The times., 1899-07-15

From summaries which Will appear in
the Eleventh Statistical Report of the In
terstate Commerce Commission, prepared
by its sta;istIcian. being the complete re-
pert for the year ending June 50. 1898. for
which preliminary income account was
issued in December. 1898, the figures in
the following advance statement are OBJ
tanned:
On June SO 1898. ii appears there were
"a roads in the hands of receivers. which
opsrated a mileage Of 12,744.95 miles. the
mileage owned by these roads being g.
7s1.0S miles. AS compared with the year
preceding these figures show net de-
crease OF 6.ll6.13 miles in mileage operat-
ed. and OF 5.133.i9 miles in mileage owned I
During the year in question 40 roads were
removed from the control of receivers, and
for IL roads receivers were appointed. OF
the roads operated under receiyerships on
June 80, 1898, le had an operated mileage !
in excess OF 300 miles. Is between 100 and
500 miles and As less than 100 miles.
Much difficulty is experienced in obtaining
complete returns in all cases for roads
in the custody CT the courts. Substan-
TALLY complete figures, however. show
that the amount CT capital stock of rail-
ways under receivership on June so. 1898.
was $264, ,137, ,371; of funded debt. S322, ,S92,
6si. and of current liabilities. S14,545,2 ,25s.
A comparison with the figures for the
previous year indicates that there was a
decrease in the capital stock represented
by railways of this class of 1921. .927, ,239, and
In the funded debt OF Os.515.099.
The Mileage.
On June 30, 1898. the total single-track
railway mileage in the United States was
1s6. 1862 miles, there being an increase in
this mileage during the year of 1,967.S5
miles. The States of Arkansas. California,
Louisiana, Missouri, New York, and Wis
consin show an increase in excess of 100
miles. The aggregate length of railway
mileage. including all tracks, on the date
given was 247.5S2.52 miles. the increase
being shown as 4.oss.11 miles.
Rolling stock.
One June 80. 1898, there were 1924
locomotives in the service of the railways
This number is larger by 2is than the
previous year. OF the total number of
locomotives reported. 1886 are classed as
passenger locomotives, 20.627 as freight
locomotives. and 5.234 as switching loco
motives. small number being unclassified.
The total number Of cars of all classes
reported in the service of railways on
the date named was 1,326. ia, being an
increase of Is, ,694 as compared with June
so. 1897. OF the total number. 1885 were
assigned to the passenger service and
1,24s.S26 to the freight service. 43, I5S be-
ing assigned 10 the service of the railways
themselves. The number of cars owned by
private companies and individuals that
are used by railways in transportation is
not covered by reports filed with the
Commission
An inspection of the summaries which
are designated to show the density of
equipment and the efficiency of its en-
ployment, shows that during the year end
ing June 90, 1895. the railways in the
United States used 20 locomotives and us
cars per 100 miles of line.
Number of Employees.
The number of persons employed by the
railways of the United States. as reported
on June 80. 1898. was s74.55s. which is
equivalent to 474 employees per 100 miles
Of line. As compared with the number Of
employees for the previous year, there was
an increase of 51.es2 The employees of
railways, as reported TO the Commission.
are divided into eighteen classes II thus
appears that on June 90. 1898. there were
in the employ of the railways 81 1888 en-
ginemen. 3S,925 fremen. 26.Si6 conductors.
and s5.e5S other trainmen. There were A.
ia switchmen, fagmen, and watchmen. A
distribution OF employees conforming to
expenses shows that the services OF 32. 43l
employees were required for general admin
istration, or is per 100 miles of line; 26l,-
ses for maintenance of way and structures,
or ii2 per 100 miles OF line; Ill, GOO for
maintenance Of equipment. or SO per 100
miles of line. and 1880 for conducting
transportation, or 216 per 100 miles of line.
This statement does not include 9, 75i un-
classified employees.
Valuation of Property.
The amount of railway capital outstand-
ing on June go 1898, not including current
liabilities in the term, was $40. SIS. .554. OBJ.
This amount, assigned to a mileage basis.
represents capital of s60, ,3i3 per mile OF
line. The amount of capital which existed
in the form of stocks was s5,3SS, ,25s, ,32l, of
which 81 26s, ,27l, ia was common stock
and 81. lis. .sS6, ,607 was preferred stock. The
amount which existed in the form Of fund
ed debt was 5,i30, ,2S5. no. comprising
mortgage bonds, $500. .762, ,632; miscel-
laneous obligations, siS6, 81 .279; income
bonds. S262. .194. .6Ss, and equipment trust
obligations, $40,351, Ill. The amount of
capital stock paying no dividends was s3,-
570. Isl, ,23s. or 66.26 per cent OF the total
amount outstanding. The amount OF fund
ed debt, excluding equipment trust obli-
cations, which paid no interest, was SS52,-
402,e22.
Number OF Accidents
The total number of casualties to per-
sons on account of railway accidents dur
ing the year ending June 80, 1898. was
z7.7s1- The aggregate number OF persons
killed as a result OF railway accidents
during the year was 6.s59. and the number
injured was z0,ss2. or railway employees
1858 were killed and 81, ,T61 were injured
during the year covered by this report
With respect TO the three general classes
of employees, these casualties were divided
as follows: Trainmen, 1.141 killed. Is. Gas
injured; switchmen. nagmen, and watch
men, 2i2 killed, 2,s77 injured; other en-
rloyes, SIS killed. l3.i3s injured. The
casualties TO employees resulting from
coupling and uncoupling cars were. per-
sons killed, 279; injured, 6,sss. The cor
responding figures for the preceding year
were. killed. al4; injured. 6.2ss.
The number OF passengers killed during
the year was 221 and the number injured,
2,9f5.
OF the stock paying dividends, s6S per
cent OF the total amount outstanding paid
from 1 10 per cent; 7.l5 per cent paid
from to per cent; 7.60 per cent paid
from 5 to 0 per cent; 3.69 per cent paid
from 10 per cent, and s.5i per cent paid
from TO s per cent. The amount OF divi-
dends declared during the year was $685.
Isl, $50. which would be produced by an
average rate Of SIS per cent on stock on
which some dividend was declared. The
amount of mortgage bonds paying no in-
terest was s52s,l2i.lsS. or 1l.3i per cent.
Railway Service.
The aggregate number OF passengers car
ried during the year. as returned in the