The Topeka state journal., 1906-06-25

Statistics OF the railroads of the
world, compiled by the Archiv fur
Eisenbahnwesen indicate an increase
OF 1871 miles. or 81 per cent, from
1903 to 1904, which is the largest ad-
dition reported for years. though but
little more than in 1901, the new mile
age in each of the six years down to
1904 having been:
1899 1888 1902 1895
1900 ..-.- 1o,S00 1903 ... 1875
1901 1929 1904 ~ 1871
This shows an increase Of S3,882
miles since 1898 and OF 59,5z9 miles
since 1900, making a total IN 1904 of
50O,155 miles. of which a little more
than half Is on the American conti-
nent "A Y per cent in North America,
and S9 per cent in the United States.
The mileage in each of the grand di-
visions Of the world was.
europe ..-.e.... .........- 1914
asa .-.... ..............- 1874
Africa .-...... ....... 16,2O2
Old world ..........2 25S,950
North America .......-... 249,717
South America ........ 30,258
Australasia -.+.. ......... l6,SlO
New world ............29 ,7s5
OF the additions made in the last
year reported, 1871 miles, nearly
two-thirds was in America and not
one-ffth in Europe, the new mileage
for that year in each continent having
been:
Europe .... ..... 5000
Asia .......:-.--... 1893
AIrlca .--..-.- .-.-...-. 80
America $3.50. II, / SO
Australia zO5
The average yearly increase in Eu-
rope has not varied greatly for some
years. In Asia the only additions of
importance in the last year We're sos
miles in British India. 4ss miles IN
Korea, 2S9 in Japan, 81 in Turkey,
and 50 in China. Russia opened no
new railroad in Asia from 1901 to
1904, but it has opened one line more
than a thousand miles long in Central
Asia since 1904. In Africa nearly all
the new road was In Egypt (281 miles)
and the German colonies (26O milesl.
Since 1904 there has been considerab bic
building especially in British South
Africa and in Egypt and Algiers-
something more than haI was
built in the United States; but the
most notable growth was in Mexico
where 1 720 miles were opened and
more than the total Of the four previous
years. Canada is credited with but 5S3
miles In South America, out of total
addition of 2.S55 miles. 1911 miles were
in Argentina and ! 039 in Brazil. Ecua-
time, with 81 miles of the railroad from
the post Of Guayaquill up to the Andes
plateau.
While Great Britain has less than
twelfth of the railroad mileage in
Europe, and one-fourteentR of that in
America, 1t has four -sevenths of the
Asiatic railroads. nearly two-thirds of
the African, and substantially all the
Australasian lines, making a total of
98 $50 miles in Great Britain and its
colonies, which. with the 213.s s04 miles
IN the United States. gives 31Z054 miles.
or nearly 81 per cent of the railroads of
the world, in the hands of the English
speaking peoples.
The Archiv gives statistics of the cap
ital invested in railroads so far as pos
sible. About 95 per cent Of the Euro
pean railroads have cost $50 OF. .SSS, 600,
or at the average rate of $112.7T per
mile The statistics for the rest of the
would cover seven-eights of the mileage,
whose aggregate cost has been $17, ,463,-
$50, 600, and the average per mile S51,s9l-
The average for the United States was
$50. .s6s.
The total railroad Investment of the
world. providing the mileage not re
ported is of the average cost, was about
S21. 600 600, 900 in Europe and likewise
S21 900, 600, 900 in the rest of the world,
but this goodly sum of $4,000 millions
of dollars amounts to less than SIS, per
inhabitant, according to the latest es-
4i,,,n fos of ffe po011latf0u of the earth