The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-09-11
COST OF TRANSPORTATION
ON the Chesapeake s Ohio Railroad v,,v
Aaw--Its Advantage.


Cleveland Leader: The operations a,
the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad are q,
especial interest because of the low cos,
of transportation which the annual "a.
ports have shown for several years past
Its earning Cabaclty has shown constaD,
improvement each year, and 1t Is there.
fore in the expected nature of things ia
note further increase Of revenue over
the 1896 totals, even though many rail.
roads are reporting results about as bad
as In any year of the recent depression
The Chesapeake & Ohio has had in.
creases in both gross and net earnings,
SiS70OO and 100000, respectively; 1885
had shown the highest net revenue in
the company's history, but the 1897 totals
for both gross and net are now much
above any heretofore reported,
The traffic statistics show, that the al.
ready low rate has further declined ia
4,l9 mills; the noteworthy train load hai
increased to S52 tons, a record quite be,
yond the train load reported by any
other company; tonnage has fallen of
but n-mileage has increased, as well as
train mile revenues, II the Chesapeake
& Ohio could get the rates Of other roada
on the tonnage now carried dts ton mile.
age being nearly up TO that OF the Lake
Shore) or even the low rate of few
years ago, II would be one Of the most
prosperous roads in the country Even
with the present low rate, Its affairs are
In satisfactory condition. and II thu
revenue does not fall off, It seems quite
probable that dividend may be an.
nouncsd In the near future. The com.
pany has earned surplus over ali
charges in each year since 1890, and hi
1897 this surplus was S302,5il.
The last annual statement of President
NJ. II. ingalls, reports heavier trainoad
and lower average ton-mile rate thar
any other road, and there seems no prob.
ability that It will lose it's pre-eminenco
in other respects, Since 1890 the com.
pany has improved its trainload lis tons,
or fifty per cent; from 225 to 1852 tons in
1897. The increase over 1896 is twenty
seven tons, The Lake Shore, with lie
light grades, has an average tralnload
of thirty tons less than the Chesapeake
& Ohio, though the Lake Shores aver.
age Is, of course, much reduced by its
large amount of branch traffic, while the
Chesapeake & Ohio probably has mucu
smaller proportion Of miscellaneous
freight, which does not make such heavy
carloads. Below are some of the heav.
lest trainloads reported:
Chesapeake a. Ohio, 1859 tons; New
York Central & Hudson River 26S tons;
Great Northern, 256 tons; Lake Shore &
Michigan Southern, 1872 tons.
The report for the New York Central ia
for the year to June 30. 1896, the latest
published; for the other two roads, thu
year to December 81, last. But the Ches.
apeake & Ohio trainload last year. S52
tons, is ahead of any other record.
OF course, the company is favorably
situated for heavy trainloads. The
grades In thedirectlon of heaviest traf.
fc are descending, and Its freight Is
mostly bulk traffic. Coal, which is ham
died either to Cincinnati or to tidewater,
and grain, which Is carried long dis.
tances from the west for export, give
fifty per cent. OF the total tonnage OF
the coal carried last year (3,39S,OOO tons)
l,OS4,00O tons was delivered at Newport
News, 1.Ol4000 tons at Cincinnati, and
5SS,0OO tons We're used by the company
for fuel