The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-15
RAIL AND ORossTIR.

The longest continuous runs ever made
by a locomotive drawing a full train Of cars
have just been accomplished by the engine
A. g.. Darwin, built by the Strong Loco
motive Works. The runs were made on
the Erie railroad from Jersey City to Buff
falo and return, distance of 423 miles each
way with rest of less than twelve hours
between the runs. The entire distance of
SAG miles was made without the slightest
mlshap.
The largest electric railway system, not
only in this country but said to be in the
world, was put in operation at Topeka,
KAN, last week The plant has been es-
sixteen and one-half miles of track in the
system. Richmond, Va, has for some time
claimed the largest plant, but it only
operates twelve miles. A speed of fifteen
miles an hour can be easily attained, but
Topeka only permits a maximum rate of
eight miles. The cars are lighted by cleo
tricity and make comparatively little noise
in motion. Boston promises to eclipse all
other cities in the extent of its electric
railway system, as the cars are now run
Mug on several lines, with the prospect of
general use. Montgomery, Ala, was the
first to give the new plan a trial, and it
promised to be successful but for the fire
which destroyed the plant.
The railroad statistics of the German en-
pire, prepared by the Imperial Railroad
Bureau, says the Railroad Gazette, "have
recently appeared for the year ending
March 81, 1888 At that time there were
24,274 miles of railroad in the empire,
which has AZ SAC, 900 inhabitants, or 1858
per mile of railroad, while in this country
there we're about 400 per mile Of railroad.
The equipment of the German railroads
consisted of 1851 locomotives. %, 703 pas
senger cars, 51S. 500 freight cars and 1887
% ,;o
was 81, AIS, $50, 1877, of which nearly one
sixth was for rolling stock The passenger
cars have in the aggregate places for 1885,
377 passengers, an average of 43 per car,
and the freight cars, as the report puts it,
have capacity for 2, 74S, 800 tons. The traffic
of the year reported was equivalent TO 305
passengers and $50 tons of freight carried
each way daily over the entire system, and
the locomotive mileage, which would have
surrounded the earth at the equator more
than 10. 900 times, was equal to passing IA ~
times each way daily over the whole road.
The number of employees was 343, 400, an
average of very nearly IA per mile of road,
which is probably 211 times the average in
this country. One man out Of every 40
in Germany is a railroad employe; in the
United States probably not more than one
in so. Nevertheless, the amount of trans
portation effected per employe is about
three times as great here as In Germany"
The RaiL,Cdy Age in a review Of railway
building develops the surprising fact that
during the first three months of the present
year in forty-six Of the states and terri
tories the work of railway construction or
Inception has been going on in the name of
666 companies, representing contemplated
mileage of over SO, 400 miles, of which over
14,S00 miles appear to be at the present
time under construction or under contract
for gradual completion. The fact that, in
the first three months of the year only, new
lines representing over $1,000 miles have
been brought to public notice, and that
their construction is urged, and to a large
extent is probable is impressive evidence of
the enormous field for railway enterprises
which the United States still affords. The
mileage proposed in these three months is
equivalent to almost one-third OF
the entire railway mileage of
the country now in operation.
The ten states classified as southern out
rank the other sections IN respect to number
of lines and report IL, S55 miles, which is
almost equal to the mileage credited to the
seven northwestern states, namely 1899
miles; while the five southwestern states
follow close with II, 500 miles. Texas and
Dakota each show nearly 1900 miles under
way or proposed. Alabama comes next
with 2,642 miles, Indian territory follows
with 1876 miles, Minnesota with 1,743, and
Georgia. Washington territory and con-
servative Pennsylvania with more than
1 500 miles each, while nearly twenty other
states and territories report upward OF LOCO
each in view.