The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-05-20
RAILROADS IN STAIN.
Total MiIenge Equal TO One of Our
Western Companies.

Total Milenge Equal 20 One of Our
western Companies.
From the New York sun.
There is not much celebration of any
thing in Spain this year, but If there
| was, she might celebrate the semi-cen-
| tennial anniversary of the opening of
the first railroad in that kingdom. In
| 1S4S the Barcelona railroad. so called,
extending eighteen miles from Barce-
| Iona to Mataro, was opened to traffic.
| Mataro is a small town on the Medi-
| terranean northeast of Barcelona, and
| these eighteen miles Of road consti-
tuted at that time Spains only con-
tribution to the railroad mileage of
the world, the neighboring country,
| France, having at the same period a
| railroad mileage of 1900 and Great
| Britain 5000. Since then there has been
| a slowly intermittent increase of what
| is sometimes grandiosely called "The
| Railroad System Of Spain, two OBJ
| stacles to the development of which
| have been the unbusinesslike methods
| of the nhabitants and enormous en-
| gineering difficulties. Spain has been
| wholly denuded of forests at the head
| waters of rivers, and as a consequence
| there are frequent overflows, carrying
with them railroad bridges, trestles,
and embankmentS to the constant
peril and annoyance Of passengers.
| There are now in Spain 1850 miles of
railroad, less than o2e-thrd of the
| number in Great Britain, France, or
| Russia, and less than One-fourth of
| the number in Italy. The relative in
significance OF the Spanish railroad
| System appears best in comparison
| with American railroads, a single line,
| the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy,
| having an aggregate mileage of 7,4OO,
| owned, operated, or controlled, or near
| ly as much as all the railroads of Spain
| combined. Spanish railroads are pro-
verbally slow, the rate Of express"
| trains being twenty-five miles an hour
| and Of way passenger trains from
| twelve to fifteen. They seldom run on
| scheduled time, and il is the testimony
| Of all travellers that they never make
connections. The amount of baggage
| allowed each first-clasS passenger on
| a Spanish railroad is sixty-six pounds,
| but the railroads are not responsible
| for it's loss, nor are their officials re-
sponsible for its Identification. The
charges on Spanish railroads are re-
markably high, being at the rate of 5
cents a mile on frst-class trains and
| cents a mile on second class trains,
| about double the American average.
The railroad lines of Spain were built
partly by private capital, partly from
| the proceeds of governmental subsidies
| These subsidies have amounted To over
5000. 100000 1900, 100000 pesetas) AL
though the railroads of Spain are di-
| rectly under the control of the govern
| ment, and although about one-third Of
their construction was paid by the gov
ernment, they are owned by private
companies, and about three-ffthS of
| the stock of the Spanish railroads is
owned in France. French investors
have gradually absorbed the securities,
which, sold at a depreciation, pay n
high rate of interest. French and Eng
lish engineers supervised generally the
construction of Spanish railroads. but
| the stations" or terminal facilities Of
| the companies are the products of do
mestic industry, as any observant but
forhearinG traveller will admit
The railroads of the United States
carry in year about 600, 900 900 passcn-
gers, and they transport about SOO,0OO,-
600 tons of freight. There are 33 per
cent more tons of freight carried than
there are individual passengers. The
Spanish railroads, despite the inferior
facilities which they offer to travellers,
depend more upon passenger than upon
freight traffic, carrying in a year a
much larger number of passengers than
they do tons of freight. In 1897 the
Spanish railroads carried $1,000 900 pas
sengors, but they carried only 100000
tons of freight
The difficulties of passenger traffic on
Spanish railroads are enhanced in some
particulars which are rather amusing
than serious. Passengers are expected
to arrive at the station at least half an
hour before the train leaves in order
that sufficient allowance may be made
for the diliatory proceedings of the
railway officials, During part of each
day (and in some cities the larger part
of each day. the railway stations are
closed and the ticket offices do not open
until an hour before the time scheduled
for the departure of the train, closing
a quarter of an hour before it is due
The hapless tourist, in complia: se
with Spanish railroad custom. must
have his ticket before he Is permitted to
enter the waiting room, and as this
ticket must be bought fifteen minutes,
at least, before the train starts and as
the train may be anywhere from an
hour to three hours late, his opportun-
tiles for reasonable complaint are nu-
mcrous and are not diminished by the
knowledge of the fact that he is pay
ing more for his ticket, according to the
distance travelled, than is the rule on
American or English railways.
One popularity Of railroad travel in
Spain is TO be found in the fact that
employees of the railroad company are
entitled as a matter of right, to the
best seats, even regardless of the tick
cts sold passengers. In what is some
times called "cheap" railroad travel i'm
Spain many Of the passengers ride on
the roofs Of the cars, but whether it is
to enable them to see the country to
better advantage or to enjoy greater
comfort and better ventilation is not
known. In some Spanish railroad sta
tions, notwithstanding the mea greness
of their accommodations an admission
fee is charged, similar TO n theatre It
being the theory of some Of the Span
ish railroad officials that the eagerness
of some persons to find solace on the
wooden benches of railway stations is
an item of available revenue not TO be
disregarded.
On Rival streets.
we had four organ grinders over on
our street yesterday an you didn't have
none" said the boy With 1razzled trous-