The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-09
THE oouNTRYs RAILROADS.
An Abstract of the Interstate Commerce
y Commissions Report.

The following is an abstract OF the
Interstate Commerce Commissions sta
tistical report Of railways:
The total railway mileage of the eoun-
try on June 80, 1892, was III, $685. 50 miles,
being an increase during the year of 3,
160 IS miles. This is the smallest in
crease in railway mileage reported for a
number of years. The State Of North
Carolina leads in railway construction,
showing an increase of 212. 90 miles.
The total number of railway corpora
tions on June 80, 1892, was 1922, being a
net increase of 81 during the year. OF
this number $50 maintained independent
operating accounts and a71a were indie
pendent operating companies.
The classification of railways according
to length of line operated shows that
there are 43 companies in the United
States having a mileage in excess OF lOOU
miles.
The railways which during the year
were added to the class of railways oper-
ating a mileage in excess of 1000 miles
are the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad,
the Atlantic Coast Line Association,
and the Union Pacific Denver & Gulf
Railway. The Lehigh Valley Railroad
having been leased to the Philadelphia
and Reading Railroad Company during
the year, was dropped out OF this GLASS;
Locomotives and Cars.
The total number Of locomotives on
June 30, 1892, was SO. 1856. Of these S,o4S
were passenger locomotives, 1859 loco
motives were assigned to the freight SER
vice, 1855 were switch locomotives, and
2374 were uncIassifed and leased. The
increase in passenger locomotives during
the year has been 100, and Of freight To-
comotives $50. The total number of cars
reported by carriers as their property
was 1.215.O92. Of these 966, 998 were
to- the company's service, and 35, 97o
were assigned to fast freight line service.
In addition to the above cars owned, the
companies report 146, 339 cars leased. 1t
should, however, be remembered that
these figures are exclusive of cars owned
by private companies and leased to ship
pers for the purpose OF transportation
The total number of employees in the
service of railways on June 30, 1882, was
S21,415, being an increase Of 1880 over
the previous year. The railway industry
makes each year larger demands upon
the labor of the people.
Finances.
The capitalization of the 162397. 80 miles
covered by the report was on Jue 80, 1892
S1o, 226, 74s, 1874. 1.-THE above figures show an
increase in capitalization during the year
1892 of 1897, 273, 119. In view of the slight
activity in railway construction, this
increase in capitalization is worthy OF
especial notice. In large measure it is
due to investments by large corpora
lions in minor companies and to reorgan-
ization, In quite numb Der of cases also
stock dividends or their equivalents
have been issued The amount OF stock
paying no dividends during the year was
So, S07, 400, 1876, or 60.60 per cent. OF the
total amount of stock. The aggregate
amount paid in dividends was $97, 614, 745,
being an increase for the year covered
by the report of So, 496, 1872. The amount
of funded debt, exclusive of equipment
trust obligations, paying no interest was
$777, 719, 400, or IA. Sc per cent,of the total
amount outstanding. @
/ The total number of passengers carried
BY the railways during the year was ooo,
95S, Oil. The average passenger goes
1882 miles in journey.
THE gross earnings from operation OF
railways during the year ending June
80 1892 were $3.50, 997, 1896. The income to
the railways from investments was Sal, :
$50, 1872 making with the net income from
operation an aggregate of 1872, $40. 129. The
fixed charges during the year amounted
to Sale, 404, 937 leaving net INCOME avail
able for dividends of lis, 965, 191. OF this
amount 1904, 745 were paid in divi-
dends and 81, 314, 800 in other payments
from net income leaving surplus over
operations during the year of S14, O36, 056.
The passenger revenue for the railways
of the country during the year was
1886, sos, 7Os. The receipts from mail SER
vice were S26, 861, 143, and from the ex-
press companies were $22, 148, 9S8. The
ed to S799, 316, 042.
Accidents.
The number of railway employees killed
during The year covered by the report
was 1854, being less. than the mum Der
killed during the previous year. The
number of employees injured, however,
was in excess of the number injured
during the previous year, being 2S, 267.
The number of passengers killed was
largely in excess of the number killed
during the previous year, being. S76 in
1892 as against 293 in 1891; while. the
number of passengers injured was 1927
in 1892, as against 2,S72 in 1891. An as
signment of casualties to the opportunity
offered for accidents shows one employe
to have been killed for every 1922 employ
es, and one employe to have been injured
for each 90 men in the employ of the
railway. A similar comparison shows
one passenger killed for each 4,911, $40
passengers carried, and one passenger in
jured for each ia, 1888 passengers carried.
The largest number of casualties to en-
ployes resulted from coupling and I'M
coupling cars, 37S employees having been
killed and 10, $40 injured while rendering
this service. Of the total number killed
in coupling and uncoupling cars 253, and
of the total number injured 1906 were
trainmen.
Findings and Recommendations.
The purely statistical portion of the
report was followed by review of the
Statistical Division of the Interstate