UNITED RAILROAD COMPANY. Capital stock, $5,000,000. Length of road is estimated to be 250 miles. Articles filed August 23, 1894. ALAMEDA AND OAKLAND RAILWAY COMPANY. Capital stock, $500,000. Length of road is estimated to be 15 miles. Articles filed October 3, 1894. W. M. Rank DIRECTORS. San Francisco. San José. ..San Francisco. SIRS: The above list of railroad incorporations does not include the amended, amalgamation, or consolidation, or the increase or decrease of capital stock, or creation of bonded indebtedness filed by different railroad corporations from January 16, 1893, to date, October 10, 1894, as your letter of October 8, 1894, only asked for the original articles. E. G. WAITE, SACRAMENTO, October 11, 1894. Deputy. REPORTS OF COMMISSIONER BECKMAN. SACRAMENTO, May 3, 1893. To the honorable Board of Railroad Commissioners of California: GENTLEMEN: Within the last sixty days I have traveled over nearly every mile of the Southern Pacific Railroad system. In traveling over the Coast Division I found about 900 men at work on the extension between Santa Margarita and San Luis Obispo. I found a large number of men at work on the bridge crossing the Merced River, in the San Joaquin Valley, using creosoted piling for the foundation trestle bents, doing the work in a very substantial manner, and, as the foreman informed me, using about 200,000 feet of lumber. A large number of men were also at work on the American River bridge, near Sacramento, taking down two 75-foot truss spans and substituting one 150-foot span. This was made necessary on account of the southward movement of the channel of that stream during the recent high water. I find that, in the year 1892, the Southern Pacific Company renewed wooden bridges with wood, in California, at the first crossing of the Los Angeles River; at New San Gabriel River, in Los Angeles County; at Cottonwood Creek; drawbridge No. 2, at High Street, Alameda; and drawbridges Nos. 3 and 4, between Newark and Alviso. In the year 1892, I found, by inquiry, that they used, in the repairs of track on California lines, 6,000,000 feet, board measure, of timber. They also used 7,000,000 feet for renewal of snow-sheds. I find that they have built very few iron bridges. They claim iron bridges are too expensive, as the distance is too great from the manufactories, making the price of material very high. I find that last year they built iron bridges on second and fourth crossings of Tehachapi Creek, at the second crossing of the Los Angeles River, at the second crossing of Truckee River, and at Butte Cañon, on the Sacramento Division. I have been informed by the proper official that, during the year 1892, they used 879,964 ties to replace old ties. I also found that they have replaced a great many miles with new rails, weighing 76 pounds to the yard. Also find that, during the year 1892, the following lines were added to the Pacific System, within the State of California: Redlands Junction to Crafton, 7 miles; Collis to Fresno, 15 miles; Fresno to Pollasky, 24 miles; Declez to Declezville, 23 miles; Baden to San Bruno, 4 miles; Santa Monica to Santa Monica Wharf, 24 miles; making a total of 55 miles. The Southern Pacific Company has also leased, in California, the road from San Bernardino to Redlands (motor road); from San Bernardino to Motor Junction, 7 miles. The new railroads constructed last year were all thoroughly ballasted with washed gravel, and, in addition to this, the older lines were heavily ballasted, as follows: Santa Monica branch, between University and Santa Monica, 12 miles; San Joaquin Division, between Merced and Bakersfield, 102 miles; Oregon branch, between Biggs and Durham, 13 miles. I found that the following depot buildings were constructed last year, as follows: Western Division, brick passenger depot at Stockton; combination passenger and freight depots at Rodeo, Livermore, and Cows Landing; passenger depot at Gelston; freight depot at Napa Junction; on the Sacramento Division, combination passenger and freight depot at Chico and Yuba City; on the Mohave Division, combination depot at Piru; on Los Angeles Division, passenger depot at Carmenita; on Coast Division, combination depot at Gonzales, and union passenger depot at Santa Cruz for Coast and Santa Cruz divisions. They are now building, and contemplate building, on the Western Division, combination freight and passenger depot at Elk Grove and Volta, also freight depot at French Camp; on Sacramento Division, combination depot at Gridley; on Shasta Division, freight depot at Castle Crag; on Los Angeles Division, combination depot at Norwalk, and freight depot at Declez; on Coast Division, combination depot at Morgan Hill, freight depot at Palo Alto, and freight depot at Santa Cruz. I was informed by one of the officers that, during the summer, they would put up a combination depot at Wheatland and Lincoln; on Shasta Division, passenger depot at Castle Crag; on Coast Division, passenger depot at Palo Alto, and combination depot at Madrone. Side-tracks were laid during the year 1892 at 140 stations, aggregating 51 miles in length. New additional side-tracks have been built this year to the length of 16 miles, as follows: Western Division, at Emerald, Oakland, Stockton, Shell Mound, South Vallejo, Suisun, Tracy, Union, and Vernalis; Sacramento Division, at Chico, Gold Run, Marysville, Orland, Rockland, Sacramento, Towles, Woodland, and Yuba City; Shasta Division, at Black Butte Summit; San Joaquin Division, at Bakersfield, Fresno, Hanford, Herbert, Hickman, Lemoore, Malaga, Sanger, and Zante; on Mohave Division, at Carpenteria, Santa Barbara, and Tejunga; on Los Angeles Division, at Anaheim, Bloomington, Los Angeles, and Santa Monica; on Coast Division, at Loma Prieta, Morgan Hill, Ocean View, Palo Alto, San José, and Sunnyside; also at San Francisco and Santa Cruz. About 15,000 feet of track was laid in construction of second track in the city of Los Angeles. In the replacement of old cars, worn out and broken up, the company expects to build, at their Sacramento shops, some 500 new freight cars during 1893. There will also be added to the Pacific system equipment, operating, to a greater or less extent, in California, 14 new heavy tenwheel passenger engines, 8 switching engines, and 3 compound twelvewheel mountain freight engines. There will also be added, during the year, 12 first-class Pullman sleeping-cars in all respects up to the latest modern standards. Six of these have already been received and put into service. I have been also informed by one of the officials of the company that during the current year they intend to renew important wooden bridges as follows: American River bridge, 150-foot span; first crossing, Alameda Creek, two 188-foot spans to be renewed with wood; second crossing, Alameda Creek, two 198-foot spans to be renewed with wood; at Red Bank, near Red Bluff, three 60-foot spans to be renewed with wood; at Reed's Creek, near Red Bluff, three 64-foot spans to be renewed with wood; at Dibble Creek, near Red Bluff, two 60-foot spans to be renewed with wood. Feather River bridge, on the Northern California Railway, washed out last winter, is to be rebuilt of wood, with a span of 150 feet and two spans of 75 feet each. They also propose to construct iron bridges as follows: 80-foot span at Summit Valley, on the Sacramento Division; at the third and sixth crossings of Tehachapi Creek, the former of two and the latter of one 64-foot span; and at San Francisquito Creek, one 84-foot span, on the Coast Division. The great slide in the Santa Cruz Mountains, blocking the north end of Wrights Station tunnel, on the South Pacific Narrow Gauge line, was sufficiently cleared away so that traffic was resumed April 18, 1893, the road having been blockaded by this slide and traffic suspended from December 28, 1892, up to that date. The heavy expense for removal of the slide, coupled with the loss of earnings, will make this year rather a disastrous one for this road. I have traveled a great deal on Eastern railways, and, so far as my observation goes, the California track, structures, and equipment are well and safely maintained, and compare favorably with most of the Eastern roads. I have stopped at many stations, and made inquiry of the inhabitants about the accommodations and rates on both fares and freights, and I have heard very little complaint. I have passed over several of the smaller roads not belonging to the Southern Pacific system, and, at an early date, will report my observations to this Board. WILLIAM BECKMAN, Railroad Commissioner of the First District. Filed in office of Railroad Commissioners, May 8, 1893. SACRAMENTO, May 25, 1893. To the honorable Board of Railroad Commissioners of California: GENTLEMEN: Since our last meeting, I have traveled over the Nevada, California, and Oregon Railway, the terminal point being Reno, Nevada; running through the State of Nevada for 28 miles, and through Honey Lake and Lake Valleys, in California, for 52 miles, to Amedee. I find that this road has never been a self-sustaining institution. It is owned by the Moran Bros., of New York, bankers. This property, as above stated, is owned by individuals. It is a curio among railroads, owing to the fact that it has no debt of any description, pays cash for everything, has no bonds or stock, asks no credit, pays no interest, and demands cash for any service it gives. The property is managed by E. Gest. The policy of this gentleman is to have a good road, thoroughly built and well equipped, and to keep everything in a high standard, with a view, after first cost, of being able to operate at a minimum of expense. The road uses the steam shovel and gravel train constantly. They are digging out all cuts to a width of 44 feet, widening the fills where needed, and filling up every trestlework with earth. They have, so far, filled up three very large ones, two of which were 600 feet long and 44 feet wide. Wherever they have culverts, I find they are of either stone pipe, or 24-inch terra cotta pipe. Where water troubles the banks, stone culverts and stone ripraps are used. By inquiry, I found they put in 20,000 new ties during the year 1892. |