APPENDIX 9. LIST OF STATE RAILROADS CLAIMING NOT TO BE SUBJECT TO ACT TO REGULATE COMMERCE AND THAT THEY NEED NOT MAKE ANNUAL REPORTS TO COMMISSION. LIST OF STATE RAILROADS CLAIMING NOT TO BE SUBJECT TO ACT TO REGULATE COMMERCE-Continued. NOTE.-The roads checked with a star (*) filed reports for the year ending June 30, 1889. The roads checked with a cross (†) have just advised, December 6, that they would file reports. The above list is corrected to December 1, 1889. New York...... Illinois California..... APPENDIX 10. Page. T. N. Ely, general superintendent motive power Pennsylvania Company. SUMMARY OF ACCIDENTS TO PERSONS, COMPILED FROM THE ANNUAL REPORTS OF RAILROADS TO THE COMMISSION, FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1888. These reports cover 139,101.83 miles of road, or 92.79 per cent. of tae total mileage of the country. * The returns showing "kind of accidents are often imperfect and sometimes altogether lacking. HAZARD TO PASSENGERS. The total number of passengers carried during the year by the roads reporting was 401,697,433; the average distance carried was 25.98 miles; total passenger mileage, 401,697,433, multiplied by 25.98, or 10,436,099,309 miles; the number of passengers killed, 315; number injured, 2,138. Thus for every passenger killed 1,275,229 were carried, and 163,757 passengers were carried for one killed or injured. The length of the average journey resulting in death was 33,130 474 miles, a journey which would occupy 94 years 200 days and 22 hours of continuous travel at 40 miles an hour. For each man killed or injured 4,254,423 miles were traveled, which at the same rate would occupy 12 years 51 days and 17 hours. CIRCULAR OF THE COMMISSION REGARDING FEDERAL REGULATION OF SAFETY APPLIANCES. : INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION, DEAR SIR: The large number of accidents to employés and passengers occurring on the railroads of this country and the public belief that a great part of these might be avoided by the use of proper appliances have led many States to make the mechanical features of railroad working the subject of statutory regulation. It is well known, however, that in respect to some at least of these features, the conditions are such that regulation if attempted can neither secure adequate bene fit to the public nor be just to the railroads themselves unless it be uniform over the whole country. In view of this fact and of the request of the railroad commissioners of the country, as embodied in a resolution adopted at their recent convention, the Interstate Commerce Commission desires to call out as full information and discussion as possible upon the question of Federal regulation of safety appliances on railroads. The following matters seem to be of especial importance, but it is not intended to restrict the discussion to them: (1) The history in each State of safety appliance legislation. How far such legislation has been enforced. What have been the means used to enforce it. What obstacles have been met with. What the general effect has been. (2) What is the present condition regarding automatic couplers. What prospect there is of a uniform and safe coupler coming into use. What progress the standard coupler, adopted by the Master Car Builders' Association, is making, and what is the attitude of railroads towards it. (3) What progress there is in the use of train brakes on freight cars. Whether such progress is satisfactory, viewed as a means of greater safety to train men. To what extent freight trains are run without the necessity of brakemen traversing the tops of cars. (4) What is being done to introduce safer methods of heating and lighting passenger cars. (5) What is the state of affairs respecting other safety devices. (6) Whether legislation looking to Federal regulation of these matters or any of them is desirable, and what the reasons are for and against such regulation. (7) What such Federal legislation, if any be desirable, should attempt to accomplish in regard to couplers; in regard to train brakes; in regard to car heating and lighting; in regard to other matters. What its provisions should be upon each of these points. (8) If Federal legislation be expedient, what special administrative agencies, if any, should be provided to carry it out. Whether Federal inspection should be attempted, and to what extent and how. Whether a board should be created after the analogy of the Steam-boat Inspection Service. If so, how such a board should be constituted in regard to the number and character of its members; what its powers and duties should be; what its connection with other branches of administration. The Commission believe that justice to railroad employés and to all others concerned requires that this matter receive thorough consideration, and trust that you will be able to give it immediate and careful attention. Very respectfully, EDW. A. MOSELEY, Secretary. FROM THE BOARD OF RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS OF CONNECTICUT. [By George M. Woodruff, W. H. Hayward, and W. O. Symond, commissioners.] In reply to the circular of your secretary, issued May 17, 1889, in regard to safety-appliance legislation, we would say that legislation of that general character dates back many years, but the first act of the precise character called for by your circular was, perhaps, that of 1882, in regard to safety couplers, which required that every railroad com |