The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-26
Rail AND CRossrrR.

In the month Of July the returns COM
piled by the Financial Chronicle show that
l46 roads gained $50 per cent. in gross
earnings, as compared With the correspond
ing month last year.
The returns of British railways during
the last year show 1916 persons killed and
4,72l injured. The number of passengers
killed was about one in 1905, 900. which
seems to indicate that railway travelling is
about as safe as staying at home.
The high price of coal on Mexican rail-
roads has resulted in the adoption OF a
novel type Of compound engine and loco
motives. The high-pressure cylinder is
contained in the low-pressure cylinder and
saving of 25 per cent. in coal is obtained,
with only slight increase in weight, it is
said.
The Philadelphia ard Reading is prepar-
ing to make a thorough test of steel ties. At
two points on the line where the traffic IS
exceedingly heavy, several miles of eighty
pound o-the-yard steel rails are to be laid
on steel crossties. The tie is fat on top and
followed out like an inverted trough, which
permits the stone ballast to work up SOL
Idly under the tie. and it is claimed that
the longer and harder the wear the more
solid and stable will the roGdhed become.
The daily movement OF freight cars at
Chicago is vastly greater that is generally
ACNh1s0, oNSl ny runway lUbU. AN
of the Chicago Belt railway has made in
qui:y of ell the railways centering in that
city. and found that III one month there
were delivered 26l ,S1l cars, or daily aver
age Of 10,C69 cars, and that in the same
time there were transferred to other lines
1922 cars, or a daily average of 5,G23
Taking the average length and supposing
the cars to DO placed together, this is equiv
alent to daily train over sixty-one miles
long into Chicago; while thirty-four miles
cf cars are transferred to other lines during
the same time.
An impressive idea of the possibilities of
growth i'll the remote sections Of our couu..
try Is gained from a statement in PooT's
Manual which shows that the middle states
furnish an average of 10 ,666 tons of
freight per mile of railroad against 40lS
tons by the central northern. an average of
only l,5l6 tons by the northwestern aud Of
1855 tons by the southwestern states. From
statement showing tho population in re-
lation to mileage it appears that the New
England group has 6S7 inhabitants to each
mile OF railway, the Middle Atlantic group
7O3, the Northern Central 364, the South
Atlantic 42S, the Gulf AID Mississippi val
ley SOB, the Southwestern 246, the North-
ives ern lS2 and the Pacific 1888.
The maguitudesof the figures concerning
the operation of the railways OF the United
States in 1890 presented In Poor'S Manual
is indeed wonderful. When it is remem-
bered, says the Railtcdy Age, that the total
revenue of the United State, for the wear
ending June 80. 1891, was 1925 millions
the vastnesS of the earnings of the railroads,
LOSS millions, may perhaps be better ap-
preclated. The net earnings OF the roads,
34l millions, almost equal tho gross receipts
OF the United States. About one aud a half
million passengers a day, and every day in
the year, almost two million tons OF freight
per day and an average Of revenue train
mileage of over five million per day. The
freight movement represents tho equivalent
of considerably over 200 million tons hauled
one mile every day in the year.
The Charlotte, Columbia aud Augusta
made the fastest run ever made on that
road last Sunday. The run from Charlotte
to Colombia, l07 miles. was made IN hours
and 81 seconds. The trip was made by
Engineer Fetner. The first record OF any
note on tie road was hours and minutes
and that was lowered by Engineer
Germany 10 3 hours AID l minute.
Although the above 107 miles we're
covered so quickly, another road of the
same system presents another broken rec
ord. The Cincinnati express from Asheville
TO Columbia, few nights ago, made the
fastest time ever made on that road The
distance was lG3 miles, and it was made in
exactly five hours aud forty minutes, two
stops OF ten minutes each being made, and
twenty-seyen stops were made altogether
on the trip.