Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-06-11
THE RAILROADS OF THE
UNITED STATES. .,
Interesting InFOrmafiOn az TO Theil
history and General Statistics.
From Tho New York EYening Post.


From the New York Evening Post.
Mr. Henry V. Poor has compiled very
valuable manual Of the railroads of tht
United States, and in a preliminary essay
gives variety Of interesting information
upon the growth and extent Of the rail
road system of this country, from which
we take few prominent facts.
The first railroad in the United States
the Baltimore and Ohio road-was char.
tered in 1897, and sixty-two miles of it were
opened, but worked by horse power, In 1881
New York opened in the same year the
second railroad-the Albany and Schenee.
tady. The third was the South Carolins
railroad, which was opened in 1885, and
was at that time, Mr.. Poor tells us, the
. longest continuous line in the world.
In 1881, we possessed but little over one
hundred miles of railroad in 1885, We
had 1898 miles; in 1867, 1924. In 1887
224 miles Of new track were laid; in 1867,
2227 miles Of new track. In 1843, only
159 miles were laid; in 1856, 3645 miles
we're opened, which is the largest number
of miles Of new track laid in any year.
In 1910 we had one mile of railroad to
74l5 people; in 1850 one mile to 1898 peo-
pie and in 1860, one mile to 905 people.
In 1870, Mr.. Poor thiuks, We shall have
$4,000 miles Of railroad opened, or one mill
for every S37 inhabitants.
If We take geographical sections, we dis
cover in Mr.. Poor's tables that in 1889 the
New England States had 1923 miles of iron
track laid the Middle States had 1863, the
Southern States 437, and the Western
States only a. In 1857 the New England
States had 393S miles laid, the Middle
States 1852, the Southern States 10,097,
while the Western States, excluding those
on the Pacific slope, had Is, 226.
Massachusetts has the greatest number
of miles in proportion 10 her territOry-one
mile for every 81 square miles. Connecticut
comes in next, and has one mile 10 6 4-10
square miles; New Jersey has one mile for
8 $40 square miles; Rhode Island follows
with one mile of track for l05 square
miles Of land Pennsylvania is ahead OF
New York, having a mile for every 1910
square miles, while we have only a mile
for every IA 4-l0 square miles. The States
we have named above, and New Hamp-
shire, Ohio and Delaware, all have more
miles Of railroad in proportion TO terrific
ry, than New York.
Mr.. Poor remarks that if all the New
England States had ratio of mileage to
area equal to Massachusetts, this group oi
States wonld have 10000 miles Of iron
track, instead of the 1898 they actually
possess. IL the Middle States equalled
New Jersey, they would possess l5,64O
miles, instead of what they have, 1852. II
the Western States equalled Ohio, they
would have 81, $50 miles; while they have
really but 1926. From these compari.
sonswe may form an idea ofthe probable ex.
tension Of the railroad system in the future
for though it is improbable that the New
England States, as group, will soon reach
the ratio of Massachusetts, it can scarcely
be doubted that the Middle and Western
States will, before many years, equal New
Jersey and Ohio in the extent Of their rail
roads. We had, according to Mr.. Poor, in
1867 in the whole country, 39, ,244 miles
of railroad but if all the States, excluding
the territories, we're furnished az well as
Ohio, we should have the enormous aggre-
gate of 165,S00 miles; and if they all
equalled Massachusetts we should have
352, $50 miles.
The whole railroad system of the United
States has cost, according to Mr.. Poor''
estimate, 81 SOC, 600, ,000-about two-thirds
the amount Of our national debt.
The gross earnings Of the railroads for
the whole country are said to equal abou
twenty one per cent. of their cost those o
lhe Northern States, about twenty -thre,
per cent; and this ratio ofearnings to cost
Mr.. Poor reports, is steadily increasing
The ratio of expenses 10 earnings is fully
seventy per cent; and Mr.. Poor states th'
net earnings of the Northern roads at sil
and half per cent. Of their total cost.