Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-08-07
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RAILROADS.

From IL. v. Poors' Manual OF KALI
roads of the United States, we giean
The following interesting information
concerning railroads:
ssThe railroad interest of the United
States has grown to colossal proper
tions, and is still upon the increase
with great rapidly. The last great
undertaking ia the addition of two
more tracks to the Now York Central
and Hudson River Railroad. This
work is now being pushed forward
with great vigor. The company has
already bought for this purpose $4,000
tons of English steel rails, which are
now being delivered. None but steel
rails are to be used in any part Of the
work. AS 1t requires from $500 to
1900 ties per mile, fully 100000 ties
will be used for the whole, including
the sidings. About seventy miles are
already graded and ready to lay the |
track. It Ia expected that $50 miles !
will be graded this fall and that the |
whole will be completed in two years. |
OF course, every milo Of new tracks
will be utilized as fast as completed
trains running on them as far as finish |
ed--so that without waiting for the
whole to be completed, the facilities of
the road will be constantly increasing.
1t is designed that the permanent way
shall be Of the most solid and substan
tial Characteristic bridges all of iron
and the culverts all of stone. As the
road Ia already pressed to its utmost
capicity, with trains passing every few
moments, and as 1t runs through sew
enty incorporated cities and villages
the additional land necessary being
purchased from ut least thousand diff.
ferent owners-to build new road on
the side of 1t Is very different thing
from building an independent road,
and necessarily involves much delay.
| 1t il designed that the two north
tracks shall DO used for passenger
trains ana .he two south tracks for
freight. In laying the u.vr tracks. the
effort Is made to strsighten out the line
40 far IS possible, and take out the
curves, and, with this view, the new
tracks are not placed throughout on
the same side Of the old, but adjusted
so - best to accomplish this end. At
West Albany, under the new arrange
ment, the passenger tracks will not
follow the present line among, the
shops and cattle yards, but will run
some distance south Of the shops. At
Buffalo, Rochester. and Syracuse there
, will be large yards covering sixty
, aeres, with thirty miles Of tracks at
! each place, for the accumulation OF
cars ready for any emergency. This
, arrangement 10 already nearly perfect
ed at Buffalo and Rochester.
II The cost Of all this work IL estimat.
ed at from fifteen to twenty millions
, Before 1t was undertaken there. was nc
mortgage on the road, but only bonds
taken up from the roads which enter.
ed into the consolidation, to the amt
: Of fifteen millions. The road has now
, been mortgaged to the extent Of forty
! millions to cover these bonds and the
cost Of the new improvements.
During the past year 6,4N miles Of
: railroad have been opened In the Unit.
. ed States. The total miles are now
! 67,104. The net earnings the past yea,
!. were $l65, 454,373, being thirty-flve pei
. cent. of the gross receipts, and Eli
per cent. Of the whole investment. The
q statement Of the earnings Of the roads
a Of different parts of the country af
i lords some interesting points Of con.
i trast. Thus the most productive roads
are those of the six New England
States, the earnings Of which, the past
year, were $4e, 5l9,935. or 2l.l0 pei
a cent on . cost OF $3.50 6O9. 1874. The
: cost per mile of the roads (4,574 miles
) was $504l8, the earnings per mile $40,
Z 636 the earnings per head of popnla.
ton, estimated at 1856, 600, 1853. The
, number ofinhabitants to each mile. Of
road, was TOO.
al The cost of the 1l,6l7 miles of road
In operation In the Middle States
!, equailed 1922, 7OO774. or $79,427 pei
. nile. Their earnings were $169,205..
: 7Oz, or 1850 per cent. Of their cost.
. Their earnings per mile were $l4,565,
. and 1886 per head Of population. The
number Of inhabitants to the mile OF
road was 1872.
For the ten Western States and
their contiguous territories, the cost OF
the SITS miles of railroad In opera.
, ton was 81 ,472, 625232, or $5O,550 per
mile. Their earnings eQualled $685.
826,258, or 1910 per cent of the cost.
Their earnings per mile were $6,735
per head Of population, 1916. The
. number Of Inhabitants to the mile OF
road was 400.
The earnings Of the railroads of the
New England States was 2l.lO per
cent. Of the gross cost, those Of the
| Middle States, Is 80 and those of the
Western States 1910 per cent.
The low percentage 10 the West 10
due to the small population In proper.
ton to the amount Of railroad line in
that section. All the Western roads
have increased their branch lines faster
than population or profits would war.
rant, and the Eastern companies have
In many cases increased the burdens of
!. their roads by issuing fictitious stock.
apractice which is called watering"
/ aud (which 10 Il osfup IA IN aor;,h ;.I;