19
quite close enough for almost any useful practical purpose, withoutany correction for these varying conditions. This circumstance, there-fore, needs explanation; but before explanation can be advantageouslyoffered, I must lay before the reader certain details which have beenused in the construction of the formula. In anticipation of this ex-planation, however, I may observe that the true cause is, that thesecircumstances, which disturb the action of the general law, have verylittle influence compared with the value of the great items whichcompose the formula. I shall return to this subject again ; but atpresent we may proceed with the determination of the values of thedetail of expenses, and leave the slight corrections to be applied inconsequence of these irregularities—irregularities chiefly in the pricesof labor and materials—for the sequel. The reports of the variouscompanies for the current year, will shortly be published; and by in-troducing the results which it is to be presumed they willexhibit,underan improving system of economy, I hope to be able to make a stillcloser approximation to the truth. We shall have also, in a fewweeks, the results of the year’s operations on the Philadelphia andReading Railroad, from which we shall be able to verify experimen-tally, the influence on the cost attributable to a very large trade con-ducted under remarkably favorable circumstances.
I propose to consider next—
The Cost of Fuel .—It is obvious to every one that the consump-tion of fuel depends on the construction and power of the engine, thegradients of the road on which it operates, and the load which isconveyed. The cost of fuel really depends, in some measure, onthese circumstances, but chiefly, in practice, on the price of wood;for in this country the price of a cord of wood is much more variablethan any other element which affects the value of fuel, or the valueof motive power.
The following table of the distance run by locomotive engines indifferent parts of the country, together with the annual aggregate ex-pense of fuel, and the reduced expense, per mile run, will serve toexemplify this point.
TABLE of the Expense of Fuel.
Distance run
Expenseof fuel.
Cost of
Name of Rond.
Year.
by enginesin miles.
fuel permile.
Remarks.
Georgia Road,
1842
152,873
$ 6,405
4.2 cts.
'I
Central Road,
1842
102,146
4,810
4.7
South’n Roads,> Average 5 cts.
South Carolina Road,
1842
26n,324
13,950
5.3
1842
96,000
4,700
4.9
Petersburgh Road,
1842
131,160
8,200
6.2
1843
609,766
33,547
6.6
"1
1842
128,349
8,981
7.0
1841
155,828
11,000
7.1
► die States,Average 9 cts.
1842
261,744
22,000
8.4
1842
24,664
2,744
11.1
Reading Road,
1842
198,065
19,002
9.6
i Now England
1842
144,321
14,662
10.2
Western Road,
1842
397,295
50,774
12.8
£ Roads,
Providence Road,
1842
120,000
17,548
14.6
) Average 13 cts.