Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-02-28

: tion that may be thrown upon the
Pennsylvania Canal, at or near Hunt.
ingdon will, upon its enlargement
make it profitable investment.
Above Huntingdon, it must in consc-
quencc ofa great amount of lockage,
eventually be abandoned and railway
occupy its route, along which there
exists an abundant water power to
give life and activity to a large manu-
featuring population.
The earnings of the Philadelphia
and Erie Railroad, in 1866, were from
passengers, s6s6,62l IS; from troops,
s4S, l03 l3; from freight, 81, ,744, ,299 l8;
from expross mattor, S26,041 13t from
mails, sl8 ,501 90; from miscellaneous
sources, sl6,5S4 So; total receipts,
s2,54l ,05l 70; total expenses, 81, ,819,- :
7l3 33-a loss to this Company in op-
Grating the line of s27S,66l 81.
This loss is largely to be attributed
to the bad condition of the older
bridges erected by The Philadelphia
and Erie Railroad Company over the
Susquehanna, and the unfinished char
acter of the work generally, upon the
whole line.
The passenger travel has fallen off
during the year, in sympathy with
that Of nearly all Of the other railways
Of the country. To this general de.
preston, this line has also been added
TO it, the loss Of travel from the decay
Of the speculative excitement of the
oil region, while the train accommo-
dation has TO be maintained.
The tonnage OF the Philadelphia
and Erie is mostly made up of cheap
products, that can only be moved at
low rates Of transportation, which, un.
der the existing condition Of the busi-
ness Of the country, are inadequate TO
meet the cost Of their movement at
the per centage stipulated in the lease
of the road. This traffic has been
quite irregular during the past year,
though in the aggregate it has large
ly increased over that of 1865, and
must continue TO grow with the in
crease Of the population Of the region
traversed, while the relative trans
portation expenses can only be reduc.
ed by this enlargement Of its business
and fall in the prices Of labor and
materials.
Arrangements are being made to
increase the business Of the road by
the establishment Of line Of steamers
between Erie and the other lake ports,
under the patronage Of this Company,
with anticipations ofsuccessful results.
The future Of this great work is
very encouraging, but lis traffic, as in
all other gimilar projects, viii require
the application Of capital and time to
develope. The transportation facili-
ties are ample for the accommodation
Of all the business that can be offered
to il during the present year.
The demands upon your Treasury,
during this year, in addition to the or
nary expenditures for operating the
road, will be about the same as esti-
mated for 1866. To the completion
of the Connecting Railway, and the
increase of facilities for business upon
the West Pennsylvania and Pittsblrg
and Columbus lines, there toiU be added
the ertension Of the Tyrone and Clear
feld Branch 10 the torn Of Clearfeld,
near the centre Of the great lumber and
coal region Of the Alieghenies A num-
Der Of improvements upon the Main
Line, heretofore deferred in conse-
quence OF the high rates Of wages and
material, will not admit OF further
delay; while the road between Ian
caster and Philadelphia, located be-
fore the successful application Of loco
motive steam power upon railways,
requires extensive alterations in its
alignment, to place it in harmony
with the other portions of your rail
way.
Your Directors have alluded In pre-
vious reports TO the rapid destruction
ofiron rails, and the increased cost of
replacing them, under the frequent
interruptions TO the workmen from
the numerous trains now passing over
the line. Every effort TO materially
improve the quality of the iron to
meet the wants of the augmenting
traffic of the trunk lines having here
tofore failed, attention was directed to
the introduction Of steel rails, and,
with a view to test their efficiency,
the President, while in England, in
1862, ordered few hundred tons for
trial. These proved so satisfactory
that larger importations have been
made of Bessemer steel rails, which
have entirely confirmed our expecta-
tions of success. The cost Of steel
rails is at present about twice the
price Of the best iron rails, while their
durability is fully eight times greater.
II is conidentially believed, however,
that with enlarged works, increased
knowledge Of the ores required TO pro-
duce the best quality Of this metal,
and greater experience in its produo-
ion, they will be successfully manu-
factured at home and the price very
largely reduced. At present the de-
mand is equal TO the supply, and
prices are maintained. To avoid the
heavy annual outlays that a change
from a cheap TO n dearer material
would necessarily entail upon your
revenues, it is TO continue for the
present TO re-roll the worn-out rails,
and replace the annual wear with steel
rails. The general Introduction OF
steel rails is now wholly a CONNER
cial question, in which the cost Of the
increased capital required for their
purchase becomes the chief impedi-
ment to their general adoption While
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