Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-01
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION Presents Its Annual Report to
 the Governor. MADE MANY SUGGESTIONS The Switching Charges at Mobile Were Re-
 duced to $2. VERY FEW IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE Many of the Roads Barely Made Expenses and Others Were Operated at a Loss. Eighty One People Killed and
 S6o Injured.
MADE MANY SUGGESTIONS
VERY FEW IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE

Montgomery, Jan. 31.--(Special.) The railroad commission of Alabama has pre- sented to the governor it's fifteenth an- nual report for the year ending June 50. 1895. Below are given some of the prin- cipal features of the report:
 Annual Reports of Railroad Companies.
 The annual reports from the railroad companies to the railroad commissioners. as required by section 1137 of the civil code of Alabama, are of great value to the state and of special interest to bank CTS, investors, capitalists and trust com panies. These reports are required by law to be made in duplicate to this de- partment in the manner prescribed and upon blanks to be furnished by us, and must exhibit the business of the carriers up to the close of the fiscal year.
 Construction.
 The only companies reporting the con struction of additional mileage during the year ending June 30, 1885, were the Ala hama Great Southern railroad, .29, and the Chattanooga Southern railway, z.4z, making total of 2.71 miles of new road to. be added to the mileage heretofore given There was decrease by remeas- lrement and other causes of 3i9 mileS, of which 3.6S miles are reported as oc- curing on the lines composing the South ern railway, and the remaining II or mile is deducted from that of the SaVan- nah and Western railway.
 Mileage Now Under Construction.
 The Tallassee and Montgomery Rail way company, chartered to run from Tailassee. in Fillmore county, to the city of Montgomery, is now being constructed from Tallassee to Milstead, the Junction point of connection with the western railway of Alabama a distance or seven
 
 and is being laid with steel rails or nIty- six pounds weight to the yard The equipment and rolling stock Will pc new and complete. A steel bridge IS peine constructed across the Tallapoosa riVeI near Milstead with two spans Of l5o rect length. making a total length or 3OO rect, resting on three granite piers To feet ahove inc river bed. Another steel bridge of about 400 feet in length IS peing con. structed across the Tallapoosa riVer d. the town of TallasSee. TaiiasSee' py req son of its water power enjoys enJoys eu- perior advantages for mills ana manu- factures. The cotton mill now in opera tion there is large and valuapie pidn.. Its products will find quick ana easy outlet over this new line of railroad, the construction of which adds greatly to the deyelopment of that rich section. Other extensive mills will soon be erect cd to triple the capacity of the present mills. a,,a The ILOulSyllle anu iNuohsii'S company is building new line or rai- road from Prattville, in Autauga county to point of intersection with the south and North railroad about seven miles above the city of Montgomery. The roao is standard guage. well built ana iaid with steel rails of bSA pounds 10 the yard. and will be an important prancn fine. over which the products of the PrattyiIle mills and factories will be transported The water power at Pratt yille is immense, giving great advantages for milling and manufacturing, anu much capital is being invested tne.e. This new branch line will be added 10 inc mileage of the Louisville and Nash vile Railroad company in us next an nual report.
 The citizens of Lafayette. in Cham hers county, are engaged in building line of railroad to extend from LaFay- cite by Oak Bowery to Opeiika, m Lee county. a distance of twenty-two miles. This road is to be of standard gauge and laid with steel rails of forty pounds to the yard.
 of the Prattville extension and or the Tallassee and Montgomery railroad will ennear as new mileage in our next an- nual report
 Mileage.
 The total length of the railroads be- longing to corporations making returns to this department is 344l 63 miles or main line and branches with 7.76 miles Of dou- ble track, making a grand total of 3449.3? miles, Last year there were 3445oo mics of main line and branches, with ten miles of double track, showing decrease or 332 miles of main line and branches ana PA miles of double track. The total length of sidings is 53712, against 5aS67 miles of last year, making decrease Of 21 55 miles This decrease Is brought about by the Alabama Great Southern railroad reporting 65.46 miles in sidings last year, which also included 21.87 miles reported under the heading of branches and spurs. This year the sid.ngs are given at 3.25 miles and the 21.87 miles of branches and spurs are properly accred- ited to main line and branches. The Sa- yannah and Western railway reported 17.O6 miles of sidings, against 30.0s of last year, thus giving a decrease by these two roads of 34.90 miles. Had not these irregularities existed there would have been an increase of 12.54 miles in sidngs over that of 1894.
 Recapitulation.
 Mileage shown in annual reports.... S,44l. .es g Mileage. of companies excused from - oo Miiease Mrisipose',ff of companies failing to re- Mileage of sidings. 5s7.i2
 4,l51lo
 Iron Rails.
 We reported last year the number of miles in iron as being 333. .43 miles and are pleased to state that 51.53 miles were re- placed with steel. now leaving 2S2.0S miles In iron; the larger part is on the branch lines. ,s. ss ] <:s- .s
 Accidents to Persons-
 pu-ing the year ending June s0 1895. there were killed S1 and injured S60. nak- ing a total of 941 persons suffering death and Injury by accidents on the railroads in the state of Alabama. Of this number there were passengers kiled anu ~ in-2 jured. Employes, 2s killed and 706 in- jured. There were 51 others Killed and i07 injured For the year preceding there