The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-12-21

kee and st. Paul $94, ,166.2s; Illinois
Central O.624.16.
ROADS OWNED AND LEASED.
or the entire mileage OF the State,
5,l8273 miles are owned by the compa-
nies operating them, and ,154.27 are
leased. The Rock Island leases 1920
miles. the Northwestern 4SG 10, Illinois
Central 4O2. 16; Wabash 87.90; Burling-
ton and Northwestern 1881.
TRAcKAaE.
There are 70O.73 miles OF side-track
reported, trifie more than II per cent.
of the length of the roads. The Com
missioners consider this amount small,
and claim that it is often q source Of
serious embarrassment in moving trains.
There are but 47.O6 miles Of double
track, Of which the Chicago, Burlington
and Quincy reports 1906 and the Rock
Island 4. There are 1887. "a miles of
steel rails and 3,O24.7l miles Of iron
rails.
TRAIN MILEAGE.
Number miles run by passenger trains la,575,l9s
Number miles run by freight trains. 80 ,900
Number miles run by switching trains IL, s,o05,7s4
Number miles run by construction
trains ....................... o,ts''ii
Total train mileage. 7s.i3l, ,s6S
Numher paaser gers carried .... 20.9o-, ,O26
Number passengers carried one mile 7s7,oei ,962
Number tons freight carried. 3l,O62, 765
Number tons freight carried one
nile. s.'oIs es,io,
The average distance travelled by
each passenger is IS miles, indicating
that little effort has yet been made to
develop local travel. The passenger
rates charged are generally the maxi.
mum fixed by statute.
The total freight-car mileage is 691,-
GIG, ,1Ol.
FRElGHT RATES.
The rate of freight charges per ton
per mile varies from 8 cents on the
Crooked Greek road, 4.24 on the Bur-
lington and Northwestern, 3.O6 on the
Des Moines and Fort Dodge, to LEO on
the Milwaukee and st. Paul, IA on
the Northwestern, 1.24 on the Rock
Island, and O95 on the Wabash. The
average rates are q little higher than
last year.
EQUIPMENT.
The total number Of locomotives is
reported at 2,652, weight varying from
% TO 81 tons. Number Of cars, 80, 2O6;
Of these 1,031 are passenger cars, 6Ol
baggage, mail and express; 125 parlor.
sleeping and dining cars; 49,S64 box
freight cars. 7,S46 stock cars, 49, ,24O
platform or coal cars and 7,497 other
ears.
EMPLOYEES.
The. total number of persons regn-
larly employed in operating the roads
Of the State is 2S,397. The amount
paid them for their services is &l4,O71,-
6l2.54.
ACCIDENTS TO PERSONS.
During the year 165 persons were
killed. OF these I were passengers, IS
employees. ard 60 others. Five were
caused by derailmenis, by collisions,
caught in frogs, 16 coupling cars, 81
falling from trains, 10 getting on and
off trains, ! at highway crossings, Al
from miscellaneous causes, 10 stealing
rides, q while intoxicated and 33 while
trespassing on tracks. OF this number
were reported a. suicides. There
were 635 persons injured during the
wear: 81 were passengers, 5O2 we're
employees, and - others. OF these
there were injured by derailment So;
collisions, 81; caught in frogs, 4; coup
ling cars, 1872; falling from trains, 81
getting on and off trains, So; at high
way crossings, 10; miscellaneous, 1872;
overhead Instructions, 6; stealing
rides, 8: trespassing on track, "a. The
Commissioners call attention to
the fact that one great
source OF accident is the present
method Of coupling cars. They con-
slider something wrong in the entire ar
rangement OF coupling cars, but tho
4 Commissioners are not able to suggest .
/ remedy. Attention is also called to the
danger Of walking railway tracks. Il
i has become SO common as to have al
most established for the public in the
! judicial mind an element Of acquired
right Of way or Joint occupancy. Dur
ing the last five years 129 persons have
been killed and ninety-four injured
from this cause. The board feel that
this useless waste Of life should he
avoided. and that the only way to &C
complish it is through legislation.
Railway trains must and always will be
run at high rates Of speed. This is q
necessity. and, sooner or later, the rail-
way track must cease to be regarded as
highway Until that time comes the
compiler of statistics will continue to
report the long and sickening list Of
killed and injured while trespassing on
tracks, and juries will continue to spec
ulate whether the man in charge of the
locomotive might or might not have
been able to stop his ponderous train in
time for the injured to have stepped of
the track.