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<br />Mr. Ridgeway, Denver, Colorado: Our railroad has been maintaining
<br />railroad lines in the Rio Grande basin for not less than 45 years nor more
<br />than 50 years. Along the main system of the Rio Grande in Colorado and
<br />New Mexico and below Wagon Wheel Gap, we have only 92 miles of railway.
<br />During the many years we have been operating our" lines in this territory
<br />there have been from time to time great damages from floods, washouts and
<br />~~shins over the track, but most of the damage and delays have ooourred on
<br />the tributaries, the side streams. The control of the river, as I see it,
<br />would not be affected by any such events as that. I have a statement which
<br />I would like to. submit with an apology. (Statement attached hereto an4
<br />marked Exhibit 6.) Our records are not so kept that we can locate any
<br />particular. damage at any particular place on any particular stream. We have,
<br />however, certain information that we can obtain by searching our records, and
<br />I was requested to prepare a statement of such figures as we could obtain.
<br />I have a statement, therefore, to submit to you in six copies, of the
<br />physical damage sustained along the Rio Grande in Colorado and in New Mexico
<br />below Wagon Vlheel Gap. This statement, of course, is incomplete and does
<br />not represent the total damage because every few. years we have some damage,
<br />more or less, but that damage is repaired and charged to operating expenses
<br />along with all the other maintenance expenses, and we are unable .to separate
<br />them from ordinary repairs to the tracks and other such maintenance costs.
<br />This statement, therefore, is only those figures of &ctua1 damage that can
<br />be separated from our other records, and does not intend to convey the
<br />idea that that is all the flood damage we have received. As an instance of
<br />what we have - from the early 80's and the early days of our operation -
<br />we find that in 1881.. our total damage from washouts and floods and damage
<br />to tracks, etc. was, in that year, for the whole system in Colorado, which
<br />was 1,300 miles of line, obout $102,000.00, but from personal recollection,
<br />because I was on the job as early as that, most of that damage occurred on
<br />the Gunnison River and did not pertain to the Rio Grande River. For the
<br />other years V~ have sums of that sort recorded, but I cannot say just what
<br />stream may have caused the damage. In hearings of this nature on Other
<br />streams I have been asked to give some. idea of the loss due to obstruction
<br />of our tracks for a week at a time in some cases. I have not beon able to
<br />tell just what the losses were in terms of money, so I have not tried to
<br />do that; it seems thoy are not to be separated. I cannot do any better
<br />than to give you what we have as the physical damage on the Rio Grande.
<br />
<br />Col. Besson: Thank you; Mr. Ridgeway'
<br />
<br />Mr. Corlett: Mr. Ridgeway, may I ask you a question? I notice in your
<br />prepared statement that in 1927 there were about 9 days lost because of
<br />suspended service. Is thero any estimate you could place as to the damage
<br />per day that that cost?
<br />
<br />Mr. Ridgeway: It would be only a guess, but I would say it would not
<br />exceed $1,000.00 per day.
<br />
<br />Col. Besson: There is a lot of intangible damage -
<br />
<br />Mr. Ridgeway: Yes.
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