Columbus Democrat. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-18??, 1852-11-06
Railroads in the United States.

RAILROADS in the Union 1t appears from this that
the number of miles of railroad in operation in
the United States, January 1852, was, as nearly
as could be ascertained l0, 500 and the number
of miles in course of construction, according to
the most reliable estimates, nearly 1000. BY
far the greater portion of the lines commenced,
but now incomplete, will be finished within the
ensuing Eve years. Nearly all the lines in pro
gress have been begun since the year lS48. 1t is
supposed that from one thousand to fifteen hun
dred miles additional to those now known to be
in progress will be put under contract in 1852.
The report says in reference to the present
prospects of American railroads and their cost
per mile, that
"There never existed greater activity in the max
ing of railroads than at the present time Many of
the lines projected have taken the place of plans
for the construction of canals and turnpike roads
Accordingly, these works of public improvement
are not prosecuted with the same ardor and ener-
gy as formerly, although much activity exists in
the construction of plank roads, The labor and
capital which they would require are absorbed in
the numerous and almost colossal railroads build
ing Since 1S48, the extent of railroad opened
for travel and transportation has nearly doubled,
and there is reason to believe that the increase in
the length of road brought into use will not be
less rapid during the next period of four years.
by the year 1860 we may expect that the terrific
ry of the United States will be traversed by at
least 10000 miles of railroad.
at is very difficult to form an estimate of the
average expense per mile of building railroads |
in the United States In fact, no average can be |
assumed as applicable to the whole country
The cost in the roads in New England is about
$4,000 per miles in New York, Pennsylvania
and Maryland, about $4,000. But in the inte-
rior Of these States the surface of the country is
broken, rendering the cost of grading very heavy
and near the sea, wide and deep streams interrupt
the line of travel, and make the expense of bridg
ing serious item.
In New England, and the more densely inhab- |
tied parts of the old States, from the Atlautic as
in all Euopen countries, the extinguishment OF
private titles to the real estate required for rail
roads, frequently forms large part of the ex-
penses included in the item of construction In
the Southern States and the valley Of the Mssis-
sippi, $4,000 per mile is considered safe estl-
mate. There, in most cases, all the lands neces-
sary for the purposes of the companies are given
to them in consideration Of the advantages which
private propretors expect from the location OF the
roads in the vicinity Of their estates.
In many of the Western States the cost of gra-
ding a long line of road does not exceed $1,000 |
per mle-the cost of timber amounting to moth
Ing more than the expense of clearing it from the
track. For these reasons the expense of building
railroads in the Southern and Western States, is
now much less than it will be when the country
becomes as densely settled as the older States Of
the Union.
The central railroad of Illinois is an enterprise
which furnishes a remarkable example of the en-
ergy and spirit of improvement in the new States
Illinois was admitted into the confederation as a
new State in 1918, with $4,000 inhabitants. 1t
has 55, 400 square miles of territory and a popu-
lation, according to the censusof 1850 of 47O.
The central railroad is to entend from its south
western extremity, at the confluence of the Mis-
sssippi and Ohio rivers, to the north line of the
State, with two diyerging branches. The total
length Of this road including the main stem and
branches is to be $50 miles, The cost is estima-
ted at $4,000 per mile or Sl0,000,000 for the
entire work. This is the longest continuous line
of road now in contemplation in the United States,
of which there is any probability Of speedy com
pletion. 1t has been commenced with such tacil-
tiles for executing the plans of its projectors, that
there is no reasonable doubt that it will be fin
ished within few years"
The article is highly interesting throughout
and valuable for the information it contains
From it we CLEAN that the first railroad put in
operation in this country was built in 1880 for
the transportation of ice from a small lake to the
sea- in the State of Massachusetts,. The first i'm
portant line was from Charleston, S. c., to Angus
Ia, Ga, distance of 135 miles. 1t wgs begun
in 1880, and completed in 1888, at the astonsh-
ing low sum of Sl,336,6l5, which amount also,
included the furnishing of the road with engines,
l.. H.. IL MI.
Is now among the most successful roads in the U.
Stated
There is a table attached 10 the report from
which we learn that Pennsylvania has ll46 miles
Of railroad completed and in actual operation, and
774 miles IN construction. As TO the capital in
vested in iron ways throughout the country, there
is no positive data by which the actual amount
can be aseertaned, but there is means Of forming
an estimate upon which much reliance can be
placed The railroads in operation at the be- 4
ginning of the present year may be assumed from :
this statement to have cost S43s,000,0O0, which i,
is a wonderfully small sum compared with the /,
cost of the same number Of miles Of road in !.
England, where the average cost per mile Is about
100000.
The longest continuous line Of railroad IN the !
world and that in the construction Of which the I
greatest natural oOstacles nave Deeh oNeIcviff II
that which extends from the Hudson river, through
the southern counties of New York, TO lake Ere
Its length is 400 miles, and it has branches Of an
aggregate additional length Of 6s miles. Nearly
is whole course is through region Of mountains
The bridges by which it is carried over the Dela-
ware and Susquehanna. rivers and other streams I
md the viaducts upon which it crosses the valleys
hat intercept its route, are among The noblest !
monuments of skill to be found in our country.
The most Of these works are Of heavy masonry,
Dut one Of them is wooden bridge ls4 feet in
height and having but one arch, the span Of which
5 275 feet. One Of the viaducts Is 1900 feet .
ong and 10 feet hiph. The arrreoate cost Of :