The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-10

NO Az, CONSISTING or an engine, comb
nation postal and baggage car, and two
coaches, of the Birmingham Mineral
Railroad company. leaving Birmingham
on The morning of Dec. 81, 1896, and
which went down with a greater part
of the Cahaba river bridge, killing TWEEN
fy-two passengers and injuring six 9th
ers. This bridge was owned by the
Southern Railway company. The trains
of the Birmingham Mineral railroad
were operated over L. by virtue of a
joint agreement. between the two COM
panies, under which the birmingham
Mineral railroad uses jointly the tracks
of the Southern railway from Gurnee
Junction to Bloc on, fourteen miles. The
bridge was constructed of iron upon
stone piers, and was erected by the Key
stone Bridge company seven years ago.
In a dsrailment of the Mobile and
Montgomery division of the Louisville
and Nashville railroad, there were four
injured, and in a collision on the Ala
bama Great Southern railroad thsre were
nins injured Although the persons in
iured by accidents are more than double
the number injured last year. and I'M
accounted for, are possibly calculated to
bring censure on railroad companies, yet
in proportion to the total number of pas
sengsrs carried there was only one in
jured to every 1896 transported.
ACCIDENTS TO employees.
The whole number of employees in Ala
bama is 1925 The injuries resulting In
death to employees were As as against
"a the preceding year, and accidents not
fatal were ISL against 706 last year, an
increase of II d aths and 70 injuids.
TRBsPAssERs
The number classed as trespa in
jured was 1856 against 157 the previous
year. and 70 proved faiaal.
fNoN-TREsPAssEgRs.
THE injuries TO those persons n.ither
passengers, employees or bgespassers were
| three less than last year, bsing fifteen,
| five of whom were Killed
CONSULTING ENGINEER.
Since the unfortunate wreck of the ra 7
road and fearful loss of life at Cahaba
bridge, ON Dsc 27, 1896, and the virtual
impossibiiity of ascertaning after the
fact whether the disaster resulted from
defects in the structure of the bridge, or
was thu work of deS. gning persons I'M
spirsd by m &C toward the all o1d COM
pany or fiendish greed for gain at the
cos, of life and destruction of property,
we have been impressed with the i'm
portance as a duty to the travelling pub
lie, of inaugurating and maintaining
careful and skiilful inspection of all the
railroad treStles and bridges In the static.
We have no appropria ton for this pur-
pose; but, in order to investigate the con-
dition of amy bridge or trestle, upon the
Strength or adequacy of which for the
service equired Of it, any suspicion rests,
we have appointed, with the consent and
approval of your eXcellency, George s.
Wilkins, prof :ssor of engineering of the
University of Alabama, our consulting
engineer We have also called ON the
railroad companies of the state, respect
lively, for plans and specifications of their
bridg s and trestles to be kept for exam
nation and reference in our office, and
as aid to Prof Wilkins in such exam
nations as we may call on him, from
time to time to make.
RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION.
The new mileage reported for this ysar
amounts no 81. as miles. The companies
constructing the same We're the I1aFay-
cite railway, from OTl1ka to Lafayette,
% miles; the Tallahassee ard Montgcn-
cry, from Mistead, on the Western Rail-
way of Alabama, 10 Tallahassee, Z miles
the Birmingham Mineral railroad extends
a branch l 6S miles: the mile accredited
to the SeaIboard is the difference between
the mileage as now given and when last
reported; TIN. LIS miles credited to the
Memphis and Charleston railroad is from
re-measurement or other causes.
ACTUAL MILEAGE OPERATED.
The total length of railroads belong
ing to corpora tons making returns to
this department is 3.524.27 miles of main
hine and branches with 776 miles of
double track. making a total of 3,53203
miles Last year there were 34696 so
miles off main line and branches, with
776 mills of double track, showing an
increase cf 63.43 miles of main line and
branches over that of the year ending
June 80, 1896.
REHABILITATION.
| Mileage shown in annual reports. 8, 52427
Mileage of double track ........ :. 776
Mileage of companies excused from
reporting ........ 90. 10
Mileage of companies Idle ....... 2700
3,6147S
IRON RAILS.
The number of miles reported as being
| laid in iron rails is 172.02, showing de-
| crease of 29.S9 over last year. but thsre
| is really an additional decsase of 81 more
| miles, as this amount of iron is shown
| on the Seaboard Railway of Alabama,
| which was one of the companies failing
| to report last year.
GROSS EARNINGS.
| The gross earnings including freight,
| passenger express, mail, ETC., for the
| year increased 1923, 740.63, amounting to
| 1888, 091 81.
OPERATING EXPENSES
The operating expenses, which does net
| include taxes and interest on bonded in
| debtedness for the year amounted to
So, 766, 770.53, being an increase of 1916, 940,-
| IL over the preceding year which is II
| per emit of the total gross earnings,
| showing a decrease of one per cent. in
the proportion of operating expenses to
earnings over previous year.
TAXES PAID BY LAND.
The amount appraised by the board of
asse ssorS of railway property was $45,-
261, 1881, which amounts to Is per cent.
of the appraised value of all the prop
erty in the state.
DIVIDENDS PAID.
The Alabama Great Southern railroad
| paid dividend of .056376 per c. nit. on pre-
| feured stock. The LaF'ayette railway
| paid a dividend of 81 800. The Nashville,
| Chattanooga and St. Louis railway paid
4 per cent. on common stock. The Nash
| willie and Decatur G per cent. on common
stock. Thu Southern railway 1 per emit.