The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-12-14
REPORT ON RAILWAYS.

Interesting Statistics by the Interstate
Commsrce .CommissIon--Railrohd Prog
ress In the United states During the
Past Year.
WARRINGTON, Dec. 12 The fourth
statistical report of the interstate COM
merce commission, which has just been
submitted, gives q complete epitome OF
railroad progress in the United States
for the period covered. Railway mile
age in the United States on June 80,
1891, mot counting double tracks, was
los, ,402.74 miles Connecticut had to
every 100 square miles of territory over
90 miles Of track, Delaware 10 miles,
Illinois 10 miles, Iowa Is miles, Massa-
chusetts 25 miles, New Jersey 81 miles,
New York 10 miles, Ohio 10 miles, Penn
sylvania % miles.
The increase In railway mileage dur
ing the year was 4,oo5 milea This Is
less than the average for several years
past The greatest activity in railway
building seems to have been In the
states lying south Of the Ohio and east
of the Mississippi
There were 1,7S5 railway corpora
tions, of which $50 were independent
companies for the purpose of operation,
and TAI were subsidiary companies, the
remainder being private lines
There were AZ companies, each OF
which controlled mileage In excess OF
1000 miles, and nearly one-haf OF the
mileage Of the country Is the property
OF these 40 companies.
The number Of men employed on rail-
ways in the United States during the
year covered by the report was 7S4,S46,
being an increase of S4,9S4.
The extent to which organized in
dustry has increased the efficiency OF
labor is shown by the fact that every
engineer during the year has on an sv-
erage carried 389,O77 passengers one
mile, and 2,S29,6 tons Of freight one
mile.
The total capitalization of the rail-
ways OF the United States was $780,
ATS, ,O15, or $50, 942 per mile Of line. This
shows an increase in outstanding capt.
tai Of 1902 per mile Of line as compared
with the previous years report
Equipment trust obligations have In
creased from $40, ,47s, 215 to 4,755, 1877.
A few years ago the opinion prevailed
among railway men that the leasing oi
equipment by railway companies was
fast disappearing. This opinion is NOT
supported by the facts
The gross earnings from operation
during the year were s1,oso, 761, ,So5, oil
60, sol per mile of line. Operating ex'
penses were s731, ,Ss7, ,s93, or 4,5Ss pei
mile Of line, leaving net income from
operation of 1894, s79, 500, 81, 26S per mile
Of line. The net income per mile o.
line was less than the net income Of the
previous year by S97.
The number Of passengers carried
during the year was 631, ls3,9SS. Th'
total number Of miles run by passenger
trains was 3O7, ,9o7, ,92S, and the number
Of miles run by freight trains was 40,
274,6O The average revenue per pas
senger per mile was 2. 142 cents, and thu
average revenue per ton per mile wa
.s95 cents The average revenue PEI
train mile, passenger trains, was 81. 90
and the average revenue per train mile
freight trains, was s1.84.
The report shows that casualties dur
ing the year were greater than in any
previous year covered by reports to th'
commission. The number killed dur
ing the year was 7. .029, and the number
injured was 33, ss1. OF these totals, thu
number of employees killed was 1890
and the number injured was 30. 14O
The number Of passengers killed wa
293 and the number injured AGRA
This report emphasizes more strongl,
than previous reports the necessity O
legislation compelling railways h
adopt train brakes and automati
couplers, and also suggests that som,
steps be taken besides the adoption o
the train brake TO prevent the freqency
of casualties from falling from train
and engines The large number killed
and injured from collisions also bring
prominently into notice the necessity
of some extensive use of the block sys
TEN In the handling OF trains and |
more perfect application Of the princi
pie of personal responsibility in tn,
case of accidents An investigation
into the matter Of handling trains i
recommended.