GETTING ON AND OFF TRAINS WHILE IN MOTION.

Eleven persons were killed, and fifty-nine injured, getting on and off trains while in motion. Every time card that we have seen and all railway orders seem to be framed for the express purpose of avoiding these accidents. The individual must be solely responsible for them.

STEALING RIDES.

Four persons were killed and seven injured while stealing rides. There is perhaps less excuse for these accidents than any others, but it is the choice of the individual and he must take the consequences. There is a singular fascination connected with defrauding a railway company that leads men to risks that would never be taken in any legitimate or honest occupation.

WALKING ON TRACK.

In all our former reports we have dwelt upon this subject, and at the risk of being charged with prolixity, we again return to it as an unnecessary and wanton individual exposure, for which there is no excuse and no possible compensation for the risk taken. During the past year twenty-four persons were killed and fifteen injured while walking on track, and for the seven years that reports have been made to this Commission, one hundred and eighty-four have been killed and one hundred and twenty-six injured. We would be glad to see some legislation on this subject, and the laws passed properly posted at all road crossings and public places where people are in the habit of using the track as a highway.

The sooner is is generally understood that the man who walks upon a railway track is a trespasser, and if upon one where trains frequently pass criminally so, the better is the chance to reduce the number of annual victims to their own criminal carelessness.

Tonnage crossing the Mississippi river for the year ending June 30, 1884.

Tonnage crossing the Missouri river for the year ending June 30, 1884.

The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company received from Congressional grant, 358,424 acres. They have sold 338,177.56 acres, at an average price of $12.17 per acre; they received from cash sales, $4,370,427.95. There is unpaid on outstanding contracts, $997,446.86. The gross amount received from sales, contracts, etc., up to June 30, 1884, was $4,882,123.99. The amount expended in the sale and management of the lands was, $551,465.89; amount of taxes paid, $257,134.15. The amount realized from the sales, above expenses incurred in the management and sale of the land, and taxes, is, $4,073,523.75.

The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company received from Congressional grants, 328,799.89 acres. About 10,000 acres are yet to inure to the company. This does not include 180,000 acres involved in suit with the Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad Company.

The number of acres reported sold is 291,441.66, for an average of $4.68 per acre; the amount received from sales up to June 30, 1884, is $1,366,677.72; the amount unpaid on contracts now outstanding, is $259,756.44; the gross amount received from sales, is $1,496,311.40; the amount expended in the management and sale of the lands was $106,410.88; the amount of taxes paid on the lands to date was $26321.59; the amount realized from the sales of land above the expenses of management, taxes, and a rebate of $201,586.03, allowed for breaking, is $1,161,992.90.

The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company received from Congressional grant 550,193.51 acres. They have sold 528,962.46 acres, at an average of $8.65 per acre, and have received from sales, $3,535,570.59. The amount unpaid on outstanding contracts is, $1,066,035.53; the gross amount received from sales to June 30, 1884, including contracts and obligations, was $4,391,239.70; the amount expended in the sale and management of the lands was $249,097.10; the amount paid in taxes, $590,520.54; the amount realized from the sales above expenses incurred in the management of the land and the taxes is $3,551,622.06.

The Des Moines & Fort Dodge Railroad Company received from Congressional grant 40,606.85 acres. Their report for 1883, shows the amount of acres to be 43,882.85 (evidently an error in the report of 1884.) They have sold 33,622 acres, at an average price of about $6 per acre; they have received cash from the sales, $13,520.09; the amount unpaid on contracts is $101,250.76; the gross amount received from sales, contracts, etc., to June 30, 1884, is $71,521.01; the amount expended in the sale and management of the land is, $5,310.79; the taxes paid, $6,315.71, and the amount realized from the sales, contracts, etc., above the expenses incurred in the sale and management of the lands and taxes is, $59,894.51.

The Iowa Falls & Sioux City Railroad Company received from Congressional grant 640,256.11 acres. They have sold 630,617.29 acres, at an average of $6.84 per acre; the amount received from sales is $3,596,257.46; the amount unpaid on contracts is $512,557.50; the gross amount received from sales, contracts, etc., to June 30, 1884, is, $4,087,367.72; the amount expended in the sale and management of the lands is $319,259.36; the amount paid in taxes, $633,883.83, and the amount realized from the sale of lands above the expenses of the management and taxes is $2,643,114.27.

The foregoing are all the roads that have made reports to this office for the year ending June 30, 1884.

The amount of tonnage that can be carried over the roads in Iowa exclusive of the weight of cars by an engine of given weight.

KILLED AND INJURED WHILE COUPLING CARS.

We have reported in another place the number killed and injured while coupling cars. As an effort is now being made to introduce a system of self-couplers, there is no simpler way of demonstrating the necessity of some plan that will avoid going between cars to couple than to review the experience of the last seven years. We find that

in the year

1878, there were killed, coupling cars

1878, there were injured, coupling cars. 1979, there were killed, coupling cars 1879, there were injured, coupling cars. 1880, there were killed, coupling cars 1880, there were injured, coupling cars. 1881, there were killed, coupling cars 1881, there were injured, coupling cars. 1882, there were killed, coupling cars 1882, there were injured, coupling cars. 1883, there were killed, coupling cars 1883, there were injured, coupling cars. 1884, there were killed, coupling cars 1884, there were injured, coupling cars.

During the existence of this Board, since 1878, there have been reported killed in Iowa while coupling cars, 108 persons; injured, 665. This fearful loss of life and terrible amount of personal injury is not confined by any means to this State; the above is not far from the average reported by most of the States. Mr. Innis, the Railroad Commissioner of Michigan, made last year an interesting summary of accidents, carrying out the percentage of accidents to the mileage in the different States, and we think that of Iowa was below the general average. If this be correct, during the period this Board has been in existence, there have been in the United States not less than 1,836 persons killed and 11,305 injured from coupling cars alone. This fearful slaughter has concentrated the inventive genius of the age upon some method by which cars can be coupled and uncoupled without going between them. This matter has been the subject of discussion in the railway journals and gatherings of master carbuilders for some years. The first legislative enactment with regard to it that seemed to reach anything like a practical result, was the following, passed by the General Assembly of Massachusetts: