It is maintained by the management of the Illinois Central, through whom this deal was made, that no matter what the result of this litigation, they will assume the ownership and management of the Chesapeake, Ohio and Southwestern property themselves at an early day, the Louisville and Nashville having defaulted in the payment of interest on the purchase bonds. Should this prove true, it would be a grand achievement for the people of Louisville and western Kentucky, the benefits of having a permanent and powerful competitor, such as the Illinois Central, to the Louisville and Nashville being incalculable.

Probably the most important event of the year in Kentucky railroad affairs, is the completion of the Louisville and Jeffersonville bridge, so long delayed by a series of unparalleled accidents. This bridge is now jointly owned by the Big Four and C. and O. Railroads.

July 1st is the date fixed by the Big Four for commencing business in Louisville. The Seventh-street depot will be used for a passenger station, and the company will build its own freight depots. The latter buildings will be located on the blocks surrounded by Main and Washington streets and Preston and Hancock streets.

As the Louisville and Jeffersonville bridge crosses the river at the foot of Cabel street, the company will be required to build tracks from that point to Hancock, and work on this is now progressing. The Short-route railway tracks will be extended from their present eastern terminal to the tracks in the new depot. The location is a very advantageous one for either a freight or passenger depot, being close to the business center of the city.

For the present the Big Four will use the old O. and M. tracks (now B. and O. S. W.) between Jeffersonville and North Vernon, where connections will be made for Indianapolis, Chicago and Benton Barbor.

The Chesapeake and Ohio being one-third owner in the new bridge, its terminals will in due time participate in all of the arrangements.

These roads, in order to secure the management of the bridge and its terminals, have agreed to guarantee the interest of the Bridge Company's bonds. The total cost of the terminals and the bridge from the time of its beginning to completion is esti

mated at $5,000,000. The withdrawal of the Air Line from participation of the Big Four-C. and O. deal with the new bridge means that this road will remain with the Louisville Bridge, and continue its traffic arrangements with the Pennsylvania between New Albany and Louisville.

The contractors now at work on the approaches to the bridge are required to have the work done by March 1, and with this end in view, are working every day, including Sundays and holidays, to finish on time. The terminals in Jeffersonville can be completed in short order, as the bridge proper almost extends to the tracks of the B. and O. S. W. in the outskirts of Jeffersonville.

INSPECTION.

The annual inspection of the railroad lines by the Commission this year resulted in the discovery of but few lines improved in condition, and most of them somewhat below their usual standard, owing to the heavy reduction in appropriations for maintenance of way resorted to during the panic.

The Louisville and Nashville Railroad has, in Kentucky, 105.52 miles of track full ballasted (with twelve inches of stone under the tie); 861.49 miles partly ballasted, and 146.39 miles without ballast.

The L. & N. has, in Kentucky, 17.46 miles thirty-five-pound rail; 45.14 miles fifty-pound rail; 15.85 miles fifty-four-pound rail; 6.80 miles sixty-seven-pound rail; 89.72 miles sixty-eightpound rail; 226.05 miles seventy-pound rail (all steel), and 109.83 miles of iron rail.

There has been laid on the Louisville and Nashville, in Kentucky, this year, 40.45 miles of new 70-pound steel, as follows: Cincinnati Division, 3.93 miles; Shelby Railroad, .01 miles; East Louisville to South Louisville, .40 miles; Main Stem, 8 miles; Knoxville Division, 11.25 miles; Henderson Division, 17.76 miles. There were 601.29 miles of track fenced during the year. Of this, 162.16 miles was on the Kentucky Central and branches; 91.49 miles on the Knoxville Division; 59.22 miles on the Cincinnati Division; 98.04 miles on the Main Stem; 42.25 miles on the Lexington Branch, and 35.08 miles on the Henderson Division. The number of crossing signs built

during the year was 530. There are 49 tunnels, 25 wooden bridges, 234 wooden trestles, 76 combined bridges, and 230 iron bridges and trestles on the Louisville and Nashville system in this State.

On the Chesapeake and Ohio lines there was expended during the year, on the Maysville and Big Sandy for sidings, street crossings and fencing, $24,566.23; for renewals of bridges and maintenance of way, $156,935.67. On the Elizabethtown, Lexington and Big Sandy, 28 miles of ballasting was completed, 3 miles of track fenced, .75 miles double track and 3.15 miles siding built, and 7.06 miles new 70-pound steel laid. On the Ohio and Big Sandy 12.62 miles new 50 and 62-pound steel was laid and 1 mile of track fenced. On the Kinniconick and Freestone, .13 miles main track and 2.76 miles siding were built.

The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific laid 16.50 miles new 75-pound steel, at a cost of $38,909; built 1.16 miles fencing, at a cost of $460; put up electric signals, at a cost of $29,000.68; constructed additional sidings at a cost of $19,333.10; and erected new buildings of the value of $23,572.15.

The important improvements upon the Chesapeake, Ohio and Southwestern Railroad, noted in our last report, were suspended during the panic, but 9.25 miles of ballast was put on the road, 11.51 miles of track fenced, and work on telegraph lines, machine-shops, bridge masonry, station warehouses, cattleguards, water stations, etc., to the total value of $111,774.45, was done.

On the Louisville, St. Louis and Texas Railroad two new iron bridges were built and 1,000,000 feet of timber used in renewing trestles; ten miles of track was ballasted.

The Kentucky Union removed its machine-shops from Clay City to Lexington, and substantially improved them, and the entire road is in excellent physical condition.

The Eastern Kentucky Railroad laid a spur track on a roadbed finished by the Kentucky Cannel Company from a point near Grayson to mines on Stinson creek, 3.45 miles. Operations were commenced January 1, 1894, and continued until May 1, 1894, but since then the mines have not been in operation.

The Kentucky Midland put in interlocking crossing switches and a signal tower at Georgetown at a cost of $2,000.

A few other lines made small improvements in the matter of ballasting, fencing and extension of sidings, but as a rule the least work possible was done upon all the lines, owing to the depressed condition of business.

PROPOSED LINES.

The Ohio and Kentucky Railroad Company has been incorporated under the laws of Kentucky, and it is the intention to build a coal road between Morehead, Rowan county, and Walnut Grove, Morgan county. Wealthy New York men are behind the enterprise, and expect to develop the cannel coal fields in Morgan county, which are said to be valuable. Those engaged in the enterprise have leased 6,000 acres of land for the operation of the coal mines.

A coal road in Union county, from Sturgis to Caseyville, on the Ohio river, is under contract.

A direct line from Paducah to Cairo is proposed, and has secured valuable right of way across the river front at Paducah. It is said a portion of the grading on this line will be done during the present winter.

Nothing further has been done upon the extension of the Louisville, St. Louis and Texas from Salt river to Louisville. The partially completed work lies as it was when this company went into the hands of a receiver in August, 1893.

MILEAGE, CAPITAL STOCK, ETC.

The following table shows the main track, second track and side track mileage of each railroad in Kentucky, and as far as can be learned, the capitalization of the companies :

Chesapeake and Nashville Railway Company

9.66

Cincinnati and Kentucky Southern Railway Company

200, €00
3,000,000

250,000

250,000