The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-04
THE WORLDS TRAFFIC.
Americas Railroads the Greatest
end Longest.
(From the Common carricrj

4 iN4A tue 'Nhnnpu tIlIlsI-t
| The Scientific American" in a recent
issue. presented two pictures showing in a
most graphic manner the relative import
snce of the railways OF the United States.
Great Britain, Germany, France, British
India, and Russia.
The United States has 5000 miles more
| than all the other five countries named.
| Our railways annually handle more han
twice as much freight as do the roads of
Great Britain, and, indeed, almost as much
as do the rail carriers of all tee other
| countries together. The people OF Great
Britain travel more than Americans do or
at least they make more short Journeys.
A vast number Of English people travel
from country TO town and back again every
day. thus giving the roads an immense
short-haul passenger traffic. The United
States is next TO Great Britain in number
OF passengers carried. and Germany fol-
lows not far behind them.
Both Great Britain and Germany have
more passenger cars than the roads in this
country own, but II must be remembered
that the European passenger cars are much
shorter than ours and cannot accommodate
80 many people, so that while our roads
have only about one-half as many cars as
Great Britain has, their capacity is greater
When It comes 10 freight traffic, the
roads of the United States have more cars
than Great Britain. Germany, Russia, and
British India combined. Then, again, the
freight cars in this country are from three
10 eight times as large as those In Europe.
The goods wagons OF Great Britain will
carry only from FIVE 10 ten tons. while in
this country all the old cars under TWEEN
ty tons are going out, and are being re-
placed by cars with a capacity of from
twerfty TO fifty tons In this connection
the Scientific American" remarks:
"A curious fact is brought out in this
comparison as between the United States
and Great Britain, namely, that the Brit
ish freight wagon is ordinarily loaded more
nearly TO its full capacity than the Ameri-
can freight car; for although, as we stated
In preceding paragraph, the capacity Of
all American cars is about four times THAI
OF all English cars, the total amount OF
freight carried is only double as much.
Just here is 20 be found one reason why
the large capacity Of the American car Is
not suited to the English railroad sys-
TEN. where consignments to particular vii
lagos and small towns frequently have q
whole car reserved 10 themselves, so that
the ear may be dropped at its destination
and the train proceed without any delay
OF unloading. The English claim that by
using a smaller car the proportion OF tie
paying load to the dead load. that is TO
say of the freight 10 the car. is larger than
IL would be IL the large capacity American
car were used. The truth OF this conten-
ton certainly seems TO be borne out b.
the figures referred TO in our table"
While Great Britain has the largest
number of locomotives TO a given length
Of track, American locomotives are heavi-
er and more powerful, and are worked con-
tinuously. IL is estimated that in this
country two locomotives will do the work
of three in the old country. Some of the
new locomotives recently built in America
weigh more than 100 tons without the
tender. and are capable OF exerting a
draw bar pull Of from twenty-tgo TO
twenty-five tons. and haul on the level a
train nearly a mile in length and weigh
ing over 5000 tons.
II II not dissatisfaction hut satisfaction OF ones
expression which is heard after every glass Of
Ienrich's. For case " Heurich's Maerzen Sen
ate, OF Lager phone 2i, Arlington Bottling Co.
Read Mason's health advertisement on page
) Of todays Times.
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