The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-13
RAILROAD NEWS.
Interstate Commerce sCOmmis-
sion Report Showing.
Georgia Shows the Largest In
crease of Mileage.
TOTAL FOR q. s. 2,119.
Increase of 100000 of Pas
sengers Over Previous Year.
Over 1000 More Injured Than
in the Former Year.

Washington, Oct. 13.-The ninth sta
tistical report of the interstate COM
merce commission for the year ended
June 80, 1896, gives interesting informa-
tfOn concerning the mileage, equipment,
number OF employees, capitalization and
expenses of railways in the United
States for the year named.
One hundred and fifty-One roads, rep
reSenting sc, AIS miles of operated mile
age were in the hands of receivers on
June 80, 1896, decrease of Is from the
previous year. The capital stock rep
resented by the railways controlled by
receivers was $142, ,591 ,69S and the fund
ed debt was $999 733, 766. The total rail-
way mileage on June 30, 1896, was 1872
776, an increase of 2,119 for the year,
Georgia showing the largest increase,
viz 233 miles. The number of IocOmO-
tiVes in service was 35, $50 and of cars
of all classes !, ,297 $40, an increase of
251, locomotives and 27,0SS cars. OF the
total cars and locomotives 44S, 854 were
fitted with train brakes and 545, ,5S3
with automatic cOuplerS. The number
Of freight locomotives fitted with auto
matte cOupIerS were 1878 out of total
of 20.351 and the cars in freight service
fitted with train brakes was 379,058 out
Of a total of l ,221 ,S87.
An interesting feature of the report
is summary showing the amount OF
compensation paid to the railway en-
plOyeS of the United States who aggre-
gated S26 $40. Their aggregate COM
DenSaIlOn
Of the total operating expenses OF all
railways, a slight decrease from the
preceding year. Much data on the
Capitalization and valuation of railway
property is contained in the report. The
amount of railway capital, it is shown,
was SIC, 500 865, III which, assigned on a
mileage basis shows a capital of $59,-
61S per mile of line, and if current la
bilities be included as part of the cap
itaI $63, 068 per mile of line.
The amount of capital stock was So
226, ,527, ,269 of which 1868, $50, 692 was pre-
ferred. A fraction of over 20 per cent
of the capital stock paid no dividends.
The total dividends amounted to $751;,
Goa, 81. Passengers carried during the
year numbered 81, ,772, 1884, an increase
of over 4 O0O, 900 compared with the pre-
ViOus year, which however, showed
decrease OF SO, ,266, ,837, as compared with
1894. Freight tonnage amounted to
765, ,891, ,385. the largest ever reported for
railways in this country and an in
crease of nearly 20, 600. 900. Gross earn
ings amounted to $1.150, ,169, ,376, an in
crease of nearly $75,000,000, resulting in
net income of over $33,OOO,OOO larger
than the previous year
Nearly 1. 900 employees were killed and
almost 10000 injured during the year,
an increase of so in those killed and
over 1000 in the number injured. One
hundred and eighty-one passengers
were killed and nearly 5000 injured.
The number of persons "Other than en-
ployes and passengers killed was A.,
406 and those injured 5.845. Those fig
ures included casualties to persons re-
ported as trespassers. For every 444
men employed on railways one was
killed and for every 28 men employed
one was injured.
One trainnan was killed for each 1872
trainmen employed and one trainman
was injured for each ten men employ
ed. The number of passengers carried
for one passenger killed was 2827, ,474
and the number of passengers carried
for one passenger injured was IFS, 123.