Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-04-12
Ooriosities Of the Railway census,


According TO the census railway re-
turns for 1880, there were l,l65 COM
pauies, having inround numbers, 81, 000
miles of railways in operation in this
country an aggregate almost equal to
a track extending four times around the
world.
The cost of this gigantic system was
nearly five thousand six hundred and
sixty millions of dollars, Of which about
two-litthS has been paid for and the
companies are in debt for the balance,
In the good time coming, when this
enormous debt of over three thousand
millions of dollars is paid oil, and the
interest thereon ceases. il is probable
that railway speeds viii be improved,
travelling rendered safer, and the charg-
Is for freight and passage reduced.
The mortality upon our railways is
frlghtful to contemplate. According TO
the census returns, the killed and
manned for the single year of 1880
formed an aggregate of S,2l5 persons.
If the companies were compelled by
law to pay an average of say five thou
sand dollars for every person killed or
injured, only short time would elapse,
probably, before this dreadful accoup
would be reduced almost to nothing.
There are very few railway accidents
that might not be prevented if real caro-
were exercised and the best safeguards
adopted, The passage of law sub
iectiug every company to the payment
of n substantial fine for every accident
that takes place upon its property would
doubtless stimulate the managers TO
give more attention TO the safety of life
and limb than they do at present
The demand upon our inventors for
the discovery of new and better means
for saving life and preventing accidents
upon railways increases every year. inG
ratio even greater than the augmcnta-
tion of tracks, because the population is
morn rapidly increasing, and the present
railways are not employed at anything
like their full capacity.
The freight carried in 1880 was two
| hundred and ninety-oue millions of tons,
for which herailways charged % cents
per ton per mile, and made n profit of
80 cents per ton per mile.
The number of passengers carried
was two hundred and seventy millions,
| for which each paid an average of 2.33
cents per mile, and the companies made
profit of 062 cents per mile, Ii the
passengers are counted by weight, al
! lowing II passengers TO the ton, then
! the receipts of the companies for their
| two-legged freight was -. 62cents pertOn
per mile and their profit was S.6S cents
| per ton per mile This large profit, when
| set opposite to the small amount of .53
cents profit per ton realized from dead
! freight, seems to Indicate that "A great
| field is open to the genius of railway
managers in deyising ways and means
90 encourage the people TO travel.
The haulagc of our railways now en-
! ploys over seventeen thousand locomo-
lives, and the aggregate cost 60 run
them such as fuel. water oil, repairs,
and engineers, is about ninety millions
of dollars, or not far from five thousand
dollars year for each machine The
\ item of fuel alone is thirty-three millions
of dollars The larger portion of the
| fuel is wasted; much of II Is blown out
of the smoke stack unConsumed in the
form of smoke and dust There is a
grand chance for inventors 10 improve
the locomotive by discovering means 70
lessen its wastes and expenses. The
same remarks apply TO the other
/ branches of the railway rolling stock,
consisting of over twelve thousand pas
scngor ears and about four hundred
thousand freight ears. In the year 1880
| it cost ,he railway companies ilty-iiYe
millions of dollars for repairs for rolling
stock, Is it not possible for inventive
! genius TO study out some new mode OF
construction that shall reduce this enor-
nous loss? Scientific american.