Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-08
RAILROADS OF THE WORLD.
America Has More Than All Other
Countries Together.
From the New York Evening Post.

From the New York Evening Post.
The Archiu fur Eisenbdhnacese,a Of Berlin
publishes every year q summary Of the worlds
railroad mileage, which is, ON the whole, the
most authoritative statement of its kind. The
current number gives statistics for the close of
the year 1887. At that period there were in
round numbers 342, 900 miles of railroad open
for traffic. OF these America had 1871, 900, or
more than half; Europe, 130, 600; Asia, II, 900;
Africa, 5000, and Australasia something over
5000. Of the railroads in America Just about
fye-sixths were in the United States, which
had $50, 900 miles. British America had u 600
and Brazil, Mexico and the Argentine Republic
from $4,000 to 5000 each. OF the Asiatic rail-
roads over IA, 900 miles were in British India;
the Transcaspian railroad and those in the
Dutch possessions being the most important
among the others. China had practically no
railroads in operation, but Japan had nearly
500 miles. In Africa the leading railroad sys-
tenn is that of the Cape Colony, with nearly
20O0 miles in operation. Egypt, Algers and
Tunis also have considerable systems, but the
central part of Africa is almost entirely unde-
veloped- The oldest Australasian systems are
those Of New South Wales, Victoria and New
Zealand, each Of which now has about z, 900
miles of railroad. The other Australian colo
MES are beginning TO develop rapidly.
In Europe the country with the greatest
absolute mileage is Germany, with nearly
25, 600 miles, followed by France with q. 600,
Great Britain with not quite &c, 600, Russia with
little less than IS 900, and the Austrian en-
pire with $4,000. The country with the largest
mileage in proportion to area ia Belgium which
has In round numbers one mile Of railroad for
every four square miles Of territory. England
alone would probably have about the same pro-
portion, but Great Britain and Ireland have
only about one mile of railroad to every six
square miles Of territory II the comparison
Is made with population France has a slightly
larger per capita mileage than either England,
Belgium or Germany; but that of the United
States ID more than four times as high as
France, while the showing in Australia is even
trife better than ours.
A striking thing about these statistics is the
amount Of increase in recent years. One-third
of the railroad mileage in the table was con-
structed since the close of 1880. the increase in
these seven years being not very much less than
In the twenty years Immediately preceding.
just about half of this increase has been con-
tributed by the United States. The most rapid
percentage of increase is, of course, found in
the newest countries, like Australia. II we
confine our comparisons to the last four years
we find that while Europe has, increased only
Is per cent and the United States 26 per cent
Australia shows a growth Of about 48 per cent
The capital invested in railroads has probably
not increased quite SO fast the mileage.
careful, although necessarily somewhat uncer-
tain estimate, makes the average cost of rail-
roads in Europe about Sl13000 per mile and
that IN other parts of the world about $59 600,
indicating that the total investment, as nearly
as can be ascertained, 10 S27 600 900, OOO rather
more than half Of 1t in Europe,