Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 December 1892 — RAILROADS. [ARTICLE]

RAILROADS.

Annual Reoort of the Interstate Commerce Commission. A Good Showing—the Number of Bliles) Number at Roads, Number of Pat. tengert, Eto. The fourth report of theln« terstate Commerce Commission, prepared by its statistician, Mr. Case, which has just been submitted, gives a -complete epitome of railroad progress in tho United States for tho period covered. Railway miles in the United States ou June 33,1891 (not including double tracks) was IGS,40.2.74 miles. Connecticut had to every 100 square miles of territory over 23 miles of track; Delaware, 10 miles; Illinois, 18; lowa, 15; Massachusetts, 25; Now Jersey 27; Now York, 16;£Ohio, 19, and Peuusyl' vanla 22. * Tho increaso in railway mlleago,dnring tho year was 4,805. This is less than the average for several years past, The greatest activity In railway building seems to havo been in tho States lying south of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi. There were l f 7S6 railway corporations, of which 839 were independent companies for tiie purpose of operation, and 747 were subsidiary companies, tho remainder being pris vato lines. There were forty-two companies, each of which controlled mileage in excess of 1,000 miles, and nearly ono* half of tho mileage of the country Is the property of theso forty-two compan'es. The total number of locomntives used by the railways was 32,139, showing an increase of 1,993 during the year, and the total number of cars, the property of railways, was 1,215,011, showing an increaso of 45,'. 41 during tho year. The number of men oniployed on railways in tho United States during the year covered by tho report was 748,343. The extent to which organized industry has ins creased the efficiency of labor is shown by the fact that railways have dnring tha year, on an average, carried 319,3 35 passengers one mile. The total capitalization of tho United Statos railroads was $3,829,475,015, or $60,912 per mile of lino. The report shows that casualties during the year were greater than In any previous year reported to the commission. Tiie total number killed wa9 5,028, and tho number injured, 83.581. Of these totals tho number of employes killed was 2,060, and the uumbor injured was 26,110, The number of passengers killed was 293, aud tho numbor injured, 2,972, This report emphasizes the recommendations of previous reports of legislation compelling railways to adopt air brakes and automatic couplers,, Tiie largo number killed aud lujured in collisions also brings prominently into notice tho necessity of some extensive uso of the block system in tho handling of trains and a more perfect application of the principle of personal responsibility in tho case of accidents. An investigation into tho manunr of handling trains is recommended It is recommended that express uud water carrioas, engaged in interstate carriage, be required to make reports to tho Interstate Commission similar to those now 111 ado by railways, uud that persons, companies, or corporation owning rolling stock used on interstuto traffic, should be obliged to make annual reports so fur as may be necessary for a complete statement of the kind of rolling stock used by railways.