Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1892-12-14
SOME STATISTICS.
ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE INTER-
STATE RAILWAY COMMISSION.

Interesting Figures Given In Regard to
Business and Other Matters--Number
of Casualties Greater Than In Any
Previous Year
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-The fourth
statistical report of the interstate COM
merce commission prepared by it's stat
isticau, Mr.. Caesar, which has just been
submitted. gives complete epitome of
railroad progress in the United States
for the period covered railway
mileage in tho United States
ON June 50. 1891, mot counting double
tracks, was 1GS, 492 n miles, Connect.
cut had to every 100 square miles of
territory over 90 miles of track. Della
ware 26 miles, Illinois IL miles, Iowa 10
miles. Massachusetts 20 miles, New
Jersey ~ miles, New York is miles,
Ohio 10 miles, Pennsylvania 29 miles.
The only countries in Europe which
have an excess Of ten miles per 100
square miles of territory are Germany
with 12 miles, Great Britain with l6
miles, France with II miles, Belgium
with 2S miles, Holland with IS miles
and Switzerland with IL miles, No
country in Europe, Sweden alone ex-
cepted, has ten miles of line per 10000
inhabitants, while in this country but
two states have less than ten miles of
railway per 10000 inhabitants. The
increase in railway mileage during the
year was $50 miles. 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 are 1,7S5 rail-
road corporations, of which $50
were independent companies for the
purpose of operation and 7S7 were
subsidiary companies the remainder be-
ing private lines. The total number of
locomotives used by the railways was
SO, 139, showing an increase of ], ,y99 dur
ing the year and the total number of
cars the property of railroads was ,215,-
Gil, showing an increase of 1884 dur
ing the year. The number of men EN-
ployed during the year covered by the
report was 704, ,225, being an increase of
1884. The total capitalization of the
railways of the United States was $9,-
S2S, ,475, ,015 or 500, 942 per mile of line.
This shows an increase in outstanding
capital Of 5000 per mile of line as COM
pared with the previous years report.
The gross earnings from operation
during the year were $1,096, 761, 1896 or
$6,S01 per mile of line. Operating ex-
penses were $731, ,SS7, 1893 or $45, ,53S per
mile of line, leaving net income from
operation of 1864, 873, 500 or 50, 1858 per
mile of line. The number Of passen-
gers carried during the year was 531,-
1873, 9S8. The number of tons of freight |
carried was 675, ,6O8, 323.
The report shows that casualties dur |
ing the year We're greater than in any
previous year covered by reports to the
The number killed during
the year was 7 .O19 and the number in
jured was 33,SSl. Or these
the number of employees killed
was 1850 and the number |
injured was 6,14O. The number of |
killed was 1860 and the
number injured 7,741. This report en-
phasizes more strongly than previous
reports the necessity of legislation COM
pelling railways to adopt train brakes
and automatic couplers, and also sug-
gest that some steps be taken besides
he adoption of the train brake to pre-
vent the frequency of casualties from
5rains and engines. The large number
killed and injured from collisions also
brings prominently into notice the ne
cessity of some extensive use of the
block system in the handling of trains
and more perfect application of the
principle of personal responsible in
he case Of accidents. An investiga-
ion into the matter of handling trains
8 recommended.