The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-11-02
OUR VAST RAILROAD SYSTEM.
Some Interesting Figures About a
Great Industry.
From Scientific American

From Scientific American
The era Of extraordinary prosperity
now being enjoyed by the United
States is reflected in the stupendOus
railway system which has contributed
so largely to that prosperity. We have
in this country, as reported in the lat
est available figures, a total single
track railway mileage Of 21S,1O1
miles. This is an increase Of 4,196
miles over the year preceding. The
aggregate length Of mileage, inclUd-
ing sidings and tracks Of all kinds, is
S06,796 miles, which is owned by no
less than 1,16T railway corporations.
The equipment includes 1895 loco
Of 1,614; while the total number OF
cars is 1,S42,S71, an increase Of A.
SO during the year
1t is gratifying to note that the
work Of the interstate commerce com
mission in enforcing the use Of train
brakes and automatic couplers has
been so successful, that out OF an ag-
gregate number OF 1881 2S lOcomO-
rives and cars, 1,641,3S5 are fitted
with train brakes, and 1,S71,59O have
railroads requires the services Of l.
$50, 196 employees and the total
amount Of wages and salaries paid out
during the year was 1888, 944, $50. The
par value OF the amount Of railway
capital outstanding is nearly thirteen
billion dollars, and Of the total cant
tai stock 37.I6 per cent paid no dfvi-
dends. OF the balance Of the stock
9.72 per cent paid from 1 10 4 per
cent; 1917 per cent from TO per
cent; 1914 per cent from to per
cent; SIS per cent paid from to
per cent, and 11.6S per cent paid 20
per cent
The number Of passengers carried by
the railways was 7S8,s34'667, an in
crease Of over twenty-three million
during the year. The nun0er Of tons
Of freight carried was 1,42S millions
an increase during the year Of nearly
] rs million tons. The gross earnings
{ were for the first time over two billion
were 81, $50, 100000.
In the annual reports made to the
interstate commerce commission car
riers are expected TO include all cas-
ualties TO passengers, employees tres
/ paSserS, and other perSonS5 ana the
totals as compiled by the commission
+ show that the total number OF cas-
ualties to persons on railways for the
year ending June 30, 1905 was g.
III. which was made up Of 9,103 per
| sons killed and ss,O0s injured Among
| the employees 1880 uaiumen were
killed and 29,S62 injured 136 switch
tenders, Watchmens etc. were killed
and S3S injured while Of other en-
ployes, 1885 were killed and 36s097
injured. The risk due to the work Of
coupling and uncOupling cars ac-
counts for $50 lives and 3,545 in
juries- The number Of passengers
killed in the same year was $50, and
the number injured was 1Q,45f. In
addition to these figures We md that
no less than 4sS65 people were killed
and 5,251 were injured while tres
passing on railway property while Of
persons other than employees, 1858
were killed and nearly as many in
iured by being struck by trains loco
motives, or cars In applying the
test OF risk in proportion to numbers
we find that one passenger was killed
for every 1,357,S56 carried, and one
injured for every 20, SIS carried When
we apply the same test TO the em-
pIoyes, the results are exceedingly
discOuragfng and positively tragic for
we find that one on Of every 1S3 train
men. that is. engineers, dremen, con-
ductors- and other trainmen employ
ed. IS killed and that out OF every
nine employed one IS injured