The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-27
OPERATIONS OF
THE RAILROADS.
Report of the Interstate Commerce
Commission
FOR YEAR ENDING JUNE 80, '97.
Mileage. Equipment. Employees ana
Earnings and Expenses-Railway.
Accidents and the Valuation
OF Property.
FOR YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, '97.

terstate Commerce Commission, prepared
by its statistician. being the complete
report for the above-named period, TOT
which a preliminary income account was
issued in December 1887. the following
advance figures are obtained:
On June co. 1897 there were is foau7
I'm the hands Of receivers. These roads
operated mileage Of lIs6los miles, tne
mileage owned by them being li,Sai..'
miles. These figures. IS compared WIN
those for 1896. show that there was net
decrease OF l2.6i3.u miles in mileage op-
Grated. and S622.s9 miles In mileage own
ed by roads IN the charge OF receivers.
During the year ending June 80, 1897, 81
roads were removed from the control Of
receivers and IS roads were placed under
tleir management. An inspection OF the
roads operated under receiverships on
June 90. 1897. shows that p operated
mileage In excess of 800 miles, 20 between
100 and 800 miles. and 20 a mileage less
than 100 miles. II is not always possible
20 secure complete returns for railways
operated by receivers, but the following
figures may be accepted as practically
| correct with respect 70 railways or this
class. The capital stock represented by
these railways on June go 1897. was Sis5.
05l6i0: funded debt, s53l 800 1905 aud cur
rent Liabilities. Sii3 s06.JlS. A. comparison
OF these figures with those correspond o.
ing for the preceding year shows de-
crease IN capital stock represented u
over 1876 ol0600 and in funded debt OF
over Si6SoON0
MILEAGE
The total railway mileage I'm the United
states on January 3l. 1897. was leiA-s 81
miles, there being an increase Of l65lA
miles. or $50 per cent. during the year
H.H g.. In
increase OF M miles. Arkansas. 1872 miles.
California. 2l3 miles Louisiana, l6l miles.
and Michigan. 1913 miles. The increase in
mileage in the other states and Terrific
ries Don which an Increase occurred was
less than 100 miles. In few States as
usual. decrease in mileage is shown.
/ The aggregate length OF railway mile
aye. including all tracks, on June 90
1880. was 243,i4f4 tine increase being g.
/ sl529 miles Tho length Of second track
was llOiSF miles. of third track es5 70
miles. of fourth track. lso.4s miles. Tie
mileage OF yard track and sidlnss
I amounted 20 i5.z-i-l miles.
Excepting yard track and sidings.
about 90 per cent. of which are laid with
iron rails. substantially % per cent. OF
rha railway tracks in the country are
laid with steel rails.
! The number Of railway corporations on
/ June 90. 1880. embraced in the Statistics
Of Railways in tho United States was
/ as1. or this number 1886 maintained OPP
Grating accounts. $40 being classed as in
| dependent operating roads ana us AS
/ subsidiary operating roads. OF me roads
/ operated under lease or other agree
+ meut. go received a fixed money rental
! and lg a contingent money rental. Cos
I were assigned for operation under forms
! OF agreement not easily classihable
! The operated mileage affected by reor-
1 gauization and other corporate changes
/ during the year ending June 3d. 1891, was
/ 1899 miles. OF which l32305l miles
/ pertaiued ~ reorg1niZed roads.
EQUIPMENT.
The total number OF locomotives IN SER
! vice on June 20. 1897 was 1886, the in-
! crease In number as compared with the
T preceding year being So. OF the total
/ number of locomotives reported. lOOl'
/ were cl1sscd us passenger locomotives
/ clas as freight locomotives aud lpZ as
/ switching locomotives. The number OF
/ locomotives not classified was $50. The
total number off cans " AN classes re-
/ ported in ser, fee on the date named was
+ l.-41.4.0. The corresponding number for
/ the previous year was 1859 greater. OF
| the total cars reported 1886 or 6A more
/ than for 1885, were assigned 90 the pas
/ senrer service: L2-l150 were assigned TO
/ freight service. indicating "a decrease of
/ l57 DURING the year. and f2,l2l were ass
! signed 10 the special service OF the rail-
/ way companies. AS has been stated In
! former years. the Division of Statistics
! has no record Of the number OF ears
owned by private companies and indi-
| viduals that are used by railways in
| trans pOrtatlOu service.
| From summaries which indicate the
! density OF equipment and IT'S efficiency
! On the transportation OK passengers and
! freight. IL is observed that during The
| year ending June 80. 1897. the railways in
! the United States used % locomotive
| and 1ls cars per 100 miles Of line. Taking
! the United States ass "a whole 10 appears
! that 4s.l passengers were carried ana J.
! 2e3cf passeneer-miles accomplished per
! passenger locomotive. and corresponding
! lv there were $685. tons carried and f.
! f.f1e5 ton-miles accomplished per freight
! locomotive All Of these items show %
/ decrease as compared with those OF The
! preceding year. The number or passen-
! ger cars per 100000 passengers carried
| during the year under consideration was
] 90 and the number Of freight cars per
! 100000 tons ~ freight carried was l6i1
! IL should be understood. however. that
! this average dose not include such cars.
| mainly I'm the freight service. as arc
| owned hy private parties. for the use
| Of which the railways paid during the
! wear apnroxiuatcly su.00000. Including
I'm the term equipment both locomotives
| and ears. n IS found that the total equip
| ment OF railways on June 30, 1877, was
/ 233 tf6 These figures are 1913 less than
! ON June 3D. 1850 o. this total number
! --- 2ss were nttcd with train brakes. The
/ increase being l6.l32 and 6ls.lZl
J we're fitted with automatic coup
I iers. tho increase in this case being ~
| fp These increases are somewhat small
OPP than the corresponding Increases for
| 1896 II should be noted, however tha'
| tho number representing the Increase III
| e0uiument IN that year was over zIuDo
| Further details as 10 equipment on June
| 90. 1857. show that the number OF pas
| scneer locomotives fitted with train
| brakes was 9sq9 or SO more than the
| preceding year. The number n freight
| locomotives so fitted was ls.isi or 81.
! more than the preceding year TIE num-
Der OF switching locomotives fitted with
| train brakes was 1906. The number OF
| passenger locomotives fitted with auto
| matte coupiers was 4Gsl. the increase
with respect 70 1901 being lsi. The num-
| Der of freight locomotives fitted with au-
| tomato coupers was ASP. the increase
| being SO The number OF switching To-
| comotives fitted with such counlers was
| 10 or III more than FOR 1896. The num-
| Ter u passenger cars fitted with train
brakes on June %. 1851. was s30s. and
! the number fitted with automatic coup
| inr- vr4e 20 SCI he increase In the one