The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-05-17
CENSUS OFFICE, WASHINGTON,

January, ], l54S, lS 5,221 miles. Within tho last
year 2, l53 miles have been finished. Nearly all
the lines in progress have been commenced since
lS4S. 1t is supposed that from one thousand to
fifteen hundred miles additional to the l0, S98 now
known to be in progress, viii be put under contract
during 1852.
There never existed greater activity in the maxi
ing of railroads in the United States 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 energy as formerly, al
though much activity exists in the construction Of
plank roads. The labor and capital which they
would require, arc absorbed in the numerous and
almost colossal schemes of railroad building. Since
lS4s, the extent Of railroad opened for travel and
transportation has nearly doubled, and there is
reason believe that the increase in the length of
road brought into will not be less rapid during
the next period Of four years. By the year 1860,
we may expect that the territory Of the United
States will be raversed by at least 10000 miles of
railroad.
1t 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
sumed as applicable to the whole country. The
cost of the roads in New England, is about S45,-
600 per mile in New York, Pennsylvania, and
Maryland, about 100000 But, in the interior of
these States, the surface of the country is broken,
rendering the cost Of grading very heavy; and,
the sea, wide and deep streams interrupt the
lines Of travel, and make the expense Of bridging
serious item
In New England and the more dcnsely inhabt-
cd parts of all the old States upon the Atlantic, as
in all European countries, the extinguishment of
private titles to the real required for railroads.
frequently forms large part of the expenses in
cluded in the item of construction. In the South
crn States, and the valley of the Mississippi, $780,
600 per mile is considered safe estimate. There,
in most cases, all the lands necessary for the pur
poses of the companies, are given to them in con-
sideraton of the advantages which private proprie-
tors expect from the location of the roads in the
vicinity of their estates.
In many of the Western States the cost Of grad
ne n long line Of road docs not exceed 81 900 per
mc--the cost of timber amounting to nothing
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 mucn
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
gy and spirit of Improvement IN the new States.
Illinois was admitted into the Confederation
| State in 1915, with 80, 900 inhabitants 1t has
SIS, i05 square miles of territory, and population
according to the census of 1850, of S5l $40. The
| Central Railroad is TO extend from its southwest
crn extremity al the confluence of the Mississippi
and Ohio rivers 10 the north line OF the State, with
two diverging branches. The total length of this
road, including the main stem and branches, is to
be 40 miles. The cost is estimated at S200 900 per
mile, or sl4,000,000 for the entire work, without
| equipments for operating IT, This is tho longest
continuous line Of road now in contemplation in
the United States Of which there is any probability
| of speedy completion. Ii has been commenced
with such facilities for executing the plans of It's
projectors that there is no reasonable doubt that
| will be finished within few years.
| Mr.. Asa Whitney proposes 10 construct rail-
| road from 81. Louis, or some other place on the
Mississippi river, 10 the Pacific ocean, terminating
either at San Francisco, III California, at the
| mouth Of the Columbia river, in Oregon. He so.
licts the patronage of the national government
| for this prodgious work, and petitions for the
grant Of tract Of land equal in extent to sixty
miles in width by two thousand miles in length
His plans first laid before Congress in 1872
| afd he has since been continually occupied in re.
commenting them to the favorable attention OF the
government and the people, with great ability and
zeal but with what success remains vet 10 bc
seen Without expressing any view with refer
cnce thereto, 1t may be said that his project is
generally considered mpracticablc, from the fact
that of the two thousand. miles Of territory which
his route the country must traverse, n large
portion consists Of desert Of sterile and very ole-
waited mountain districts in which can be found no
materials Of construction, and which would afford
no business for the support Of the road, were tho
difficulties of building II overcome. Many in,clli-
gent men, however, arc convinced Of its practical
bity and cxpediency.
The Railroad system Of the United States may
bc considered TO have commenced in 1890. The
FIRST one put in operation was a short road built for
the transportation Of ice from a small lake 10 the
soa, in the State Of Massachusetts. The length OF
this work was four miles IL was finished in 1890
In the same year the State Of South Carolina
caused to be commenced railroad from Charles
ton, its principal port, to Augusta, in Georgia.
The distance is l35 miles. The work was finish
cd in 1893, at the very remarkably small cost of
81 ,336,6l5, which sum included also the expense
Of furnishing the road with engines and passenger
and freight cars, and all other necessary equip-
ments. This was the first railroad Of any consid-
cradle length constructed in the United States and
II is believed to have been the cheapest and ono OF
the most successful.
Tho longest continuous line Of railroad in the
world aud that in the construction of which the
greatest natural obstacles have been overcome, is
that which extends from the Hudson river, through
the southern counties OF New York, 10 Lake Eric
lts length is four hundred and sxty-nine miles and
it has branches Of an aggregate additional length of
sixty-oight miles. Nearly its whole course il
through a region Of mountains. The bridges bv
which II is carried over the Delaware and Susaue.
hanna rivers and other streams, and the viadacts
upon which Il crosses the valleys that intercept IT'S
route, are among the noblest monuments of power
and skill to bc found in our country. The most of
these works Of heavy masonry bat ono of
them is a wooden bridge, one hundred and eighty
four feet in height, and having but one arch, the
span of which is two hundred and seventy five feet
One Of tho vaducts is 200 feet long and l0 feet
high. The aggregate cost Of this important work
was 235S0, 900, and the expense Of construction
was sl3,333 per mile. The road was originally
suggested IN le29 IA company organized IN
1892; surveys were made in the same year. and
operations were begun by grading part of the
route IN 1893. IL was finished in May 1851, and
opened with great ceremony for travel and trans
I.oriaiion in that month The State advanced six
millions Of dollars towards the work, aud after
wards released the company from the obligation to
pay the loan. 1t will thus be seen that The execu-
ton of this great Improvement was pursued through
nineteen years, and 1t was not accomplished with
calling into rcqusition both the resources of the
State and the means Of her citizens.
In the infancy Of the American railroad system.
and for ten years thereafter it was the rule TO eX-
tend, to every important enterprise of that charac-
ter the assistance of the Slate in which il was TO bc
built.