24
running about 40 miles. It is, therefore, worth one cent per milerun, to cut the wood for this object. To load the tenders, wherethe business is regular and great, is worth about 20 cents per cord, ora half cent per mile run. The cost of raising the water dependsmore on the conveniences afforded by the situation. If we assumethe average lift at 30 feet, the labor of a man will be equal to raisingabout 40,000 pounds per diem. Engines usually evaporate from 300to 400 pounds of water per mile run, which brings the cost of pump-ing to about the of a day’s' labor—or about 8 mills per mile run .These items make together 2h cents per mile run.
The result of experience for two roads is given in the following
TABLE.
Year.
Miles runby
engines.
Cost of sawing,loading, andpumping.
Cost
per
Mile.
1842
120,000
$ 3,266
2.7
Philada. and Columbia,
1842
261,774.
5,989
2.3
Average,
2J cts.
Locomotive Power. —We have now gone over the items in detailwhich compose the cost of locomotive ppwer, and are, therefore, pre-pared to sum them up, and compare the aggregate of the averageswith the amounf at which it is stated in the formula, proposed for thecomputation of the aggregate annual expenses. These items are
Cents.
Repairs of engines and tenders per mile ruq, . 7.0
Fuel, per mile run, .... 9.0
Wages of.train hands, per mile run, . . 8.0
Oil for-engines and tenders, per mile run, . .9
Sawing wood, loading tenders, and pumping water, permile run, . ’ . . . . .2.5
Cost of locomotive power per mile run, - 27.4
It will, of course, be recollected'that this result is independent ofthe injury to the road, which we have considered under the usualhead of “extraordinary expenses.”
The only division of these expenses which is liable to material va-riation, is the cost of fuel, the price of which varies with the localities.I have already offered an approximate correction of this item, whichmay be employed for general investigations; and shall shortly takeoccasion to present a more accurate formula for its computation, basedupon a very extensive experience.
It might seem to the general reader, that after presenting the costof repairs of the road, engines, and cars ; the value of fuel and wagesof train hands; the consumption of oil, and the injury to the iron,that there would remain but little more to adduce in the premises;but I have yet a very important division of the subject to discuss,which is much loo frequently overlooked in investigations of thischaracter.