The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-28
Some Figures
OF Interest

= ~ ss4t ~ AAtho beskA tLit lhSF ed1tYln III
branches Of industrial pursuits in the
United States during recent years that
the railroads. which have been the
great factor in bringing about this
Development are constantly taxed to
their utmost In coping with the per.
picking problem OF handling this
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT tonnage prompt.
(ly. With all lines of manufacturing
plants constantly increasing their ca
pacity, It Is but natural to expect that
the railroads should be confronted
with a shortage OF motive power and
equipment with which to transport
the business and inadequate terminal
facilities to handle It.
In a recent article Mr.. Richard n.
Edmonds. editor of The Manufacture:
ers' Record, of Baltimore, discussed
the difficulties OF the railroads In a
most interesting manner and produc.
ed statistics showing why the railroads
have not been able to catch up with
the procession Of expansion In the
United States.
Mr.. Edmonds said that in the year
1880 the United States had 20 miles
of railroad, and the following decade,
1910. the trackage was $50 miles. In
1850 the mileage was 1921, while In
1860 the mileage had increased over
$1,000 miles. or to S8.626. In 1870. this
increase was still apparent, and In
about the same proportion as the pre-.
vious decade, and the mileage was
52,922. In 1880 1t was 92,267, and in
1890. 166.703. while in 1900 1t was 1884,.
262 In 1905 the mileage of the rail.
roads In the United was 2l7,350. and
at the close OF the year 1905 1t was
estimated that there were 2ss, 1000
miles Of railroad lines being operat-
ed In the country. These figures do
not take into consideration the miles
and miles Of sidings and double track.
ing in the country, but include only
the mileage Of main lines.
It is interesting, when noting, the
great increase III the mileage OF the
country. decade by decade. to review
the almost incomprehensibIe figures
showing the additions made to the
equipment by the addition of such an
enormous amount of rolling stock. In
1896 the number Of cars, both passen.
ger aud freight, in use In the United
States was 1.265. f8S, and In 1900 the
number had increased to 1,778,Ss4, or
greater than the half decade proceed
ing it, and in the year 1905 there were
1,79s,f34 cars in use, showing an In
crease over the preceding half decade
of 293,03s. The number OF locomo-
tives added since 1895, and by half
decades. shows that In 1900 the mum.
Der had increased from 3G.6i0 to 49,.
065, and In 1905 there were 1866 To-
comotives in use on the railroads of
the country, far exceeding the figures
Of the previous Ave years. Ysp
That all these cars and locomotives
have not been idle will be seen by a
glance at the voluminous traffic han
died by them. In 1895 the ton mile
age-or the number of tons transport
ed one mite-was ss,567776,s sol, and
in 1900 this ton mileage had increased
to 141 ,162 ,1o9,413. While the increase
of the last half decade was not as
great as the preceding one, the ton
mileage In 1905 reached 1s7.375,e21, ;
$50.
The passenger traffic OF the United
States has shown increase, as will be
seen by the following figures: In 1896
the number of passengers hauled one
mile was 12,642,2O2.551, and in 1900
these figures had increased to 16,313,.
2s4,471. During the next half decade
the passenger traffic of the United
States showed up better than freight
traffic, because there had been an In.
crease of over seven billion In the
number of passengers handled the
previous half decade, making the FIG.
ures o6,420,66s.
Owing to the constant improvements
being made by the railroads and the
addition OF more powerful locomotives
and freight cars Of much greater ca,
pactty, the freight tonnage has In,
creased by greater percentage than
has either the increase in the mum.
Der Of cars and locomotives or mile,
age Of track. While the railroads are
ever trying to catch up in the way Of
improvements, the abnormal growth
of business is SO great that it seems
impossible to provide additional track
age, cars and motive power fast enough