The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-01-08
Railroads In the United States.

the Census of the Union, some time
since gave very valuable paper to
the public, on the extension of rail-
roads in the Union. It appears from
this that the number of miles Of rail-
road in operation in the United States,
January, 1852, was, as nearly as could
be ascertained, 10.so0; and the num-
ber of miles in course of construction,
according TO the most reliable esti-
mates, nearly 1900. By far the
greater portion of the lines commenced.
but now incomplete, will be finished
within the ensuing FIVE years. Nearly
all the lines in progress have been
begun since the year 1848. 1t is sup
posed that from one thousand to fifteen
hundred miles additional to those now
known to be in progress will be put un-
der 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 making of railroads in the Uni
ted 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. Accord
ingly, these works of public improve
ment are not prosecuted with the same
ardor and energy as formerl y, although
much activity exists in the construc-
ton of plank roads. The labor and
capital which they would require are
absorbed in the numerous and almost
colossal railroads building Since 1848,
the extent of railroad OF ened 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 ter
ritory of the United States will be ira
versed by at least 10000 miles of rail-
road.
Ii is very difficult TO form an esti-
mate of the average expense per mile
of building railroads in the United
States. In fact, no average can be as
sumed as applicable to the whole coun-
try. The cost of the roads in New
England is about S45,O0o per mile; in
New York. Pennsylvania and Mary
land. about $4,000. But in the in
terror Of these States the surface OF The
country is broken, rendering the cost
of grading very heavy; aud near the
sea, wide and deep streams interrupt
the line of travel. and make the ex-
pense of bridging serious item.
In New England, and the more
densely inhabited parts of the old
States, from the Atlantic, as in all
European countries. the extinguish-
ment of private titles TO the real estate
required for railroads, frequently forms
large part of the expenses included
in the item of construction. In the sou
thern States and the valley of the Mis-
sissippi, $4,000 per mile is considered
safe estimate. There, in most cases,
all the lands necessary for the purposes
of the companies are given 10 them in
consideration Of the advantages which
private proprietors expect from the To-
cation of the roads in the vicinity of
their estates
In many of the Western States the
cost of grading long line of road
Goes not exceed $1,000 per miIe-lhe
cost of the timber amounting to nothing
more than the expense of clearing il
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 remarka-
Bile example of the energy and spirit
of Improvements in the new States
Illinois was admitted into the confede-
ration as a new State i'll 184S, with
80, 900 inhabitants. 1t has 81. .4o5 square
miles of territory, and a population, &C.
cording. to the census of 1850, of $751;
47O. The Central Railroad is to ex-
tend from its southwestern extremity,
at the confluence of the Mississippi
and Ohio rivers, to the north line of the
State, WIN Two oiVefglng branches
The total length of this road, including
the main stem and branches, is TO be
$50 miles. The cost is estimated at
$40, 900 per mile, or $4,000, 900 for the
entire work, with equipments for ope-
rating it. This is the longest contin- |
nous line of road now in contemplation |
in the United States, of which there is |
any probability of speedy completion. |
1t has been commenced with such fa-
cilities for executing the plans of its
that there is no reasonable
1oabt that it will be finished within
lew years"
The article is highly interesting
throughout, and valuable for the infor-
nation it contains From it we CLEAN
hat the first railroad put in operation
n this country was built in 1880 for the
of ice from small lake
0 the sea, in the State of Massachu-
etts. The first important line was
rom Charleston, S. c., to Augusta, Ga,
distance of 1875 miles. It was begun |
n 1880, and completed in 1899. at the
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