The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-01-19
GROWTH OF THE RAILWAY.
TREMENDOUS sTRIDns MADn m
AMERICAS RAPID TRANSIT.
Aggregate Mileage In United states
IL Now Over 0O,OOO-Locomotives
In Use Today would Reach FROM
Chicago. ILL.,, to 81. Louis, Mo.

Inc length OF surface steam railroads IN
the United States, completed up to Deem
Der 81, 1898, aggregate 1S6S09 miles. In
round figures there will be 1000 miles more
completed by the end of the current year.
SO that the aggregate mileage Is now more
than 10000. This applies 10 main tracks
only. Up to December 81, 1898, there were
90, 344 miles of second track and sidings in
use on United States railroads. Adding
these to the main tracks the total mileage
up to the end of the present year will APP
proximate 10000
Taking the 10000 miles OF main track as a
basis and computing the earth's circumfer-
ence at 5000 miles. 1t is apparent that IL
the railroads OF the United states were
joined one 10 another IN straight line
tney would go seven and tnree-hfths times
around this globe OF ours. Railroad build
ing keeps on at the average of about 1000
miles per year, or little more. In lean
years OF depression 1t falls off to 1000 miles
or 50 and again In prosperous years II
swells to 1000 miles or more OF new con-
struction. Rebuilding and retracking is not
taken into account in these figures. but
only the actual opening of new railroad
lines where none existed before Thus In
1892. a speciallv good wear. there were AL
most ono miles ~ new mad b,,,lt and In
1904 about tba same Tn 1904 ney raiiroad
consttuctio,, SeiI ofy 70 Iass th,,, : ooo ,,,,ns
Tn 1905 81 the hatgbt ~ h,,s,ross stacratior
~ fej, an ~ lose than oon ,,,i,as IL Isas
go ,sog ~ - a., 800 - ~,
an . noa ,,,,los 1891, aaa,, -. r. ssns =,
800 ''.a' eae" seai. ~ ioon, al
snt e, o a, =. paospely nag oesun ~
se. ~, nc" eos'i ue,Ioii iiiiue lie iVwe ~
ie.o.u ~ any yeai, oiiy reaciiiis aoout i,fvv
miies. In an the foregoing only man track
- eolisiuereu' ihere mas Deer proportion
dte increase OF second track ana sidings.
Turing the current year railroad building
mas taken another squirt ana, according to
carefully compiled estimates the 1893 in
crease will be about double the average OF
the past eight years.
Bcfur RapidIv Grtdirencd.
To ,or,r an ast,,na., ~ ~. r.,,a,,,, ,,,.,,
,,,,,o,, .,,,a .1,,',..,. ~ y. ~ s, WI
,ai,rnads ,at tta onrs,,,,e,ior, 80 s,na,a
,,aa, :. e,r,,a ~. = - "a - r.....a.,a. ,r,.s
n nrosnara,s &C., -, ~ ..,n,,,, ,,a,,,
ra,irnaa r,,,,osaa onars . re, - oora t,'am
CO.., :, oo,,t;ss,r,,s H. as - 49,,
pent m Tho track,avers hrjdga builders
and graders should perform their opera
tons in a continuous line from New York
to San Francisco the results when COM
pleted would not equal a single prosperous
years new railroad construction divided
up among the various states. 1t Is note
worthy also that the present huge railroad
mileage of the United States including
second track and sidings, is 80 per cent.
steel rails Thus at the end of 1898 out of
245 1888 miles of completed track 220S were
laid with steel rails and a. 435 were laid
with iron rails.
1t Is less than three-quarters of CEN
fury since this phenomenal railroad deyei-
opment had its birth. Railroad contruc-
ton in the United States began with the
Baltimore & Ohio. which had its inception
July 4 1923 the ceremony of breaking
ground being performed by Thomas Car
roll, the only surviving signer of the Dec
laration of Independence. When first open
ed for traffic the Baltimore & Ohio was
operated by horse power but steam loco
motive traction speedily took its place.
Seven years after the Baltimore &c Ohio
builders first broke ground there were in
operation in the United States 1893 miles
of railroad, nearly all being in the Attain
tic states. Five years later the railroad
system had nearly trebled in extent and
the lines were beginning to push toward
the interior.
Growth Since 1S4O.
Thus in 1910 there were 3. 1Os miles of rail-
road in the United States. of which 4s3
miles were in New England, 1,46S miles in
the Middle states. lsl miles in the western
states and So6 miles in the southern states.
In 1S4S the nrst continuous hne Oh Runway
was completed between Boston ana rev
York city. In 1851 the total railroad mile
age of the country mad Increased 10 $3.50.
fornia railroad construction TOOK an I'M
mense squirt FROM lo4s 10 1924 tnere were
lil5S miles OF new raiiway quit put after
the latter year there was d oo,i,iii ',i. GA,
reyulsion when seriously checheu ruii n.
building. during the tWelVe years from
1919 TO 1850 there We're punt zf'oSs iilies ol
line' ma ING tne totai at .he etu - ne
latter yes.r dV'oSo i'illes' an ihol."se osel
is4S OF 4oo per cent. ana All aiihuai a'ef"se
OF over 2'oVo Hiies;
In limos the hrst me uhuei .aAeh was
the Sansamon q Morgan por.loii ,e. "a
which was opened as state "o'h III 1oo''
rms roau now ioIihs d par. " .ie va
bash. The second iine opened IN lhis s.a1e
was the Gaieha a. .n,caso o,ii en- VIZ" a,s
was begun III 1913 anu openeu IN " uIo
lance OIL ten miles, ~ June, iooo. me iaisI
raiiWay opened III ,iiIs sta.e ue.weeh nN. ., nv
michigan ana Tue Mississipp, i've, was s.,o
Chicago d ROCK Island IN fepluaiS, Aeof
Inc second ithe 10 tne Miesissippi, in I'u.
up Oh tne 1aiena q Slioaso anu , ,ass i.ii-