The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-11
RAIL AND CROsSTIE.
Conductor EDps, who was 30 severely
hurt in an accident at Wadley, on the Gem
trail, some time ago, has about recovered.

Conductor Epps, who was b severely
hurt in an accident at Wadley, on the Gem
trail, some time ago, has about recovered.
In suit brought against the Caledonian
Railway Company in Scotland for geo, coo
damages, claimed to have been sustained by
the destruction of a store in Glasgow by fire
caused by a spark from one of the defend
ants locomotives, the court found the rail-
way company liable; bnt on appeal, the
court of session at Edinburgh held that as the
defendants used the best type OF engine for
preventing the emission of sparks, and the
engine in question was not sending forth
more than the inevitable amount Of sparks
while running at high speed, the company
was not liable, and on the other hand was
entitled to costs. The same principle has
been established in American courts.
The Kansas railroad commissioners In
their report for 1891 sentenhously say:
LESS than two miles Of road have been
construc cd in the state during the past
year. 1t is we'll"
In its recent decennial number the Flee
tficdL ReUieiO OF New York gave the fol-
lowing interesting facts about electric rail-
ways: The first CONNIE rciRl electric railroad
in the United States was In service at Cleve-
land, O., about six years ago. The enormous
cIated from the fact that there are now IN
operation over $50 electric railways in the
United States, embracing 2.04 miles of
track and utilizing 1880 motor cars,
operated by 8, 400 motors, with an estimated
capacity Of 174,4 horse power. Out of
$50 street car plants existing in the United
States aud Canada 500 are operated by
horses, 40 by cables, 246 by electricity and
70 by steam. The present electric railroad
equipment in this country represents value
OF about S49, 300, 900 out of q total Of SI64,
100000 for all street railways, OF which
SOS, 300, 600 may be apportioned to horse
systems, $40, 600, 600 to cable. and 81, 400
600 to steam. In amount OF track mileage
electric railroads stand next to horse rail-
roads, the former covering {, 703 miles and
the latter z, 024; while there are 527 miles of
cable road aud j54 Of steam. The average
cost per car mile Of horse railroads is about
81 cents, Of cable IS, of electric 22 aud of
steam cents.
The New York Central Company is
about to lay between the Grand Central
station and One Hundred and Thirty-eight
street the first 100-pound rail ever rolled
or used in the United States, and it will be
laid on steel lies-two departures which the
RuiLlCdy Age thinks are likely to have
many followers within the next few years.
The use Of rails Of so great weight is Of
course very costly improvements, Dub IL
will be a great safeguard against the
numerous and often very serious accidents
caused by broken rails
The French railways have made reduce
ton in passenger fares.of 9per cent. for first,
II per cent. for second and % per cent. for
third class passengers, and in freight rates
Of from 80 to a per cent. This is brought
about by reduction in the government
tax on earnings from 2815 to 1873 per cent,
which will mean a loss to the government Of
some 100000 600 year. Even with these
reductions the average of rates is doubtless
considerably higher than on American rail-
ways. while with US the Individual owners
of the roads stand all the losses-not the
government.
The accidents on the railways making re-
ports to the Kansas commission during the
year ended Dec 1891, are summarized as
follows.