Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-04-30
RAILROAD MATTERS.
Operating Difficulties of
the s. P. System.
THE EXCURSION COMPETITION.
A Slight Wreck Near Florence
Progress of the Line to
San Diego.

Sdu DltSOs
The most important question will
the Southern Pacific Company just a
present, says the Coll, is the scarcity
of fuel.
There being no coal supply of any
magnitude in the State, the director,
are compelled to derive their require
ments from foreign sources. Tho
greater portion of the fuel used be
tween Ogden and Truckee comes
from mines in Wyoming, or from
mines on the Denver and Rio Grands
system. A portion OF the coal used il
Arizona, between Ell Paso and Los
Angeles, comes from the mines on the
Santa Fe road, and costs, delivered al
Deming, $o.40 per ton. Another
source of supply is big mine in the
Indian Territory, which produces a
very superior quality of coal, which
is delivered by the Missouri and
Texas Pacific at Ell Paso. The coal
costs $40 per ton, but it's superior
quality renders it more desirable than
an inferior fuel at lower figure. The
Salinas mines, down on the Mexican
International, are too far away for any
use on the Pacific system, though they
are, strange to say, the only coal de-
posits which the Southern Pacific
Company has yet struck. In this re-
spect it rs less fortunate than any of
its competitors. The Northern Pa
cific, Union Pacific, Denver and Rio
Grande and Atchison have all a plen-
tiful supply of coal at one point or
another along their lines. The South
ern Pacific Company, however, de-
spite its enormous length of track and
its policy of building feeders through
new country, has never yet struck a
coal mine. This is the reason why G.
P. Huntington and Charles Crocker
paid SO extended visit to Washing
ton Territory and British Columbia.
The Carbon Hill mine, which they
already own, is ON a branch OF the
Northern Pacific. From it, is taken
about 10000 tons monthly, which is
used chiefly to supply the ferries, the
lines in the Sacramento and San Joa-
quin valleys, and the Central Pacific
as far east as Truckee. More coal
would be taken from this mine could
the railroad company haul it. But
they have as much as they can do at
present, and the project is being dis
cussed by the Southern Pacific Direct.
ors of building short line from the
mine to the Northern Pacific at Seat
tie. On the Oregon line from Red
Bluff north to Ashland wood is
burned. 1t is propcsed, however,
after next month to h@rn wood from
Sacramento north, using coal only on
passenger trains. The same rule will
60 into effect on the Central Pacific
from Sacramento east. The Los An
geles division is supplied from the
Wellington mines at an enormous
cost, the colliers landing the coal di
rect at Wilmington.
The extension of the Goshen branch
line from Heron will open up an in
valuable supply, as the coal which
has been taken from that part of the
coast range, which the new line will
tap, has been rigidly tested and found
to be capable of all requirements. The
bed is said to be a very large one, and
the company is using all its forces
available to reach it as soon as possi-
BILE.
THE COST OF COAL.
In the last Central Pacific report it
was shown that the average price of
coal throughout the system was $6 03
per ton. The average price on the
Chicago and Alton, placed ih the
engines tender is only 81 60 per ton.
The Baltimore and Ohio coal supply
only costs &C cents per ton in the
tender.
Speaking Of the cost of fuel on the
System, Superintendent Fillmore said
the other day that if the Southern
Pacific Company could obtain coal at
anything like these rates there would
be sufficient surplus income to permit
the company to declare divided Of
about per cent on the capital stock.
Some idea of the quantity OF coal
used on the system can be gathered
from the same source. During the
year 1887, 2O4, ,2O6 tons were burned.
At the rate of Sc 03 per ton and this
would give the enormous sum of
81, ,231 1852 IS, or about one-thirteenth
OF the entire earnings.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
Another disadvantage that the COM
pany suffers from is the ack of water
in portions Of it's system in Arizona,
New Mexico and Texas. A regular
iron water-tank on its Car forms por-
tion OF the train from Indio south
and this, of course, adds to the oper.
ating expenses. Water is, of course,
found in Arizona, but it is so impreg-
mated with chemicals that its use de
stroys the interior of the locomotive
boilers. A similar character of water
is found in the Tehachepi Pass. 1t
very frequently happens that engines
used on the Yuma division have to
be returned for repairs after having
been only nine months in use.
~ TOURIST TRAFFIC. -'
-