The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-06-27
RAILWAYS BUSINESS
Annual Report of Interstate
Commerce Commission.
INTERESTING DATA AND SUMS
Attention Called to the Peculiar COndi-
tiOns Affecting the Operations of
Railways During the Year.


Washington, June 18.-The seventh
statistical report of the interstate COM
MERGE commission for the year ending
June 30, 1894, has just been submit
ted. In the introduction special at
tention is called to the peculiar condi-
lions affecting the operations of rail-
ways. First, the report covers the
last four months of the Columbian ex-
position, during which time there was
an increased passenger traffic. Sec
ond, it covers period of widespread
and unprecedented business depression.
Thus, June 80, 1894, 1872 roads, operat-
ing upwards of $4,000 miles of line,
and representing about one-fourth of
the total railway capitalization, were
III the hands of receivers The effect
OF these conditions is apparent in near
ly all the figures presented.
The total mileage in the United
States June 80, 1894, was 178, 708, an
increase during the year of 2,247 miles.
The increase during the previous year
was 4,897. The percentage of increase
during 1894 was less than for any pre-
ceding year for which reports have
been made to the commission, and it is
not probable that the year ending June
30, 1895, will show such improvement.
The number of roads abandoned was
sixteen. The total mileage of all
tracks was 233, 533 miles
The total number of railway corpora
tions was l, 1924, an increase during the
year of twenty-five. The number of
RAILROADS not in operation was seventy
seven. The movement of consolidation
during the year, on the basis of mileage
involved, has been greater than in the
previous four years. Fifteen roads,
representing 1,734 miles, have been
merged; % roads, representing g.
$50 miles, have been reorganized,
and IA roads, representing $50 miles,
have been consolidated. A classified
ton of railways on the basis of oper-
ated mileage shows that A roads, each
with a mileage of over 1000 miles
operate a total of 100, SAT miles of
line, or 80 per cent of the total
mileage of the country. Ninety roads
operate 70. 80 per cent of the entire
mileage. -,
The total number of locomotives
was 35,3O2, an increase during the
year of 7O4, and the total number of
cars 1,278,078. The increase in the
number of cars during the year was
4, 1873, as against an incresae of 1854
during the previous year. This falling
off in the ratio of increase is due to the
railways having, during the year, used
a large number of old, WORKOUT cars.
During the year 1879 locomotives and
so, 1856 cars were fitted with train
brakes, and 1877 locomotives and
"a, 1856 cars were fitted with automatic
couplers. Seventy-four and S1-100ths
per cent of the total equipment is still
without train-b brakes and 2.77 per cent
without automatic couplers.
The total number of railway en-
ployes was 779, sos, a decrease as COM
pared with the number June 80, 1898,
of 90, 994, Or 1916 per cent. This is
smaller number employed than in any
year since 1890. This decrease is due,
the report states, to the heavy falling
off in traffic and the endeavor of the
railways to ecOnomize.