The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-01-08
RAILROADS IN THE STATE
TEATUREs OF THE COMMISSIONERS
 ANNUAL REPORT,

 A Comprehensive Synopsis-Stateinents Showing the Business Done by Railroads During the Past Year-Earnings of the Roads-About Electric Railroads and Their Extension.
 The forty-f1fth annual report of the railroad commissioners to the governor has been printed. It is for the year 1897.
 The report states that in consequence of the general stagnation of business and the increased competition of elee- tric roads there has been a decrease of nearly $4O0,OOO in the freight and pas senger earnings of the steam roads dur ing the past year. The electric lines al- ready constructed, and others about to be constructed, will inevitably reduce still further the amount of local, short distance travel on the steam roads, ana it remains for the future to determine whether the long distance travel Will be sufficiently increased to compensate for this loss. Some interesting eXperl- ments are now being made by the en- terprising managers of some or the steam roads for the purpose Of dlscoV- sering some method of handling local passenger business at more frequent 1n- tervals, and less expense per train mile, than now appears possible under the existing conditions of steam transport ation. '
 COMBINATION CAR.
 The report refers to the experiment. of a combination car, stating that IL consists of combined engine and car, recently designed and constructed, ca pable of carrying about sixty passen- gers, with which frequent trips can be made at about one-third of the expense of a fully equipped steam train, hauled by @ locomotive, carrying large amount of dead weight per each\ pas senger transported. It would Seem that the location of an engine in a com partment of a car used for the trans portation of passengers might 1ntro- duce an element of danger from steam and fire. in case of accident that would equal or exceed the danger arising from the use of car stoves for heating pur- poses The tendency of the past ten years has been to increase largely the weight of passenger and freight equip mlent. until the amount of dead weight carried is very large in proportion to each passenger carried, constituting on a train composed of drawing room and sleeping cars about per cent. of the total weight hauled. Possibly there may be partial reaction in this tend r--- IL. n. ment is concerned"
 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD.
 Under the heading Proceedings of the Board" the report, refers to the ac- tion taken in matters in which various municipalities were interested. Refer ring to Hartford the report says that the New York, New Haven and Hart ford Railroad company was ordered to maintain gate at the Hamilton street crossing. In reference to the extension of Sigourney street across the tracks of the Philadelphia, Reading and New England Railroad company the report ,-eStates that the petition was, dismissed Permission was granted to construct side track across the tracks of the New York New Haven and Hartford Rail road company at Windsor street for the accommodation of the new brewery.
 ACCIDENTS.
 The number of passengers injured has been 29 of whom 1 was killed. Nine were injured by 8 collision, z by jump ing from trains, fell from platform of moving train, and the balance were injured in various ways by their owr carelessness. The number of employe: injured has been 220. 34 less than las year, of which injuries 27 resulted ia tally, 10 less than for the previous year These injuries were distributed as fol lows: Trainmen 166, switchmen, gate men and flagmen 13, and in the variou, other employments 41-all less than las year. The number of trainmen killed was 12, compared with IS last year; switchmen. compared with last year and 9 others, as compared with 16 th previous year. Fifty-eight trainmel were injured coupling or uncoupling en zines or cars; Al fell from trains, be ing killed; 15 were struck by overhead structures, of them being killed;
 were injured in collisions, were injur ed in a deraiIment, 10 in other train ac cidents and B in various other ways, of them fatally. Of the B switchmel injured received their injuries in coup ling or uncoupling, being killed: 1 fel < from an engine and was killed. and were otherwise injured, l of them fatal ly Of the number of other employe injured fell from trains and the bal ance were injured in various ways, l of them being fatally injured. Of th employees 70 were injured in couplin or uncoupling engines or cars, compar ed with 87 so injured last year. Tn number of trespassers injured was 15t compared with 165 for the previou year, and the number killed was 30, in stead of 95 last year. Besides thos chased as passengers, employees 0 trespassers, the number injured was 21 same as last year, and of this number were killed.
 HIGHWAY CROSSINGS.
 Referring to highway crossings tn report states: "The number injured a highway crossings was 27, same as las year, of which number died from thei injuries The number of highway cross ings at grade are reported to be 1,015, jess than last year, of which 170 ar protected by gates, fiagmen or signs bells The number of highway cross ings under the tracks are 227, and tn number carried over the tracks are 20 The safety appliance act of congress approved March 2, 1893, declared ths after the first day of January, 1898,