upon railroads give constant rise to new questions under new conditions, which only experience can properly solve. It would seem that true wisdom would hasten slowly in dealing with this great problem, seeking the fullest information as the only true basis for wise legislation. The solution must lie in the just application of the laws of trade and commerce, with such authoritative regulation by law as will hold abuses in check, and this power can be derived only from Federal law of universal application. I have felt it to be my duty to again call attention to this subject, although I have not thought it appropriate to discuss the question in detail Any law not based upon full information might work great injustice to the companies and be inadequate to the proper protection of the people. Experience has shown that unreasonable laws cannot be enforced, and in many instances have worked such great embarrassment to transportation as to become inoperative by common consent. Many such laws hastily enacted have been quickly repealed. I therefore respectfully renew my former recommendation that a commission be appointed to take into consideration the whole subject, and report to Congress the facts necessary for intelligent and efficient action upon the subject. UNIFORMITY OF RAILWAY SIGNALS. This office has repeatedly called attention to the great dissimilarity of railway signals in use in this country, but more particularly in the report for 1882, page 19, and has urged legislative action on the subject, but the question is now in a fair way of reaching a speedy settlement, owing to the united action of the various railways. 66 At the general time convention of railway managers held at Saint Louis, April 11, 1883, a committee was appointed to take into consideration the feasibility of adopting a system of uniform signals." At the October meeting of the same convention, the committee submitted an exhaustive report, which was accepted, and the secretary directed to have it printed and illustrated in detail, and a copy furnished to all roads in the country, with the request that they signify their assent or objection, the result to be reported at the next meeting for future consideration. This action on the part of the railway officials demonstrates the fact that the importance of having a uniform system for all the roads is appreciated, and it is quite probable that the matter will finally be determined by the next convention. TIME STANDARDS. The question of uniform time standards for railways of the United States has long attracted the attention of railway managers, but Mr. W. F. Allen, editor of the Traveler's Official Guide, and secretary of the time conventions, is entitled to the credit of having perfected the admirable system which was adopted by the general time convention of railway managers, held at Chicago, October 11, 1883, and ratified by the southern railway time convention, held at New York, October 17, 1883. As this is a subject of great interest to the entire country, a brief synopsis of the general principles governing the proposed plan is deemed appropriate in this report. 6262 I-27 Under the present system each railway is operated independently on the local time of some principal point or points on said road, but this plan was found to be highly objectionable, owing to the fact that some fifty standards, intersecting and interlacing each other, were in use throughout the country. By the plan which has been adopted this number will be reduced to four, the difference in time being one hour between each, viz, the 75th, 90th, 105th, and 120th degrees of longitude west from Greenwich. The adoption of these standards will not cause a difference of more than thirty minutes from the local time at any point which is now used as a standard. The new arrangement goes into effect November 18, 1883, and all changes of time are to occur at the termini of roads, or at the ends of divisions. The seventy-fifth meridian being almost precisely the central meridian for the system of roads now using standards based upon the time of the Eastern cities, and the ninetieth meridian being equally central for roads now running by the time of Western cities, the time of these meridians has been adopted for the territory which includes 90 per cent. of the whole railway system of the country. Nearly all of the larger cities have abolished local time aud adopted that of the nearest standard meridian in use by the railways. The following tables show differences of time at points in the United States and the Dominion of Canada, which are at present established standards for the running of trains on one or more roads: Compared with seventy-fifth meridian time. Compared with one hundred and fifth meridian time. alt Lake City Utah Territory, time is 28 minutes Compared with ninetieth meridian time. (Eight hours slower than Greenwich time.) Kalama, Washington Territory, time is 10 minutes slower. Portland, Oreg., time is 10 minutes slower. Differences of time at various points in the United States and Dominion of Canada, compared with 12 noon at Washington, D.C., each one of the following-named points being the established standard for the running of trains upon one or more roads : Albany, N. Y., 12.13 p. m. Atchison. Kans.. 10.47 a. m. Atlanta, Ga.. 11.30 a. m. Baltimore, Md., 12.02 p. m. Bath, Me, 12.28 p. m. Boston, Mass., 12.24 p. m. Charleston, S. C., 11.43 a. m. Chicago, Ill., 11.17 a. m. Cincinnati, O., 11.30 a. m. Columbus, S. C., 11.44 a. m Columbus, O., 11.36 a. m. Denver, Col.. 10.08 a. m. Detroit, Mich., 11.36 a. m. Dubuque, Iowa, 11.05 a. m. Halifax, N. S., 12.51 p. m. Hamilton, Ont., 11.49 a. m. Hannibal, Mo., 11.07 a. m. Houston, Tex. 10.44 a. m. 600 Meridian time... 75° Meridian time. 90° Meridian time. 1050 Meridian time. 120 Meridian time.. Indianapolis, Ind., 11.24 a. m Port Huron, Mich., 11.34 a. m. St. Louis, Mo., 11.07 a. m. UNION PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY. The properties and accounts of this company have been carefully examined during the present year. The main line, from Ogden to Omaha, is now all laid with steel rails. Grades and curvatures are being reduced and a large amount of stone and gravel ballast has been put in track. The Kansas division-main line of 639 miles, from Kansas City to Denver-has 450 miles of steel rails; the cuts are being widened to 30 feet, and in a number of places the track raised for the better protection against snow. The Union Pacific Railway Company, as at present constituted, is a consolidation of the following-named roads: The Union Pacific Railroad Company, the Denver Pacific Railway and Telegraph Company, and the Kansas Pacific Railway Company, formerly the "Union Pacific Railroad Company, Eastern Division," which was the successor of the Leavenworth. Pawnee and Western Railroad Company. The consolidation was effected on the 26th of January, 1880. The mileage of each road, separately, is as follows: The following portions of the road have received a subsidy in bonds, &c.: Bridge Junction, Omaha, Nebr., to Ogden Station, Utah, 1,029.4840 miles; Ogden Station, Utah, to junction with Central Pacific Railroad (leased and operated by Central Pacific Railroad Company), 5 miles; Kansas City, Mo., to a point between Monument and Gopher stations, 393.9425 miles. Reports show that December 31, 1882, there were operated in the interests of the company an aggregate length of 2,872 miles of connecting railroads, of which 380 miles had been constructed in 1882. Although some of these lines had been operated at a loss to the Union Pacific Company, the aggregate result for the year netted the sum of $2,211,099.35. The coal mined by the company for the use of its locomotives and shops, and also for sale, amounted to 738,220 tons, which cost an average of $1.465 loaded on cars. Of this quantity there were sold 259,636 tons, at an average of $5.59 per ton. The coal mines worked by the company are situated at six different localities in the State of Colorado and in the Territories of Wyoming and Utah. The coal of each locality has a distinctive character, but all the varieties are good for steaming purposes, and, in addition, the coal from Rock Springs and Grass Creek is especially valuable for domestic use. The discovery and development of these mines in a country where wood is very scarce and expensive has proven to be of great advantage to the company both directly and through its ability to supply consumers along the line of its road with fuel at a low price. During the year ending December 31, 1882, the Laramie Rolling Mill turned out 11,709 tons of re-rolled iron rails, of 50 and 58 pounds per yard, and 5,884,339 pounds of bar iron, splices, spikes, bolts, and nuts. The rails were laid on the lines of controlled roads, and the rail fastenings were used both for those lines and the steel rails on the company's main lines. Arrangements have been made to substitute gas furnaces for the heating furnaces now in use at this mill, which will not only effect a large saving in the cost of fuel, but it is thought will improve the quality of the iron manufactured. Locomotive service has been improved by the addition of 12 powerful consolidation engines, at a cost of $172,273.39, to take the place of 16 locomotives which were considered too light for economical service, and which were sold to the Salt Lake and Western, Utah Central, and Oregon Short Line Railroads for $186,000. There were added to the car equipment during the year 12 coaches from Pullman's Palace Car Company, 25 refrigerator cars, and 133 freight and other cars, less 30 flat cars and 1 portable tank sold and 1 box car burned. During the past year 16,854 tons of steel rails were laid in renewal of track. There were 690,637 cross-ties of oak, cedar, and pine laid in place of old ties taken up. Six iron truss bridges, having a total length of 2,028 feet, have been built in place of wooden bridges, and additional iron truss bridges are in course of construction. The management realizes the necessity, in view of the great increase in weight of locomotive engines, and of the actual doubling of the carrying capacity of freight cars, of very materially increasing the strength of their bridges, which is being done. Ninety pile bridges, aggregating a length of 6,150 feet, have been built. In addition to entire renewals, as mentioned above, renewals of stringers, caps, &c., have been made to 74 truss and pile bridges, having an aggregate length of 4,485 feet. To avoid delay to trains, and in order to afford proper facilities for handling freight business, it was considered necessary to lay 37 miles of new side-track during the year. Iron rails but slightly worn, taken from the main track, were used for this purpose. The following statement of the location, construction, cost and condition of the artesian wells on the main line of the Union Pacific Railway will be found of much interest, as showing the great difficulty and expense of obtaining water for supplying engines, &c.: In addition to the cost of sinking these wells, is that of constructing water-tanks-standard, and of 50,000 to 56,000 gallons capacity-upon iron columns with heavy stone foundation; and of a stationary engine, and house, costing about $4,000 in all. From these figures it will readily be seen that the water supply is difficult and expensive. Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad.—This property, which is operated by and in the interests of the Union Pacific Company, is 264 miles in length, and is doing a fairly profitable business. The gross earnings for 1882 were $1,558,723.48; operating expenses, $1,181,273.88; leaving surplus for the Union Pacific of $377,449.60. This property, which is so important a factor in the Union Pacific system, was carefully and very thoroughly gone over, in company with the several officers, and found to be in excellent condition. As mentioned in my last year's report, this road penetrates an exceedingly rich mining district, affording large and increasing freightage. At the time of inspection the Platte River was very high and great difficulty was experienced in keeping the track along the precipitous sides of the mountains from washing away. Numerous gangs of workmen were stationed along the line, lowering heavy blocks of stone into the stream, which rushes down the cañon with tremendous force. On the Breckenridge branch the line has been extended since last year, 13 miles to Keystone, using 58-pound steel rails. The track is much above the average of new narrow gauge roads. It is contemplated that the line shall be extended to Montezuma, some 6 miles. A fine iron bridge, 128 feet span, on this new extension, crosses the Blue River, west of Dillon, just below Ten-Mile and the Snake Rivers. From Como to Fairplay, and thence to London Junction, which road has been completed during the past year, the track was found to be well constructed and maintained. The snow-sheds near the Alpine tunnel are being strengthened, and the portions which were carried down the mountain sides by snow avalanches last winter are being replaced by much stronger ones. About 17 miles of track have been built since my report for 1882, vestwardly from Gunnison to the coal banks. The track is well constructed, and laid with 52-pound steel rails. It is expected that traffic over this road will be heavy, as a splendid body of coal of good quality and great |