The record-union., 1896-08-02
RAILWAY STATISTICS.

RAILWAY STATlSTlCS.
Eighth Statistical Report Of the Inter
state Commission.
Abstract Showing the Railway Mile
age in the United States. Num-
Der Men Employed, Etc.
The eighth statistical report of the
Interstate Commerce Commission, pre-
pared by its statistician, being the
complete report for the year ending
June 30, 1896 for which preliminary
income account was issued in Decem-
Der, 1895, has just been submitted, of
which the following is an abstract:
In the introduction of the report the
statistician calls attention to three spe
cial features: First, the showing of
comparative figures where possible for
| the five previous years; second, the
compilation of operating expenses for
two years, one summary being based
on the revised classification of oper-
ating expenses, taking effect July 1,
1894, the other on the classification
followed from 1887 to that date; and
third, the compilation of a table show
ing revenue and density of traffic for
reads whose gross revenue exceeds
$3,O0O,O00. Reference is made to the
effect of the continued business de-
preston, and the large number of re-
ceiverships On June 80, 1895, 169
roads were reported in the hands of
receivers, showing a net decrease of
2.' during the year The roads under
receivers operated 81, $3.50 miles of
line, which shows a decrease of 1858 OF
as compared with 1894. The railway
capital represented by these roads was
nearly 81, 800. 600, 600, or about 30 20
Per cent. of the total railway capital
in the United States.
MILEAGE
The total railway mileage in the
United States on June 30, 1895, was
SO,6o7.47 miles, an increase of 1,94S .92
miles, or 1O9 per cent. being shown.
The increase in 1894 was 2,247.4S miles,
or 121 per cent, which was less than
for any preceding year during the pc
riOd for which reports have been made
to the commission. The Territory and
States in which the increase in mile
age exceeds 100 miles are Arizona
241.41 miles; Illinois, 1870 miles;
Pennsylvania, 157 miles; Maine. 132 Sc
|
tana, 1Oo.l9 miles The aggregate
length of all tracks in the United
States on June 80, 1895, was 23G, ,S94 &c
miles. Included in this total track
mileage were 1O,639 90 miles of second
track, 975.25 miles Of third track,
133. II miles of fourth track, and 49,
SSS.46 miles of yard track and sidings
CLASSIFICATION OF RAILWAYS.
The number of railway corporations
On June 80. 1895, was 1865, of which
lob maintained operating accounts,
and 800 financial accounts. During the
year IA roads swera abandoned, 9
merged, 81 reorganized, and % consoli-
dated. The classification of railways
on the basis of operated mileage shows
that ~ companies, each operating more
than 1000 miles, operate 100, ,7141
miles of line, or 55.677 per cent. of the
total railway mileage; "a roads, with
an operated mileage ranging from 600
to 1000 miles, operate 1S,S96.40 miles,
or 1O.45 per cent; % roads with an
operated mileage ranging from 400 to
600 miles operate 1l,177.07 miles, or
Els per cent; 40 roads with an oper-
ated mileage ranging from $50 to 400
70 A = 4
per cent; and 971 roads with an oper-
ated mileage under go miles operate
3J,71O53 miles, or 1877 per cent. It
thus appears that 1873 roads, or 1906
per cent. of operating companies, op-
crate 145. 5.155.13 miles, or 1924 per
cent. of total mileage in operation
From an inspection of the comparative
summary from which these figures are
obtained, however no very great
changes in classification are notice
able
EQUIPMENT.
From the summaries given pertaining
to the equipment Of railways, it appears
that the increase in number of locomo-
tives in service was 207, the total num-
Der on June 80, 1895, being 35,699 OF
this number 1899 were passenger loco
motives, 20,012 were freight locomo-
tives, 800 were switching locomotives,
and 5SS unclassified. The number of cars
of all classes reported, being those owned
by railways, was 1,270561, which indi-
Gates a decrease of 1917 as compared
with the previous year. OF the total
cars reported 33,112 were in passenger
service, ! 1876, 119 were in freight serv-
ice and the remainder, Al $50, were cars
used by the reporting companies in their
own service. There was an increase OF
81 in the number of passenger cars, and
an increase of ,439 in cars assigned to
company's service, but cars in freight
service decreased 1850. The explana-
ton of this decrease Is not wholly to be
found in an effort on the part of the
railway companies to econOmize in
equipment, but rather in the increased
use made of private cars. From the sum-
maries given it appears that there was
decreased efficiency in passenger service
and an increased efficiency in freight
service during the year covered by the
report The number of passengers car
ried per passenger locomotive was 50,-
TAT, or g. 907 less than in 1894. The num-
Der of passenger miles per passenger To-
comotive was 1,21S. .967, or 225, 1873 less
than in 1894, while the number of pas
senger cars per l 100000 passengers car
ried was SO, or II greater than the pre-
ceding year. This is probably largely
due to decreased travel on account of
business depression, but it also suggests
that passenger traffic has returned to
its normal condition previous to the
Worlds Columbian Exposition. The
- Of ferIf ooJ J.,in