The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-11-29
WASHINGTON.
Reports Of The General Superintendent Of
the Life Saving Service and Auditor
Of Railroad Accounts.

WASuISdToS, November 2S.-The Gen
eral Superintendent Ui the Life Savinl
Service has completed his annual report
ltShowS, atthe close Of the fiscal year, thai
the establishment embraces l79 stations
Of which l56 were on the Atlantic, 30 on
the lakes and 0 on tho Pacific. Within
the llmitSot the operations Of the service
there were 2l0 disasters to vessels. The
number Of peBons on board these vessels
was 9,IO7, Of whom 9,OIo were saved and
IS lost. There were succored at stations
81 shipwreCked persons, !, ,0T4 days relief
being afforded them in the aggregate. The
number Of persons brought RshOre from
wrecked vessels by the lilesaving Appli.
ances Ot the stations was 4l2. In addition
the life saving crews assisted oil, when
stranded, got out Ot dangeOus positions
and piloted 10 places oi safety 50 vessels,
The estimated value OF the whole mum.
Der Oi vessels involved was 81 ,922, ,27O, and
OF their CargOes Sg85,BlO, making q total
value OF the property In full OF g, ,8S7, $3.50.
Oi this amount Sl,4i0,0SG was saved and
81 ~, 800 lost. The number OF disasters
involving total loss Of vessels was o..
The number Of disasters 10 vessels EN-
Is greater than that Of any previous year,
the highest former number having been
III. The report closes with an exhibit Of
tho efficiency Of the liiU saving stations.
As Especial instance given, having ref.
erence 10 the lakes, Il il shown that on
these waters the loss Of life In 1876, when
there were no lie saving stations was one
ont OF iilty.lour persons on board vessels
suffering disasters, or one out oil every
five casualties. In 1877 eleven stations
were in operation a portion OF tho year,
TO which sixteen were added In tho latter
part. As a result only one out oil every
sixty persons imperiled were lost, or one
out OF every six casualties. In 1878 the
number OF stations was further increased
and the loss OF life Tedpced TO one out OF
every one hundred and two persons i'm.
perlled, or one out Of every eleven casual.
ties.
All this time the stations were crippled
by insuliCiency Of arrangements fol pro.
per naintainance ol the crews, this being |
remedied by an act Of Congress In June
18th, 1878. /
ln 1879 the loss Of life sank to one out
Of every PIG persons imperiled, oronG out
Of every twenty-one casualties. II Il
iurther shown that since the commence
nent Of the present fiscal year up 10 date
Of the report, including an unusually
ralAmitOus autumn in that region, sixty.
one disasters have occurred within the
ield Of life saving operations on the lakes,
bnFa tNniuu mn hnaN,l Nt,a ,,naanI. t.,,.H..i
iBS persons, Of whom only one was lost
The annual report OF the Government
Auditor OF railroad accounts shows that
he amount due by the government on
December 3lst, 1870, and withheld from
he Union and Kansas Pacific Com panies
IN account OF transportation, will more
han offset the s., ,13T7 $40 payable by them
IN account oi per cent OF their net earn.
ngS. The Auditor recommends that the
Pacific railroad acts be amended 30 that
my OF these companies which may aban.
Ion any portion Of the subsidized rail.
'oads or which may divert their business
rom a subsidized TO m unslbsidiEed rail.
Dad, be required 70 transfer the lien and
condition attached TO the subsidized TO
he new and uusubsidized line In order
hat the Interest and right OF the United
states may be protected, or II that Is not
lone thHt all through traffic be required
o be done only on the subsidized lines.
The question involved is new one and
Affects the rights OF the United
states. He also recommends that the
ettlements and payments for the sinking
und be required and DO made semi.an.
lually instead Of annually. lie further
eCommends that the Investments OF the
linking fund be authorized to be made in
irst mortgage bonds Ol respective com.
)aries, or In such United States bonds as
he Secretary Of the Treasury may select,
sinking funds are also recommended by
lin 10 be established fOrthe Kansas Pacific
CENTRAL branch OF the Union Pacific and
'ionx City and Pacific Railroad Com.
,anieS.
As 10 railroad construction Il Is stated
hat for the ten months ending October
u, 1879, there were built in the United
states $500 miles Of new railroad, OF which
,ver 1000 miles were west Of the AIissis-
ippi, while the average new construction
or five years previous, taking OF course
'nly the first ton months OF each year,
mounted to only 900 miles.
II Is remarkable, however, that notwith-
tandinG the large increase Of population
n the West, the facilities afforded for
rave, reduction. in rates and general
Increase In railroad business, the paSsen.
,er traffic has decreased, indicating, as the
Auditor believes, either that the people
ould not afford TO travel, or that the rail.
oad companies have not yet solved the
problem ot passenger transportation.