104 



COMPARISON OF THE ROUTES. 



The whole number of miles each ton of freight was moved, or the number of 



tons moved one mile, is 246,554,492 



The capital stock of which is about $112,038,131 45 



The capital stock paid in is about 61 ,238,829 22 



The amount of funded and floating debt is 59,669,478 38 



The amount paid for construction and equipment is 117,707,620 58 



COMPARISON OF THE ROUTES. 



The following table will enable a comparison to be made of the sum of ascents and descents, 

 and the equivalent horizontal distances of the railroads connecting the Atlantic with the Missis 

 sippi, with those of the routes examined from the Pacific to the Mississippi. It will be observed, 

 that in proportion to the lengths of the routes, the sums of the ascents and descents are less on 

 the Pacific than on the Atlantic routes : 



A table will be found at the conclusion of this chapter, giving some of the most important 

 statistics of the several routes; following it, is a statement of the distances of the eastern termini 

 of the routes to certain ports. 



The sum of the ascents and descents given for the various routes does not take into considera 

 tion those minor undulations which sometimes largely increase the aggregate. 



I think it probable that when detailed surveys are made, it will be found that this sum for the 

 route near the 47th parallel will be more increased than those for the other routes, and that the 

 sum for the route near the 32d parallel will be less increased than the others. 



The equated lengths corresponding to these sums may give erroneous impressions. If the 

 loads to be habitually carried over the roads are within the power of the engines over the 

 greatest grades proposed, then the sums of ascents and descents really have little meaning or 

 value. The wear and tear of rail and machinery and consumption of fuel would be somewhat 

 greater on the road having the largest sum, but the difference would not be worth taking into 

 account, unless there was an equality in all other respects between the routes. 



If there are some grades so steep as to require the division of the loads habitually carried over 

 other portions, the cost of the extra locomotives and of working them over those portions will 

 show the extent of the disadvantage arid yearly cost. 



So far as any estimate has been made in this report of the amount of work to be done on the 

 roads, these sums of ascents and descents have little practical value, since those portions of the 

 routes have been indicated where it may be considered advisable to use steep natural slopes 

 with extra engines, to expedite the completion of the road and save expensive road-bed prepara- 



