Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-30

Statistics of the Year-Mileage, Cost of OPer-
ating and Business Transacted.
The third annual report on Statistics OF
Railways in the United States" which has
been prepared in the statsticians Office Of the
interstate commerce commission. and will be
issued this week. shows the total railway mile
age to be 1913, 597 miles. an increase of $3.50
miles for the year. Michigan shows the largest
increase and Georgia is next.
The number of railway corporations is
1.797, of which 735 are subsidiary companies.
whose lines are leased to other companies.
Forty corporations operate 47.5l Of the total
mileage. Seventy-four companies receive 50
per cent of the gross income of all the railways
in the country.
The total number of locomotives is %. 92S of
which 1854 are passenger and 16, 14O freight
This shows ten freight and five passenger loco
motives for each 100 miles of operated line.
The total number of cars used is ,164, 1888 of
which 26, 511 are in the passenger service. The
total number of men employed on all the rail-
ways is 749, 301, an increase Of As, 55S over the
previous year.
The capital employed is s9,459. HAITI, or
$50, 431 per mile of line. The capitalization is
largely in excess of tho markes value of the
property. The amount paid in interest was
S426 All. 937. The final net earnings were
S106, 967. 934. If the sum of these accounts be
capitalized at per cent it shows that the value
of railway property considered as an invest
ment, estimated on the operations of railways
for the year ended June 80, 1890. was &c, 667 :
us 400, which is equivalent to S42, 63l per mile
of line.
The number Of passengers carried were 1872.
430.s65. The average journey of each passen-
ger was twenty-four miles. The average num-
Der OF passengers to each train was forty-one.
The number Of tons of freight carried was $50,
al, ST.. The average tons per train was ia
and the average haul was 119 miles. The aver
age revenue per passenger per mile was 2.l61
cents and the average cost 1.9lI cents. The
revenue for CARRYING ton offreight one mile was
.9i1 cents; cost .6oi cents. The revenue from
passenger train run one mile was 81 .08.041;
cost so. 9S4 cents. The revenue from freigh,
train running one mile was Sl65.43i; cost
S1.05.7ll. These figures show the margin from
which railways must secure their profit.
The total number of persons reported by
railways as killed during the year was $500
and the total number reported as injured was
rs, 034. OF the total number killed, 2,451 were
employees. 2S5 passengers and 1854 were
classed as 'other persons" In this latter
figure are included the large number of sui
cides. OF the total number injured, 22 ,38
were employees, 2, Ali passengers, besides 4 zoe
unclassed- A passenger riding continuously
at tho rate of thirty miles an hour might
expect immunity from death by railway acct
dent for l. 200 years, but an engineer, brake
man a conductor, under the same condi.
lions, is liable to a fatal accident at the
expiration of forty years. The most common
accident to which railway employees are liable
results from coupling and uncoupling cars
The total number Of casualties that can be
traced to this source are S,2l0, of which SO.
were fatal
The report suggests that statistics be col
lected from express companies. which under
the present Interpretation OF the act are fire.
from control; that the commission should have
the right to call for reports from corporations
engaged in the transportation of passengers anc
freight by water. from all companies furnish
ing rolling stock to railway corporations and
from all companies providing terminal faeili
ties.