The record-union., 1898-08-31
STATISTICS OF RAILWAYS.
TENTHREPORT OF INTERSTATE
COMMERCE COMMISSION.
Facts in Regard to Railroads
Their Public Service, Earn
ings and Expenses.

From summaries which will appear in
the tenth statistical report of the In
terstate Commerce Commission, pre-
pared by it's statistician, being the COM
plete report for the above-named period,
Tor which a preliminary income ac-
count was issued in December, 1897,
the following advance figures are OBJ
tanned:
On June 3d. 1897, there were 12S
roads in the hands of receivers. These
roads operated a mileage of Ii, ,S61. .6S
miles, the mileage owned by them be-
ing 14,S94.57 miles. These figures, as
compared with those for 1896, show
that there was a net decrease of T.
613.71 miles in mileage operated, and
S,622.S9 miles in mileage owned by
roads in the charge of receivers. Dur
ing the year ending June 30, 1897, fifty
one roads were removed from the con-
troll Of receivers and twent~eight roads
were placed under their management.
An inspection of the roads operated
under receiverships on June 30, 1891, +,
shows that twenty-five operated mile
age in excess of 300 miles; twenty be-
tween 100 and 300 miles, and seventy a
mileage less than 100 miles. 1t is not
always possible to secure complete re-
turns for railways operated by receiv-
ers, but the following figures may be
accepted as practically correct with re-
spect to railways Of this class The
capital stock represented by these rail-
ways on June 80, 1897, was S4S6,064, =
61O; funded debt, S531. .407,790 and
current liabilities, S113. 3.S06,34S. A
comparison of these figures with those
corresponding for the preceding year
shows a decrease in capital ytOck rep
resented of over $3.50 200, 600, and in
funded debt of over S46S, 100000
MILEAGE.
The total railway mileage in the
United States on June 80, 1897, was
1S4, ,42S.47 miles, there being an in
crease of l, ,651 S4 miles, or 090 per cent.
during the year. In round numbers,
Alabama shows an increase of III
miles; Arkansas, 1872 miles; California,
219 miles; Louisiana, 161 miles, and
Michigan, 123 miles. The increase in
mileage in the other States and Ter
ritories in which an increase occurred
was less than 100 miles. In a few
States, as usual, a decrease in mileage
is shown The aggregate length Of
railway mileage, including all tracks,
on June 80, 1897, was 243 444.41, the
increase being 3.315.29 miles. The
length Of second track was II ,01S47
miles; of third track 995.79 miles; of
fourth track, 7S04S miles. The mile
age Of yard track and sidings amount
ed to 46, 22120 miles.
Excepting yard track and sidings,
Of NIB 10; !
with iron rails, substantially 95 per
cent. of the railway tracks in the coun-
try are laid with steel rails.
CLASSIFICATION OF RAILWAYS.
The number Of railway corporations
on June 80, 1897, embraced in the
statistics of Railways in the United
States" was 1887. OF this number
] 1.037 maintained operating accounts,
$40 being classed as independent oper-
ating roads, and 21S as subsidiary oper-
ating roads Of the roads operated
under lease or other agreement, 80 re-
ceived a fixed money rental and 169 a
contingent money rental; 25S were as
signed for operation under forms Of
agreement not easily classiflable.
The operated mileage affected by re-
organization and other corporate
changes during the year ending June
80. 1897. was 1494239 miles, Of which
Il, ,230.57 miles pertained to reorgan-
ized roads.
EQUIPMENT.
The total number of locomotives in
service on June 80 1897, was 1886,
the increase in number as compared
with the preceding year being SO. OF
the total number Of locomotives re-
ported, 10017 We're classed as passen-
ger locomotives; 20, 1898 as freight loco
motives and 5,102 as switching locomo-
tives. The number Of locomotives not
classified was 469 The total number
of cars of all classes reported in service
on the date named was 1927 ,4S0. The
corresponding number for the previous
year was 169 greater. OF the total cars
reported, 33, ,626, or 623 more than FOR
1896, were assigned to the passenger
service; 1921, ,730 were assigned 10
freight service, indicating a decrease
of 157 during the year; and 42,l24 were
assigned to the special service Of the
railway companies. AS has been stat
ed in former years, the division statis-
tics has no record Of the number of
cars owned by private companies
and individuals that are used by rail-
ways in transportation service.
From summaries which indicate the
density Of equipment and its efficiency
in the transportation of passengers and
freight, it is observed that during the
year ending June 80. 1897, the railways
in the United States used 20 locomo-
tives and T0S cars per 100 miles Of
line. Taking the United States as a
whole, it appears that 4SS61 passen-
gers were carried and ], ,223, GA passen-
ger miles accomplished per passenger
locomotive, and spondingly there
were 1862 tons carried and 4.664, l35
ton miles accomplished per freight 10
comotive All of these items show a
decrease as compared with those Of the
preceding year. The number Of pas
senger cars per 100000 passengers
carried during the year under consider
alton was 60 and the number of freight
cars per 100000 tons Of freight car
ried was 1,641. 1t should be under
stood, however, that this average does
not include such cars, mainly in the
freight service, as are owned by pri-
vate parties, for the use of which the
railways paid during the year approx
mately S11, ,00000 Including in the
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