The Washington times., 1903-11-29

Wonderful is the story of railroad de-
velopment in the United States. in the
figures issued in the annual report OF
the Census Bureau. It is unequaled in
any sort of enterprise in any part of
the world Seventy-six years ago there
was no trackage or rolling stock in the
United States. Today the lines are CAPT
taIfzed at SO. 900. OoOe;S and the distance
covered In more thar. 100000 miles. Up
10 1880 there was nos a foot of railroad
in Florida or Tennessee, or in any of
the territory west of the Mississippi
n was not uI.til sitter the war the
railroad development IA the West be-
ei,n. and Stree then it has grown twice
as fast as that in all other sections OF
the country. Todey one-third of the
freight business Ok the world in mile
age tons goes over these lines. One sys-
tenn. the pennsylvania. including the
Eastern and Western lines. carries more
freight than ali the railroads of any
other country.
First Railroad in Doubt
lust where the first railroad was
constructed in the United States is not
/ a matter Of historical record. and many
are the disputes going on over the mat
Q
was the line over which traffic was first
( carried for business. It is said. however,
upon good authority. that the first line
built for steam cars was the Charleston
and New Hamburg road, in South Caro-
lima. This system was 127 miles in
( length. which, for a time was the long
est In the world. When the war closed
! in 1865 no railroad in the United States
had more than 900 miles OF track, one
| Of the longest being tae Baltimore and
/ Ohio. Today there are ten systems each
having MORE than Il, 900 rifles of track.
And before the coming year ends one
or more OF these systems viii have
I twelve to fifteen thousand miles.
While the trackage has been pushed
across the plains and over mountains
with invincible progress. the develop
rnent in rolling stock and business has
grown apace. The first locomotives
| weighed FIVE and six tons. The ten
ton locomotives from England were
thought to be too heavy. Today there
are plenty Of ninety-two-ton engines
A car at this time was not expected tc
carry more than 2.0O0 or 5000 pounds
The minimum carload today is 1000
pounds. Two hundred tons was the load
limit OF a train. -Four and FIVE thousand
I
was once express speed. Today nearl.
All fast trains make sixty miles az
hour. and runs OF 100 miles have beer
! made
Bridge building and track laying hav'
probably developed faster than the roll
ing stock. It was only few years be
fore the war that the first bridges wer
constructed. Stevens was the father o
them, and when he suggested that strue
lures be constructed across the water
J ways a cry OF horror went up all owe
S the country. The principal objection wa
J. the bridges would sink and evefs tran
attempting to so over them woald b
e lost with all on board. IL Is q fseet ina
? Stevens had to build his first bridge a
: his own expense. the railroads bein
? satisfied. apparently, with the ferries
: II was several years before the preju
o dice OF the country was overcome
Rails Of Wood.
4 As to trackage. the first rails wer
I Of wood. with thin strip OF iron abou
two Inches wide and hale an inch THO
upon them Some Of this trackage