Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-23
BUILDING NEW ROADS
MANY MILES OF TRACK LAID
LAST YEAR.
Work Planned for Present Year to Ex-
coed All Records - Many
Lines Extended.

More miles Of railway were constructed
in the United States during the year 1902
than in any year since 1888, according to
a table compiled by the Railway Age
The new road built during the year just
passed amounted to total Of 5,6S4 miles,
that Of 1888 was 7,1O8, With this addition.
the total railway mileage of the United
States on January 1, 1903, was 204, All miles.
In locating this new construction Of last
year the Indian territory stands first. with
541 miles; Oklahoma, second, with 532
miles; Texas. third, with 4SO miles, and
New Mexico. fourth. with 35S miles. The
new mileage in Arkansas is increased to
342 miles. and there are less important
changes in several other states. The growth
and development of three of the territories
oklahoma, New Mexico and Indian terri
tory, which are candidates for statehood,
is indicated by the fact that they built
1,431 miles Of new railroad in 1902, which
is more than one-fourth Of the total for
the entire country.
New Work Planned.
Present indications, the Railway Age
says, point to even a larger mileage for
1903. In addition to the track laid last
year there were about 1000 miles of line
graded. on a portion Of which track has
uncompleted work carried over from last
year the mileage which has been placed
under contract since January l. we find
that there are not less than $500 miles of
new line under contract or under con-
struction, with 27SO miles additional on
which it is promised that work will be
undertaken during the spring or summer.
Il is not to be expected that all Of this
mileage will be completed during the pres
ent year, because the character Of the
pnrlx In, o1r,Ia oh,
possibility, even If operations should pro-
coed without interruption. OF the $500
miles under contract, over 5000 miles are
being built in the interest of eighteen COM
panies, indicating that the larger portion
of the new work is being carried on by
the great systems. The Rock Island sys-
tenn has $50 miles under contract, in addi-
ton to many extensions which have been
located, some Of which will be built this
year. The st. Louis and San Francisco
has 1853 miles under contract, with numer-
Gus other extensions surveyed. While the
consolidation OF these two systems will
prevent the construction Of some Of the
lines projected, 1t will hardly affect any
of the work already under way.
The Missouri Pacific is another system
which Is building extensively. It has 491
miles under construction in Louisiana. Ar
kansas and Missouri and has much other
important work laid out. The Wabash,
which, with the Missouri Pacific belongs
to the Gould system, has 2SS miles under
contract or ready for bids on It's eastern
extension, with surveys in progress on the
remaining links necessary to complete its
line through to the Atlantic coast. The
Missouri, Kansas and Texas Is building
1854 miles of new line, most OF which is
located in Oklahoma and Indian territories,
and the Santa Fe system has 298 miles
under contract in Oklahoma, New Mexico
and Arizona, with a still larger mileage
projected.
Southwest in Lead.
The southwestern states have for several
years past added a larger percentage Of
new mileage than any other group. and
the fact that 4,227 miles, or nearly one-half
Of the mileage under contract, are credited
to this group indicates that this percent
age will be increased this year. In Okla
homa and Indian territories work is in
progress on more than 400 miles of road,
all but 357 miles of which are being built
in the interest OF the Rock Island, the
Santa Fe, the ST. Louis and San Francisco
and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas. In
Texas over 1000 miles are under contract,
while Missouri has ISL miles, Arkansas
500 miles and New Mexico 800 miles under
way.
Next to the southwestern states the
southern states will make the largest con-
tribution to the new mileage of the year.
In the eleven states included in the gulf
and Mississippi valley and the south At
lantic groups 2,1OO miles are under con-
tract. With the exception of five states
and territories in the southwestern group,
the state showing the largest projected
mileage is Pennsylvania, where 457 mics
are under contract, 100 miles Of which are
being built by the Pennsylvania railroad
system.
Notwithstanding this great activity in
the building Of new lines, the work of re-
construction is still proceeding on a large
scale. Many of the large systems are en-
gagged in relocation and rebuilding of great
Importance involving the expenditure of
millions of dollars, and altogether 1893
promises to be record year IL the vast
sums to be expended in reconstruction are
added to the millions being absorbed in
the building OF new lines.