Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-09-25
RAILROADS
A collection Of Interesting Facts and
Figures.

CAupAOlCA IL OpC1dt4AS 11O 404AA c@~~0 -
this country.
For every inhabitant Of the United
States the railroads carry about eight
tons Of freight each year.
Australia has 5000 miles OF railroad.
There are only 10, 900 miles in England,
Scotland and Ireland
The average number Of passengers
carried by passenger trains during 1888
was forty-fve per train.
The average passenger fare charged in
1882 was 2.s6 cents per mile. In 1883 it
was 2.42 cents.
January l there was 121. .592 miles Of
road in the United States, 6, 753 having
been constructed during 1888.
The entire population of the State of
Massachusetts, could find seats in the
passenger cars Of the United States.
Illinois, with s,OOO.O 900 people, has a
greater number Of miles of road than
Austria Hungary, with nearly 40, OOO, ,OOO-
/ If all the locomotives in the United
States were placed in line they would
make train more than 200 miles long,
worth $50, 900, 900
The amount of money spent for riding
on railway cars in this country during
1888 averaged almost $4 for each in
habitant
In the past halfdozen years about
| S1OO, 900, 900 has been expended in new
railroads in Colorado Practically all of
them are unproductiye of net earnings.
The gross earnings of all roads in 1888
were s823, 0OQ, 900, $53, ,OoO,O more
than in 1882, $3.50, ,OOO,O 900 was from
freight, and S215, 100000 from passen-
gers
General distrust Of railway securities
is well based. In three years the debt
Of American roads has increased $780,
900, 900 more than the actual cost Of new
roads.
In 1882 the railway mileage Of the
world was s64, S26. 1t is now estimated
at 275. 900. The Cnited States alone has
nearly half of the whole. more than all
Europe.
Probably the fastest long run ever
made was that on the Canada Southern
in 1877. when three cars we're drawn Ill
miles in 100 minutes, including four
minutes stoppage.
In 1880 there were twenty-three miles
Of railroad in operation in this country;
in 1910, 2,s1s; in 1850, 5000; in 1860,
&c, 900; in 1870, $4,000; in 1880, 3d.
900, and in 1884, 10000.
Of the 155, 900 miles Of track in the
United States, more than one-half, or
$4,000 miles, is laid with steel rails.
Illinois has 5000 miles Of steel track,
New York 5000, Ohio 7,4OO, Pennsyl-
vania 1000.
Of the 100, 900 miles Of road in the
United States, 6, 900 are in New England
States, IS, 600 in the Middle States, 49,
600 in the Southern group, 70, 900 in the
Western group, and 1000 in the Pacific
group.
The longest train ever known to have
been drawn BY one engine was by loco
motive on the Northern Central, in
Pennsylvania-1s3 empty freight cars,
one loaded, two cabooses and dead en-
gine, up grade. This train was mile
and quarter long.
If the engines, passenger and freight
cars Of the United States were placed in
line they would reach 5, 400 miles, or
form one solid train from New York to
San Francisco, with lateral trains reach
ing from Chicago to St. Paul, to New
Orleans and Washington, D. c.
The gross earnings Of the Pennsyl-
vania railroad system Chicago to New
York; are nearly one-eighth of the gross
earnings of all American roads combined.
The Pennsylvania systems net earnings
are about one-sixth the net earnings of
the roads of the whole country.
Massachusetts leads all States in pas
senger traffic, her roads carrying SO, 900,
600 persons last year; Pennsylvania is
second, with $4,000, 900; New York
third, with IA, 900. 900 exclusive Of ele-
vated roads in New York city,; Illinois
fourth, with 100000 New Jersey
fifth. and Ohio sixth
The cost Of building and supplying the
railroads of the more important States
was as follows, in millions of dollars
New York, sos; Ohio, 825; Illinois,
5ss; Pennsylvania, TAI; Missouri, sos;
Minnesota, 307. The railroads of these
six States cost about half a. much as all
the railroads in the United States.
Four hundred millions of tons of
freight were transported by the roads Of
the United States during 1883, the aver
age charge being It cents per ton per
mile. The average charge was $1.70 in
New England, $1.04 in the Middle States,
$l.do IN tne DOutAl. Leo Al tAiC " cseCAu
States, and 1920 on the Pacific Slope.
During 1888 the roads Of Massachusetts,
carried passengers equal to the thirty
rides for every inhabitant of the State.
In Pennsylvania the average was twelve
rides, in New York nine rides and il
Illinois eight. In the South and South
west the average is four and a half rides
to each inhabitant, and on the Pacific
Slope about eight. The average through
out the United States was a little more
than six rides per inhabitant.
II The much-mooted question a. to which
is the oldest railway in the United States
is settled by the Raiisedy Age as follows