $97 ,0il 62
Besides tho.e above enumerated, there were
placed on the road thirty freight cars aud
two mail cars, not yet paid for. In addition to
lh -e, we have now building four new loeomo-
lives and thirty new freight cars.
Exclusive OF the new track, there were about |
twenty miles Of thu main track relaid with new |
cross -ties aud new iron rails, the cost Of which
il Included in the operating expenses.
The ferry boat /" Maryland has performed an
amount OF work the last year greater thnn any
other boat of the kind in the world IL has never
in single instance failed to perform its part OF
the duty All thl troops aud ali the freight
nave been taken over un deck without change
OF cars and for several months the New York
and Philadelphia aud Washington passengers
have been carried through without any change
Of cars either ut the river or at Baltimore.
Arrangements are now in progress for carry
ing both passengers and freight, between new
York aul Washington, in the same cars-thus
avoiding the frequent changes which have here
tofore given rise TO 80 much dissatisfaction on the
part of the public Already the tracks of the
horse rail roads between the Keusngton depot
and our station at Broad and Prime streets have
been 80 connected that passengers are taken
from one station TO the other in the same cars,
aud ARE transferred from the cars Of the horse,
rn ltonl to our cars and those OF the New York
lines without exposure to the weather.
With IL connection by locomotive, now proVi'
led fur in Philadelphia, aud some projected i'm
pruvements carried out in Baltimore, no route
can lie devised between New York and Washing
ton 10 short in distance or expeditions IN time
us the present route Much has been said in the
public Journals and in the halls Of Congress, about
all air lue hetween these cities, 10 be built under
| the patronage of uovtrnment for military purpo
Hes but il is presumed when oil the facts are
put before Congress and the public, that this
| scheme will he abandoned NJ one not required
by any emergency ju4tifying the expenditure =
| Government works cost IN the first place, much
| more than the same character of works when
| built by private enterprise; aud when once
built they afford Offices TO greedy and unprinci-
Piled politicians, who peryert the works to their
| own selfish purposes, and thus entail u constant
loss upon the Government without any return in
valuable services.
The present roads between New York and
Washington passing through Philadelphia and
Baltimore, are on the most direct practicable
line An mir line between the two cities wou d
cross the Chesapeake bay below the mouth of
the Susquphanna river, and be therefore totally
mpractcable A line avoiding philadelphia
aud Baltimore. and relying upon the busin IS
between New York aud Washington, would find
its running expenses exceed its revenue nnl
would therefore be but poor speculation in the
hands of individuals, while in the hands OF the
uovein nment ii would be productive Of nothing
hut loss, aud the service il would perform would
he from the nature of the case, inferior and un-
satisfactory. la ordinary times, the uuyern-
ment has hut lltle service to be performed by
rail road, other than tho carrying Of the mails
1t is to be hoped that the present emergency,
demanding such extraordinary service will soon
pass away--hy the eliectnal suppression Of the
Rebellion but if il should continue and The
Government require an amount of service oqun
to the present. need greater facilities thun the
roads with their present means, eau now furnish
All expenditure of fifteen or twenty per cent OF
the cost of n new road by the Government, in
improving the present roads would enable then
10 lueet promptly all the wants of the country
mud from their Increased earnings reimburse tn
Government for both the outlay and the interes
on the same.
double track rail way between New YOrl
and Washington, with bridge ut the Susque
, hanna, could do AN almost unlimited business
! and the cost for such improvements would no
be one fifth OF II single track new road betwee
the same points. The work could he accom-
plished in less than one-half the time of u ne,
road of single .rnck.
Wilmington and Baltimore Rail Road, by loco
i motives carrying passenger trains, during th
4 yenr wns 40 ,O32 by freight triins, l59 GG
y miles by gravel, repair and wood trains, an
miscellaneous, 8 0S0 miles Total miles run
439,Ts0 Cost per mile run, 3S-lOO dollar!
q The expenditures for new work aud improve
ments bear ratio Of per cent to revenue
The ratio of operating expenses 10 revenue VIII
q 81 G-lO per cent.
nhnt nf ur gprviap SyI, hoak koa
performed for the Government, Inns been ut II
"a average OF only about two-lhrds uf our regula
~ charges, for both troops aud their supplies.
: When it is considered that most of this busnes
-, has been only one way, and that the cars HON
" necessarily returned empty, il will be seen lhl
~ the charges to the Government have really bee
l. but little over one third OF our usual tarir-th
n cost of returning an empty train being nearl
the same as it would be were tho train loade,
: Ia view of all these facs, the rates to the G.
q, veTnlnent must be considered very rensOnabl
w We freely admit that such charges should nlwal
" be ut minimum. This view we took at Ii
e. beginning, and we believe it to be a fact beyol
controversy, thnt this Company, and the Camd,
al and Amboy and New Jersey Rail Roads we
lg the first railroads in Pennsylvania to reduce
Government transportation, The statement
Ia the Report Of the Secretary Of War, that Ii
A., lines between New York and Baltimore did u
-, reduce ill after troops were se0t to Baltimo
e via Harrisburg, is AN error, Tho first troo
7 e. sent that way left New York ON the 2lst day
y June, and the reduction by the Camden al
cy Amboy and New Jersey Rail Road, and III
II, Road, took place on the llth day of May. d
X day on which our bridges were repaired and Il
I'm road opened through to Baltimore For Ii
nd short time that our road was crippled and
$ operation only about three-ifths of the distanc
EN- we charged our regular fares deemng that
he be no more than equitable, as our whole for
lar was at the disposal Of the Government, and t
,ut regular rates were but an inadequate compens
mp ton
'at we nave beeh exempt 10 n remarkable hegr
,rt from accidents. No one out of the large nui
is- bcr Of troops and other passengers we have CT
10, riel during the year. has been injured, excel
le- ing through his own fault, by exposing sol
he part of his body outside the car. Even tht
rec cases have been extremely rare. Our tra
he have been run VI all hours Of the night and
y's day, and our men have cheerfully and faithful
,er performed their labOrious aud responsible dut
.ct both on the regular and Irregular trains, Su
HE exemption from accident speaks loudly in pri
M oil the iaithfulness Of the employees.
,ru From the 18th Of April last we carried o.
YER the road between Philadelphia and Baltmo
ihe and intermediate points, l54, 303 troops.
the also carried large number of sick and disab
cut soldiers, Tor whose transportation we have
ely received any pay
,ud owing 10 the peculiar nature oil the serN
M for the last year, it is impossible to give the
his tas of the performance Of each locomotive,
nlv we gave them in our last Annual Report.
elv saving in burning coal instead of wood has b.
.sh. very large on the engines used, and as we p
has chase no new locomotives except coal albuTnt
pfnl we shall soon dispense entirely with the use
III a wood ns u fuel for motive power.