The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-06

No better evidence Of the general re-
coyery all over the country from the de-
pressing conditions which followed the
silver panic OF 1893 is afforded than the re-
sumption OF railroad building in the
United States. The July number OF the
Railway Age prints . table showing the
number OF miles OF new track which has
been laid between January / and July /.
1895 This exceeds the new track laid for
the first six months OF any previous year
since January. 1883.
A table of new lines finished during the
first six months OF the year shows that
more than half OF the building has been
done in states west OF the Mississippi
river. The table however. Is not intend
ed TO cover lines which are almost COM
pleted such as those on the Northern Pa
cific in Idaho, Montana and Washington.
According 10 the statements made by f.
H. McHenry. chief engineer of the North
ern Pacific, the company is building los
miles OF new road, including 81 miles in
Manitoba.
The Railway Age says concerning rail-
way building for leys:
In our issue OF April last when estl-
mating the prospects for new railway con-
struetion In the United States this year,
We said: 1T viii not be surprising If the
total new mileage of the year should
ceed 5000 miles, and il is improbable that
il will be less than $50 miles That
innate. az the end of March. WAS. of
course male before the season OF con-
struction had fairly begun. II was based
entirely on our records and on our knowl-
edge OF the various projects which were
at that time more or less before the
public. OF these projects we enumer-
ated at that time plans for So DIFF
feren lines with an ostensibe mileage of
over 21eDp miles. Guided by our acGuaint-
ance with the merits and demcrits of each
individual project. il was necessary TO
separate the sheep from the goats and
make our own conjecture to what wonld
be built and what MOI. IL is some teSti-
mony To the completeness of our records
that now when the year Is hnif gone and
when three months of active construction
have passed. ii is impossible 30 make our
prediction more accurate than it was i'm
March last.
New Track Laid to june &c.
The actual amount o. new track laid in
1885 up 10 this writing is 60 miles. This
is more than mas been laid in the first six
months of any year since 1882. The figures
to June % for each OF the six years are as
follows:
Year Miles Year Miles
1888 ...........-...10 ola 1896 .............. 1s>
1894 ............... 525Is91 .......... 622
1875 .....-.......... 5ii 1898 ..............11Sl
The track laid therefore, this year, has
been more than double that laid in the
same period of 1894, and nearly double
that OF the frat six months OF either 1895
L. tu-t ...f,x
before the panic-the construction up to
June 30 was i.5s. miles. The new building
up 10 date this year therefore, Is within
20o miles OF that Of 1882
The total construction of the last eight
years. from 1889, showing very clearly the
increasing pressure OF the hard times and
the subsequent recovery has been as fol-
lows:
Year. Miles Year Miles
fsa l1slsS4 94S
1891 ................4 2ssi 1895 ............Is2S
1892 ....,...........4.i1s1S 1896 ,s4s
iss5 ,h'lJ 1885, eSp
The construction In the last half OF each
year Is, of course. greater than in the first
half. In only one year In the last ten has
the construction up to June 80 exceeded 80
per cent OF the total new track laid dur
ing the year. On the doctrine OF averages.
therefore. IL is probable that. with l,tsi
miles already laid. there will be over 1000
miles OF new line added In 1855 But il is
not necessary to have recourse to an ar
gument based on averages fer the books
NJ the Railway Age show that work Is now
actually In progress on lines enough 10
bring the tota! up TO slightly over, 1000
miles.
distribution OF New Lines.
The geographical distribution of the new
lines being built ia always matter OF
interest. Slightly gsore than half the new
track laid 20 far this wear has been laid
- Afi1-l--i...,a RI