Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-06
American Railway Progress.

Statistics are not always dry. par
ticularly when they conclusively prove
the progress and superiority of that in
which we have pride. The Railway
Age in summing up the work of 1901
shows that 5O57 miles of new track
were laid, the largest new mileage of
any year since 1890. The amount OF
new road built each year is an ex-
cellent index to the country's pros
perity and it is of interest to note
that during the free trade hard times
IT Clevelandism, the new mileage Of
each year fell short OF 20G0 miles OF
the new road built. last year. Texas
leads off with 5S3 miles and Oklahoma
is next with 42s miles. New Mexico,
Georgia and Wisconsin follow in the
order named There was comparative
ly little railroad building in New Eng
land or any part of the East, this sec
ton being already well threaded with
tracks
The summary of last years progress
raves the way for some additional
figures which nave recently been COM
piled by the treasury bureau of sta
tistics, showing the railway mileage
OF the different countries of the globe
and placing the United States at the
head Of the list. From the figures
given the worlds total railway mileage
at the present time is 484, 34S miles, and
OF this aggregate the United States has
1928 miles. or nearly two-fifths of
the entire railway mileage of the globe.
Outside of the United States on the
North American continent there are
2I,279 miles of track. making the total
for the North American continent
22O.657 miles. against 16s, SOS for Eu-
rope, $3.50 for Asia. 2S,364 for South
America, 1880 for Africa and l5,2s2
for Australasia.
Taking the different countries of
the globe in the order of railway mile
age, the figures are as follows: unlteu
States, I09.31s miles. Germany. 1884
miles, Russia, 90, 1874 miles. France. 20
Ga miles, India, 25,O35 miles. Austria
Hungary. 22,9l9 miles, Great Britain
and ireland. 2l,700 miles. Canada, L.
So miles, British Australasia, 1890
miles, Argentina. l0,4l9 miles, Italy,
$50 miles, Mexico, 1903 miles, Brazil,
ATS miles. and Spain. $500 miles
Outside of the United States most
OF the railway systems of the world
are owned by the government of the
various countries. Nearly nine-tenths
of the railways of Germany are owned
by the national and state governments
while those of Russia, France, Austria
Hungary and Italy are also largely
owned by the governmental authori-
ties.
Especially interesting are the ng-
ures showing the growth OF railway
enterprise in the United States our
inc the past seventy-five years. 10
ing back to 1880, there We're Only
~ miles of railway track III 'he
states. but since then the extension
az railway mileage for each succeed
ing decade has been as follows: 1s4o'
os,S miles: 1850. 1921 miles: 1901
a. COG miles: 1870, 52.922 miles; 1851,
% ,ss miles; 1890, 16s.s54 miles; 1900
,s4321 miles Statistics OF operation
run back for only fifteen or twenty
wears. but since then the NUMBER Oh
rersors hauled has increased IN the
following progression: 1887, 42S'ooc'oco
1880. $40. Oco.O 900; 1895, 52s,ooo'ooo' ane
1906 5s4. OOO.O 900: while the increase u
freight hauled has been as follows
,sS3. SO, 900. 900 900 tons; 1887, 6l,ooo'occ'
oco tons; 1890, $4,000. 100000 tons; 1898
IS Ooo. ooo. 900 tons, and 1900. l4l,OOo'ooo'
zoe. The average cost of freight in loS
was sl.24 per ton. whereas at the pres
chr time il is rs cents per ton.