The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-28
NEW RAILROADS BUILT.
over 1000 Miles Of New Track Laid
This Year.

During the year just closing 4.322
miles Of railroad were constructed in the
United States In 1899 ASS miles were
built 266 miles more than this year:
The 5000 mile mark predicted at the
opening of the year was missed by a
large deficit The high price of steel
and the great amount of work nee
essary to reduce grades and eliminate
curves has presented much new mile
The Railway Age will say this week:
The south and southwest continue to
be the scenes of greatest activity, al
though there have been many important
lines built in the west and northwest
Twenty-one states west of the Missis-
sippi river have built 2,412 miles Of new
line, or more than one-half of the total
for the entire United States, while the
states east of the Mississippi and south
OF the Ohio have added 1 ,126 miles
The states in which no new road is
reported are Massachusetts, Connect
cut. Rhode Island, Delaware, Kansas
and Nevada
Texas leads all other states in the
Union with a total Of 31S miles Penn
sylvania comes second with 277 miles,
Iowa third with 267 miles, Minnesota
fourth with PSI miles and West Virginia
fifth WIKI 20 miles, These are the only
states showing an excess of 200 miles
In Texas important extensions have
been built by the Southern Pacific. IN
ternatfonal & Great Northern and Mis-
souri,, Kansas & Texas, and there Have
been many short lines constructed The
terrible storm which swept over Texas
some months ago. causing great damage
to railway property. seriously retarded
railway construction in that state and
prevented the completion of a consider
q BILE mileage which it was expected to
have ready for operation by January 1,
1901.
The longest stretch of new track. 142
miles, has been built by the ST. Louis
& San Francisco on its extension from
Sapulpa, /. T., to Denison, Tex
A of
of the year has been built by the great
systems of the west and south as fol-
lows. Chicago & Northwestern, 240
miles; Burlington system, 1SS miles, Chi
cago, Milwaukee & st. Paul, IT'S miles;
Southern Pacific. 10 miles; St Louis &
San Francisco, 10 miles; Chicago Rock
Island & Pacific. 16S miles; Northern
Pacific, 151 miles mot counting two
short extensions in ManitOba); Chesa-
peake & Ohio, los miles; SeabOard Air
Line, 104 miles; Burlington. Cedar Rap
Ids & Northern. 100 miles; Atchison. To-
peka & Santa Fe system, 81 miles;
Louisville & Nashville. 80 miles; Gulf &
Ship Island. So miles Central Of Georgia,
S. miles; Southern Railway, 65 miles /;
international & Great Northern. 50
miles; Baltimore & Ohio, 3S miles. This
makes total of 1850 miles Of new line
built in the interest Of the II companies
named
It is too early to make predictions as
TO the results for the coming year, but
much important work has been laid out
N the west ana southwest, which viii
make those sections enticing fields for
railway contractors for the next twelve
months The most important Of these
is the Rock Islands extension from Lib
eral. Kan. to White Oaks N NJ 400
miles, contracts for a portion of which
have already been let and which is
scheduled for completion in 1901
The construction completed in 1900
brings the railway mileage Of the United
States at the opening of the twentieth
century up to the grand total of 1885
miles. subject to possible Increase nv
later returns.