The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-04-19
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE N. & W.
a Fine Showing for virginia's
Greatest Corporation.
Statement of the Progress Made-Miiease
OF the New Tracks Laid-The Finances
of The Road Wonderful Increase in
Passenger and Freight Figures.

- 81
The tenth annual report ofsthe Nor
folk and Western Railroad Company for
the year ending December 81, 1890, is
at hand. 1t contains information which
isof great interest to every dweller in
Southwest Virginia. Tho progress of
this great corporation during tho past
year has been phenomenal. The i'm
provements include an additional coal
pier at Lambert'A Point and q mer-
chandise pier with oneSof the largest
warehouses in theSwosld. 7O5 bysd4o feet
in size.
New passenger staHons were erected
at Bedford, S.lems BfueAeld, Graham,
Lowry, Evergreen, Spout Spring, Cas-
tlewood. SwordsNC Creek, Cleveland, and
Bette Baker. tx
During the year 1917 miles of short
branches to coal and iron mines, 1876
miles of siding, and 3l.4 miles Of double
track were constructed andspu in oper-
alton. Theselater stretches run from
Roanoke I'd Big Spring, 90 miles:
Christiansburgsto Radford, 10 miles. and
Bluefcld to B1uestone junction., 10
miles, a total of As miles, o. which as
stated, 81. 4 miles are in operation. The
second effect of this work is d reduction
OF maximum grade eastboundsfrom ST
feet per mile to 53 feet, and .westbouad
OIL feet to 20. ,rhe remainiIg$46.5 miles
Of the Clinch Valley extension was
practically completed, and will prob
ably be in operation in May. On the
North Carolina extension 1911 miles
worcucompleted.
Mo- 49,. - H. C.4 W
road brought in 1881 miles of road, with
an addition of EST miles of sidings.
This division is now in excellent CON
dition. On the Ohio extension 116T
miles out Of the 191 are graded and the
mason work completed, and work upon
the rest Is being pushed. OF tho North
Carolina extension 30 miles remain to
be constr ucted, but the country is diff
cult and the fnal location not vet de-
termined. The acquisition of the Shcn-
andoah Valley road is q familiar matter.
That division is being rapidly improved.
The total mileage increased from GAS. oil
to 1899. II miles.
OF rolling stock the number of loco
motives was increased from 1915 to 80;
passenger coaches, from 81 to ITS, and
freight cars, from 1880 to 1l,497. This
increase, though marked, falls a trife
from the amount of rolling stock per
mile in 1889. On tho other hand the
average. carrying capacity in paying
freight of each car has gradually in
creased from 0.75 tons in 1888 to
17.46 tons in 1890, and the average
number of freight cars hauled by each
locomotive has increased since 1883
from IL to 1905. In other words, the
average number of tons Of paying
freight to each train has increased from
| 10T fnnQ in 1922 fn 40 tAD, ~ 1Nnn
increase of over 200 por cent.
The revenue statistics of the road has
been printed from month to month. In
Guiding the newly acquired divisions,
the following figures are taken:
Gross earnlngs............ 81, 5G1, 9l5.9 OF
Operating expenses, in
GLIDING axes.......... 4,s35,01o.4o
Expenses to earnings, "a
per cent
Net earnings........... S2,723, 305. AS
Other income. 233,919.35
Total income. So, 95T, 224. SO
Interest charges: On fund
cd DEB S1,T51, GOT. 34
On car trust obligations. 62, 80. 80
Total interest charges. 1,Sl4,OO Ga
Net income for the year
1890 81, 143,2l7.10
From which dividends were paid:
April "a IL per cent on
100000 shares of Stock. $3.50, 900. 90
October %, TX per cent. on
270,0 900 shares of stock. 4O5, 900. 90
Total................ S735 900. 90
OF the remainder. $4CS, 217.19
Was used for purchase Of
bondssinking fund clause So, 0 .94
And the balance........... 1910, GlO.25
Added to surplus income ac-
count, which amounted
81 ass, 2G2.25
For the year gross earnings increased
II per cent; operating expenses, If per
cent. and net earnings, 90 per cent,
Gross and net earnings per milo have
remained nearly stationary for three
years, but in totals nave increased from
1885 to 1890, respectively from S2,77l.-
120.S7 to 81, 561 ,0l5. 81, and from S1.12l,-
S29.19 to 81, 723, 3O5.4S. The net earn
ings OF 1890 are nearly as large as the
gross earnings of 1885.
The number Of passengers carried has
increased from 3SS, 0S7 in 1885 to 1885,
231 in 1890, and of the latter number an
increase of Cos, OCO was in local ira fic
over 1880. The earnings from passen-
ger traffic hav, more than trebled in six
years. The passenger mileage has in
creased from 10, ISL 1914 in 1885 to "a, 1885,
$50 in 1890.
The freight statistios show that in
1885 1,109, 700 tons Of freight were
hauled 295 ,7SS,s72 miles; in 1889,
3,435, 797 o n were hauled $40. 100, 1914
miles; and 1890, $3.50 sos tons were
hauled 1900, S72, 1926 miles. The aver
arc ratio per ton per mile for 1900 WIS