miles. Work has already been commenced and the line will probably be opened for business before the end of 1887. A bridge has been built over the Arkansas River at Van Buren, the capital stock of which is controlled by the Saint Louis and San Francisco Railway Company.

The track has been kept in very good order, the renewal of ties and rails seeming to be sufficient to make up for decay and wear. There has been a slight improvement in the station buildings, and quite an increase in the sidings at several places. The bridges have been well maintained and some improvement made in them. An increase of ballast shows that the managers fully appreciate what is needed for the foundation of a smooth track and for securing economy in locomotive and car repairs. The rolling stock has been somewhat improved since the last inspection and is kept in very good condition. The total equipment now reported is as follows: 105 locomotives, 1 hotel car, 3 sleeping cars, 39 first-class cars and 28 for baggage, mail, and express; in freight service there are 3,646 cars, and 12 cars for officers' use and special service in road repairs.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD OF NEW MEXICO.

Examination was made of this road in August, in company with the superintendent of track. The road extends from the Rio Grande bridge on the east to the Arizona line near Stein's Pass on the west, a distance of 167.22 miles. The track, road-bed, and buildings are in good condition throughout; no important changes have been made since last year. It is contemplated to enlarge the sidings and station buildings at Lordsburg and make this the division terminal, lengthening the division by removing that work from Deming and from Bowie, and so making a reduction in working expenses.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD OF ARIZONA.

There has been no material change in the track, road-bed, or buildings of this road during the last year. The length of road is 384.17 miles, extending from the New Mexico line near Stein's Pass westerly to the Colorado River near Yuma. All the property is in good condition.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD OF CALIFORNIA.

During the latter part of August and first of September, in company with the superintendent of track and some of his assistants, the usual inspection was made of the road extending from Yuma to Goshen, Cal., a distance of 490 miles. With the exception of the places named below, where the track had been seriously damaged by extraordinary floods, the road-bed and track were found to be in excellent condition. Changes of line have been made in Soledad and Caliente Cañons so as to place the road beyond the reach of such disastrous floods as were met there during the early part of this year. In Soledad Cañon two new tunnels have been made, one of 113 feet and the other 187 feet in length, and material changes made in the location of the line. This work has been nearly completed. In Caliente Cañon, on account of the rapidly increasing accumulation of detritus, it was deemed expedient to raise the grade and build a new piece of road. This involved an average rise of 3 feet for a distance of 12,369 feet, and 13,254 feet of new road. In connection with this work a tunnel was made of 546 feet in length, and two wooden bridges, each consisting of four spans of 64

feet in length each. The embankments of the new work are well secured against any probability of damage by the stream. Still further damage was caused in the latter part of August by a very extensive flood in the California desert, which washed away the road-bed in many places for a distance of nearly 40 miles, extending from near Drylin to and beyond Walters. As the grading was very light the temporary repairs were readily made, so that traffic was only delayed a few days, no other damage resulting to the trains.

The Howe truss bridge over the Colorado River at Yuma, which was burned in October, 1885, has been replaced by a new structure. The station buildings at Mojave that were burnt last April had not been rebuilt at the date of this inspection. The following brief description shows the principal improvements made since July 23, 1885, in addition to those above noted:

Aurant.-New station established 3.1 miles south from Los Angeles; 4,340 feet of side track has been laid but no buildings put up.

Colton. Additional side tracks have been laid here to facilitate interchange of traffic with the California Southern Railroad.

Cactus. The name of this station has been changed to Drylin, and a new station of the same name has been established 4.9 miles south. A neat telegraph office has been built at the new station and about 1,000 feet of side track laid. A new side track has been laid about half way between Flowing Wells and Tortuga.

Honby. This is a new station recently established between Lang and Newhall; 2,500 feet of side track have been laid, but no buildings erected.

Keene.-A new pipe line about 1.5 miles in length has been laid at this station to increase the supply for use of locomotives.

Los Angeles. The passenger building has been improved by extending the second story and making new rooms for the division officers. The stock corrals have been rebuilt and enlarged.

Lemon.-A new station which has been established six miles south from Puente. A passing track of 2,500 feet has been laid, but no buildings erected.

Mojave.-There have been 16,000 feet of water-pipe taken up and replaced by new pipe of greater size.

Puente.-A new combination building has been put up.

Ravena. This station has been abandoned and the buildings removed to South Side.

South Side. This new station has been established 1.1 mile south from Ravena. A new combination depot has been built, with watertank and coal-bins. The water-pipe line has been extended from Ravena to this station.

Sansevain.-A new passing track 2,000 feet long has been laid at this

station.

San Gabriel.-A new combination depot built.

Improvements have been made to a considerable extent all along the road, although the traffic of the past year has not given very much profit to the company. The condition of the track has been much bettered by the renewals of rails to the extent of 35.75 miles, and the furnishing of 140,000 new ties for use in 1886; also by ballasting 15.5 miles with coarse sand and gravel.

The rolling stock of all kinds was found to be not only well kept up, but being still further improved by using stronger cars and more efficient brake apparatus. El Gobernado, the heaviest locomotive now in

+

use upon this road, seems to work very well upon the 116-feet grades, being able to haul about one-third more cars than any of the other heavy engines.

SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD, NORTHERN DIVISION.

The division was inspected in August, in company with the superintendent. The mileage now operated is 245, viz:

The land-grant portion of the constructed road of this division extends from San José to Tres Pinos, a distance of 50.33 miles. It was originally intended to extend this line in a southeasterly direction across the mountains to Huron. This project has been abandoned and a new route has been adopted, which, starting from Soledad, follows the val ley of the Salinas River, keeping much nearer the coast, and is intended to connect with the main line near Newhall, about 30 miles north from Los Angeles. The new line has been put in operation as far as San Ardo, a new town 40 miles south from Soledad, and will be built to San Miguel, about 25 miles further, by the 1st of November. A large force is at work upon the remainder of the line.

The track and buildings have been kept in good order and the rolling stock seems to be in very good condition. The asphalt platforms at San José and at Gilroy, which have now been in use for over two years, appear to be in very good condition and seem likely to wear so well as to be even more economical than the usual wooden structure.

CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD, OREGON DIVISION.

Inspection of this division was made in September in company with the superintendent of track and other officers of the road. The track has been kept in very good condition; the bridges are in good repair, and some improvement has been made in the buildings. At Tehama new bunk and cook houses have been built for the track laborers. Redding a convenient combination depot has been put up to replace the former building which was destroyed by fire.

At

Since the last inspection there has been quite a large force working upon the line north from Delta; they had progressed so well that the rails were laid as far as Upper Soda Springs and grading well advanced nearly to Sissons, 8 miles farther north. The road as it follows the windings of the Sacramento Cañon is of course quite crooked, but is well built throughout and the curvature is not so sharp as to become very objectionable.

The distance now operated is from Roseville Junction to Dunsmuir, 215.3 miles, being an increase of 25.22 miles during this year.

OREGON AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD.

There has been but little change made in this road since last year. About 10 miles of iron rails has been replaced by 56-pound steel rails, some new ties put in the track, and the surface made somewhat better than it was last year. The rolling stock of all kinds appears to be fully as good as at the date of the last inspection, no material improve

ments having been made except by furnishing train brakes to six more locomotives.

As the revenue is rather smail for the length of line operated the good condition of the road and equipment shows quite clearly that the property has been managed with prudence and economy.

The mileage operated is 451 miles, the same as last year. There has not been any attempt made during the past year to complete the unfinished portion of this road, between Ashland, Oreg., and the State line of California, although it is reported that negotiations are still under way for that purpose, with rather a favorable prospect of being soon consummated.

RAILWAY PROGRESS.

There has been very much done during the past year to provide bet ter appliances to secure the safety of train men, many of the railway companies having begun fitting freight cars with automatic brakes quite extensively, and also making thorough trials of several kinds of couplers, most of which have been recommended by the Master CarBuilders' Association as worthy of trial.

Heavier freight cars are being much used now, and, as a natural sequence to the increased weight of rolling stock, there is a tendency to replace the old rails by steel of somewhat heavier section, and to strengthen all the bridges and trestles.

There has been quite a rapid increase in railway construction as compared with the year 1885, the number of miles of new track reported from January 1, 1886, to this date being 4,554, while at the same time in 1885 the length then reported was only 1,870. Should the rate of increase continue nearly the same to the end of the year, the total number of miles may not be far from 136,000.

It gives me pleasure to be able to inform you that the officers connected with these railways have in all cases furnished promptly the transportation requested, and in the most courteous manner given full information in all matters relative to the operations of their lines that was asked from them.

Respectfully,

THOS. HASSARD,

Railroad Engineer.

Commissioner of Railroads.

Hon. JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON,

REPORT

OF THE

GOVERNMENT DIRECTORS OF THE UNION PACIFIC

RAILWAY COMPANY.

BOSTON, November 22, 1886.

SIR: The Board of Government Directors of the Union Pacific Rail. way Company respectfully submit the following report:

EARNINGS AND EXPENSES.

The income and expenditures of the lines forming the Union Pacific system for the nine months ending September 30 last, in comparison with the same period in 1885, were as follows:

One-half of loss in operating Leavenworth, Topeka, and Southwest

$3,887, 813 73

67, 121 83

465, 395 00

$3,973,870 84

361, 504 40 464,275 00

953, 517 50

952, 521 47

43, 523 07

24,086 79