Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-01-28
STATE RAILROAD AFrAIRs.

Thirty-eighth Annual Report OF the
Railroad COmm1ssi0ners-Som In
terestfnx Facts and Statistics.
The railroad commissioners, in their
thirty eighth annual report to Governor
Buckley, give some interesting facts re-
garding railroad affairs in the state. They
state that nothing has occurred during the
year requiring any change in the railroad
map of the state. No new railroad or
branch or extension of any old road has
been built. The Rockville, and, since
June 80, the Stamford and New Canaan
Railroad companies have, however, dropped
from the list of active organizations, the,
road of the former having become COM
ponsnt part of the New York and New
England system, and that of the latter
part of the New York, New Haven and
Hartford The Hartford and Connecticut
Western has ceased to be an operating
company, its road having been leased to
the Central New England and Western
Railroad company, which has become one
of those reporting to us, while legal con-
tests involving the management, control
and ownership of the Shepaug, Litehfield
and Northern have been and still are pend
ing in the courts. Not only has there
been no new railroad building during the
year, except that of double and quadruple
tracking, but at the time we write none of
the corporations which under various
names have been organized during the last
score or more of years to build "par-
allel" road between New York, New Haven
hory
parently any legal existence. The time
granted to sfthe Hartford and Harlem" in
which to complete its road provided it
made the required expenditure before De-
cember 80, 1888, expired on the 10Th of
last May, and the New York, Bridgeport
and Eastern, the last ineal descendant Of
"the Olmstead Parallel" has been declared
by the superior court to have no legal ex-
istence.
The returns included in this report are
for the second time in accordance with the
form prescribed by the interstate commerce
commission. The advantages resultant
from the adoption of that form have not
vet been 80 great as was anticipated. For
use here in our own state we prefer the
form adopted in 1878, and thus far we
have labored under the disadvantage that
the form prescribed by the interstate com
MERGE commission has not been perfected
till after the end of the year for which the
returns are to be made, so that the compa-
MES have not known what they were to be
called on to report. These difficulties, it is
believed, will practi cally be done away
| with after this year. In the meantime the
advantage gained by the adoption of the
same form of reporting in nearly all Of the
states requiring reports from the railroad
companies is obvious. 1t is decided step
%hn ,7ofiO ~
| railroads.
The total amount Of stock issued aver
ages SAC, 1877. II per mile of road, ranging
from $12, 1860 for the New London
Northern up to $131, 467.3 for the New
York, New Haven and Hartford The
stock issued per mile of single track, moi
including sidings, averages 7,847. So
| The funded debt now averages $23, $50. &C
per mile of road, or $40 ,072. IA per mile Of
single track, and the current liabilities
average 81 ,034 % per mile of road or 49,,
256. IS per mile of single track.
The gross earnings of the companies re
as against 500, 4s6, s7s. "a the preceding
year, an increase of 81, 81, 943. 81, or IA. 4;
per cent. It will be observed that this il
very large increase, being II per cent
more than during the previous year. It is
| however, to be noted that not more
| than one-haf of this reported increase il
attributable to the growth in business, a.
81, 641, 978.02 of this increase, or S. 80 PEI
cent, is in the amount reported by tn,
New York, Providence and Boston railroad
| company, which has added to the mile
operated by it the Providence and Worces
| ter railroad with its $40 miles and
| mills from Valley Falls to East Providence
The Central New England and Western
including the two months earnings of tn
Hartford and Connecticut Western, will
an increased mileage of 5429 miles owe
that included in the report of the Fl. ant
G. w. last year, reports an increase o
SOC, 557. 86 in gross earnings. Of the to
tai gross earnings, the passenger revenu
amouted to SO, 735, 830.86, and the freigh
revenue to 10,949, 669.S0, the remainde
being miscellaneous earnings.
The sum of $3,O98, 9O9 81 has been ex
pended during the past year for the main
tenance of way and structures, amounting
to $2,084.11 per mile of main line an,
branches operated, and constituting TWEEN
ty-one per cent. Of the total operating ex
penses. The quantity of steel rails place,
in the track is reported as 1909 48 tons
which, at 40 tons per mile (the quantit
per mile weighing seventy pounds pc
yard). would be sufficient to lay 1876 mile
of new track, equal to one-twelfth of tn
total mileage operated. The number o
ties used is returned as 958, 1884, which, a
5000 ties per mile the number usuall
required), would lay 319.5 miles of new
mileage In addition to the abov
amount the sum of $2,406, 1858. 5
has been expended in making
class of improvements considere
to be permanent betterments of the rail
road property, and the amount thus ex
pended has been charged directly to tn
construction account, increasing by thi
amount the total cost of the roads. TIL
maintenance of equipment has cost 81,
936, liz. 81, and the sum of $3.50, 5O7 ha
been added to the equipment account TO
the purchase of new equipment. The va
| rious items enumerated constitute tota
expenditure of 81, 791 1886. 81 for the main
tenance and improvement of the road an
so, 1890.
There were only thirty six passengers VIII
received injuries of any kind during tn
year, and of these all but five were injure,
through their own want of care. One-hal
of the whole number were injured in at
tempting either to get on or off movin
trains; while the six who were fatally in
jured were SO injured either who'll
through their own fault or were guilty o
contributory negligence.
The total number injured at highwa
crossings was 81, of whom IL were fatal
injured. Of the 81 one was trainman
10 we're trespassers and 20 were traveller
upon the highway, of whom were eithe
killed or died from their injuries.
Our state has very properly been con
graduated on being the first and thus ia
the most successful in restricting the ere
alton of new crossings at grade of high
ways and railroads and in eliminating sucl
as had been permitted. All but two o
the crossings eliminated during the yea
have been upon roads operated by the New
York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
company, thirteen having been removed
hY IL ON the Shore I ina division two hau