The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-09
u. s. Railways,

The last annual report of the statisu-
clan OF the Interstate Commerce Com
mission indicates that the healthy growth
OF our railroad system which has been
marked feature of the past few years,
has been maintained during the year end
ing June 90 1900. The total length of sim
xie-track was .346 miles. an increase
during the year ol i051 miles, or more
than that of any year since 1898. The ag-
xr~xate-ieAetA tA-ef- -ra4lwaNtrack-- -lnclud-
ing tracks of every kind. was 2591ss.
The amount OF railroad capital out
standing was sll, ,4gl .034 800. which repre-
sents a capitalization of s6l,4e0 per mile,
saws the Scientific American. OF the to-
&ai given. about $5750.000 existed I'm the
form of stock while the funded debt was
about S. 500 00O The amount of capital
etosk paying no dividend was s. l75.609s9S,
or 5i3 per cent OF the total amount out
standing The amount OF dividends de-
clared would be produced by an average
rate OF 5.23 per cent on stock on whlch
dividend was declared.
For the operat ton OF our roads there
were required 1868 locomotives. or 96i
more than in the year preceding. The
total number o. cars OF all classes in
service Was |. .460. SIS. an increase OF 1892.
q. this total 81 7l3 were passenger cars
aid I 365.531 were devoted TO freight ser
service OF 1Ol7 s5S persons. an increase of
yS72o over the preceding year This is the
first year i'm the history of our railroads
wfen the total number Of employees has
reached the million mark. To this great
industrial army was paid out during the
wear S571 .26i,Su In wages and salaries. an
ipcrease of Si3i, $50 over the amount
paid during the fiscal year OF 1925 The
number of passengers carried during the
af
,,reNious year OF 53,sssT22. During the
wear lfei .esp z3S tons OF freight was trans
ported. an increase for tho year Of IT,
ooo0o0 tons An analysis OF these totals,
both OF passengers and freight. Indicate
that n both cases there was not merely
p larg, increase. but an increase In the
density OF traffic The gross earnings
from opera tions was S525.6l6.33. an i'm
crease OF ssS975.lsi
The above statistics are true indica-
siOns OF the great prosperity which the
sountry has been enjoying for the last
1wo or three years, and the steady nature
ct the growth on our railroad systems as
compared with the spasmo e and eXag-
rcratcd growth OF twelve or fifteen years
ago affords hope that the present pros
perity will Inc long continued. one could
wish that the closing figures given in ths
lennrt regarding the safety OF both EN-.
ployes and passengers, particularly of tn,
former. were less distrcssing FOR we fnt
that the total number OF casualties oI
account of railroad accidents during to-
Year reached the huge total Of 5S1S,; 7SG
of these unforfunates being killed an'
the others more or less seriously injured
of tho railway employees 255o were killed
- So injured. while o. the passengers a
were killed and 4l2S injured.
The list " slaughter however does no
stop here for We learn that the tota
20 "a
and passengers killA was 5Ds and tina
s5ta were injured. ln this list OF ngure
are Included trcspasscrs of whom 43i
were killed and $3.50 injured n does mo
need these figures 90 teach ne that IN
tracks OF railroad company form
hazardous .ighway for foot passengers
but w were certainly not prepared "a
4he record OF slaughter at highwa
crossings 20 people being killed AZ thes
mar traps and 1890 injured The splcndi
body of men who ar" engaged I'm the "a,
live operation OF our railroads evidcnu
carry on their daily duties nc enormot
risk TO lfe and limb. as we learn fro'
she fact that ono out OF every 800 or
plSvcs was killed during the year ar
one cut % every rs was injured We hay
BECOME 20 acCusi iomed 90 these reCor,
OF ysilrot6 slaughter that they have lo
yrNh OF their meaning 60 az. else the
would surely bs an cutlery against ~,
/. sacrincc % ilfe--such a cruel maimit
and more or less complete disablcment
as these hgures indicate.
We nllisve somebody once asked; %
not the life of man worth more thi
Hhat OF q sheep7" The story OF kilii
when these statistics bring annually
our notice almost leaves one in doubt
40 what in certain quarters. the anr~
might be We are aware that auiomat
coupIsrs have been introduced and mas
compulsory. largely with view 20 pr
venting this loss OF life; but in view
che fact that the railways are now
ShornillhlY eQuippAd with them. we a