The Indianapolis journal., 1903-06-16
RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION
SUMMARY OF THE INTERsTATE-COM-
MERGE COMMISSIONS REPORT.
Great Increase in Amount of New
Tracks Laid-A Years Casualties
The yandalia's Energy.

The Interstate-commerce Commission has
prepared summary of it's report on the
railroads of the United States for the fiscal
year, which closed June 3O 1902. 1t shows
that the total single track railway mile
age on June 80 in the United States was
2o2,i1 miles. having increased during the
year 5,234 miles. This increase was greater
than that of any other year since $780,
The States and Territories for which an
increase in mileage in excess of 100 miles
is shown, are: Arkansas, California.
Georgia. Idaho. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa.
Louisiana. Michigan. Minnesota, Missouri,
Montana. North Dakota, Ohio. Texas.
Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, In
dian Territory. New Mexico and Oklahoma.
Including side tracks, double tracks, etc,
the total trackage is 274.195 miles. There
were H.22S locomotives and 1.64O. 200 cars.
not including private cars used during the
year. OF these, 991 were in the passenger
service. The total number of employees was
1,1S9,3l5. The amount paid in salaries and
wages was s676, 6,02S.592. The compensation
of the railway employees for 1902 is equival-
ent to 6O.50 per cent. of the operating ex-
penses of the railway companies and SO. t6
per cent. of their gross earnings.
The amount of railway capital outstand-
ing on June 80. 1902, was sl2, 2,134. .1S2.964. or
s62, SO1 per mile of line. The funded debt
was Sc. los, ,9S1 ,669. The amount of capita,
stock paying no dividends was $2,6S6. .5566l4,
or AGO per cent. of the total amount out
standing. Omitting equipment. trust obli-
cations, the amount Of funded debt which
paid no interest was 1924. 5.243.
The number of passengers carried was
649 s7s. sos and the number of tons of freight
llOS9,3H The gross earnings of all the
roads for the year were g. .726 $50. 267 and the
gross expenses $l,116, ,24S,747 The total divi-
dends declared for the year was SlS5, 42l ,349
The total number of casualties to persons
on account of railway accidents as shown
for the year, was 1920, including S,58S
ployes 2,96s were killed and 5O,524 were in
jured. The number of passengers killed
was 345 and the number of injured 6;6S3;
and and one one q out 'e of every @ invent twenty-four EN- en-
ployes was injured. One passenger was
killed for every 1,ss3. 706 carried. and one
injured for every 1924 carried. Ratios
based upon the number of miles Travelled,
however. show that 57.O72,2s3 passenger
miles were accomplished for each passen-
ger killed and 2,946,272 passenger miles ac-
complished for each passenger injured
Remarkable Work by the vandalia.
AS all readers know the floods in the Mis-
souri,, the Mississippi and their tributaries
have played havoc with railroad proper
ing bridges and culverts and washing out
| miles of track. Every hour of delay in
restoring their tracks to usable condition
meant great loss of revenue to all the
roads concerned, and as a consequence
every engineer of maintenance of way
lent every effort to the problem of restor-
! ing roadbeds to workable conditions at the
earliest possible moment In this work the
| Vandalia people were pre-eminent, not
| only in effort but In achievement. In order
| to run the Vandalia trains out Of St. Louis
| the engineers had to construct at a point
three miles from the East ST. Louis re-
| under water-its track being not less than
| eighteen inches below the surface.
| The backwater from the Mississippi al
Willows. ILL.,. was twenty-five feet deer
= taken. The bridge is sixty-feet long and
| about twenty-three feet In height at the
fsnter The the 9peak eat at the point
presented the most difficult problem in the
| overcoming of 1t. The idea of awaiting
the subsidence of the waters could not be
| considered for moment, as that meant
| an indefinite delay and enormous loss to
| the company in freight and passenger rev.
| enue. The task set the engineers was that
| of completing the bridge by the time trains
| could be run into the Union Station. Gen
eral Manager III. l. Miller and Superin.
tendent Downing at once camped on the
4 SpOt anu Will WOTklnB IOTCe OF aDOul
| three hundred men began operations The
| mode of procedure was as follows: A
! pile driver was run down to the edge OF
| the water and piling was driven as fal
out in the stream could be reached from
! the shore The piling was driven to the
waters surface, then a follower was pu,
/ on and the piles were further driven fou,
| feet six inches beneath the surface A
| flooring was then laid on the piles and q
| track on the flooring. Thus the bridge
crept ahead until the water was crossed
| When the bridge was completed the rails
| were eighteen inches below the surface OF
| the water. But the fire boxes of the
| Vandalia's locomotives are UNUSUAL,
| high, no trouble was experienced by then
| in making the crossing. The New Yorl
| limited train went across the new bridge
| on Sunday and found 1t very substantial
| there being not the slightest tremor per.
\ ceptible.