The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-12-27
RAILROADS LAST YEAR.
Statistical Report Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
VERY INTERESTING DOCUMENT,
The Amount of New Road Built, the BUS
iness, Number OF Employees. Earnings
and Expenses, Accidents, capitalization
and Needful Legislation.

merce tOminiSSlOn, pTcDhEcu ny i'S S'o
tistcian. has just been submitted. IL
comprises text OF about one hundred
pages. and contains many Important
summaries and comparisons pertaining
to the operations of railways.
Railway mileage in the United States
on June 80, 1891, was 16s, s,40374 This
figure indicates the length of single
track mileage. the total mileage Of all
tracks being PIG, l49. ia miles. The lengt I b
of single track per 100 square miles of
territory, exclusive OF Alaska, was 56I
miles, and the length OF track per 10000
inhabitants was 20 20 miles Some OF the
States are exceptionally well provided
with railway facilities, as may lie seen by
the table OF the report which shows the
length Of line in the several states per
100 square miles of territory. Such as
-sfgument shoNs-for Connecticut -2u- ~
miles, for Delaware l6 10 miles, I r llli-
nois 1925 miles, for Iowa 10. IL miles, for
MASSACHUSETTS, % 80 miles, for New Jer-
sey q. n miles, for New York 10. 10 miles,
Tor OHIO 1865 miles. for Pennsylvania
%. ~ miles.
The increase in railway mileage during
the year was 4,s0569 miles. This is less
than the average of increase for several
years past. The greatest activity in rail
way building seems 10 have been in the
states lying south of the Ohio and east
of the Mississippi rivers, the total in-
crease in these states being 1.670.S3
Organization of Railways.
There were on June 80, 1891, ,7S5 rail-
way corporations, of which $50 were inde-
pendent companies for the purpose of
operation, and 747 were subsidiary com
panies, the remainder being private lines
The report further shows that 10 roads
have been abandoned during the year.
anu that 92 roads, representing mileage
OF 10. 1l6 25, have disappeared by purchase.
merger or consolidation. The actual
number of railway corporations in 1891 is
less than tue number which existed in
1890, Notwithstanding the fact that "a con-
siderable number of new lines were
chartered during the year. The tendedcy
toward consolidation is clearly indicated
by the report. On June 80, 1891, there
were AZ companies, each of which con-
irolled mileage in excess Of 900 miles,
and nearly one-half of the mileage OF the
country Is the property OF these AZ COM
panies.
The total number OF locomotives used
by the railways OF this country was on
June 30, 1891. 32 139. showing an increase
of 1859 during the year; and The total
number of cars, the property OF railways,
was l ,2l5,6ll, showing al increase OF
As, 944 during the year. The number OF
locomotives per 100 miles of line was 20;
the number OF passenger cars per 100 miles
of line was IL; and the number of freight
cars per 100 miles OF line was ia
DIen Employed on Railways.
The number of men employed on rail-
ways in the United States during the
year covered by the repor5 was 7s4, 2S5.
being an increase of "a 9S,. The number
of men employed per 100 miles OF line
was 4S6. The report brings an interest
ing lact to light by showing that the
number of men in the employ Of the rail
ways in proportion to the total DJpull-
tion was to 81 Inhabitants in 1889; to
"a inhabitants in 1890; and ! TO 81 in
habitants in 1891. From this IL Will be
seen that tue population of the country
increases at a less rapid rate than that
portion OF the population engaged in
transportation by rail, which indicates
the constantly growing Importance Of the
railway industry TO American industrial
life.
The extent to which organize | industry
has increased the efficiency of labor s
shown by the fact that every engineer,
during tue year, has on an average car
ried 369,O71 passengers one mile and 2 329,
639 tons OF freight one mile. Cheap rates
are easily understood when )ne considers
such fact AS this.
capitalization and Valuation.
The total capitalization OF the railways
of the United States is 81, S29, ,475,0l5, or
$50, ,942 per mile OF line. This shows an
increase in outstanding capital OF SG03
per mile OF line as compared with the
1890 rep, rt. An analysis of the changes
III captal outstanding shows that in
come bonds have increased from $40, 033,-
Sis To 1924, 2SS 900. a conslderabl. por-
tlUn OF this Increase is probably due Co
conversion of stocks Into income bonds
Ii is significant because it shows an in
crease In that form of property for tho
management of " hich directors are not
heid TO strict responsibility. Equipment
trust obligations have also increased
from $40 41S,2l5 To S54, 155, i57 A few
years ago The opinion prevailed among
railway men tbat the leasing of equip
ment by railway companies was fast dis
appearing This opinion is not support
ed by the facts.
Earnings and Expenses.
The gross earnings from operation dur
ing the year ending June 80, 1891, we're
s1,096, 76i ,S95, or 81, ,s)1 per mile of line.
Operating expenses were S13l. .ss7, $685. or
s4,53S per mile OF line, leaving the net
earnings from operation 1864, ,s73, 502, or
81, 263 per mile of line. The net earnings
per mile of line were less than TIE net
taTuluES VI Nhc pIcNlOus AtdT DN sof An
Analysis OF gross incom. shows that
freight traffic gave rise TO Ss36, 793, 900, or
67.l7 per ceut of total ear Mugs; aud that
passenger traffic gave rise To s?sl, l1s, 500
or % O. per cens OF total earnings. The
amount received from carrying mail was
2i,S1O.0l5, aud the amount received as
rentals from express comp ines was
SCI 59i, $40. The analysis further shows
that sl33,9ll.l26 were received by rail
ways as income from investments
Railway Accidents.
In narrating the statistics of accidents.
the report continues it's dreary tale of
numbers killed aud numbers ipiured
and shows that casualties during the
year ending June 3D. 1891, are greater
than in any previous year covered by re-
ports 10 the commission. The number
killed during the year was 1,02g, aud the
number injured was 33,Ssl. or these
totals, the number Of employees killed was
1890 aud the number injured was 2G. 40
The number OF passengers killed was
| 293, aud the number blurred was 2.g12.
A classification of casualties acc ,riiuc
to the kind Of accident shows 4l5 e,n-
ployes were killed and u 43i iniure.t yvhila