The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-30
RAILROAD NEWS.
There Are. 611,47S Miles Of
Railways in the World.
Increase of 16,445 Miles Be
tween Years 19O4-S.
NEW WORLD is AHEAD
Has Lead Of 1919 Miles Owe
the Old.
Other Items of General Interest
In Railroad World.

Railway mileage in grand total for
the world at the end of 1908, or at the
time of the official report nearest to
that date, was CHATS miles, This is
according to data just published by a
German railroad journal, which goes
into the mileage for each country for
each of the five years ending with
1908, the increase for the last four
years, the proportion of railway mile
age to area and population and the
capital invested in each country, with
the amount of it per mile.
In the total of 611,47S miles for 1908
there is shown an increase of 61.5o5
miles, or liz per cent since 1904, and
of 16,445 miles (2.S per cent? over 1907
which compares with 1900 miles
which have been built in this country
il a single year. The mileage opened
II. the world in each of the last five
years has been: 1904, 16,50S miles; 1905.
5000; 1906, 1884: 1907, 1882, and 1908.
1G,445. The distribution of railways at
the end of 1908 was as follows: Europe,
202,100 miles; Asia, 5S,91S miles; Africa,
1921 miles, making the total for the
old world 2S0133 miles; North America,
274.372 miles; South America. S9,013
miles; Australasia, 1850 miles, MAX
ing the total for the new world 331, 345
miles. North America thus alone near
ly equals in mileage the whole of the
old world. In the division between
North and South America, the West
Indies. which together have 3,340 miles,
are counted with South America.
America contributed moro than one
half of the increase of 81, sos miles since
1904, the increase being 1880 miles,
and of this Bills miles was in North
America, against 1926 miles in Eur
ope, 10.S30 in Asia, 1874 in Africa and
!, lat in Australia, with which the SO
miles on the Hawaiian Islands are
counted. OF all the new countries of
the world Australia is most backward
dn railway construction.
The most notable fact in the build
ing of railways again is seen in Asia,
and Africa, where the mileage in each
has increased nearly % per cent with
in four years-proportionat faster
than in any other quarter of the globe.
In Africa the lines are chiefly built for
the traffic of mines, etc, developed by
Europeans and unless there should be
an unlocked for occupation of the coun-
try by European settlers there is little
prospect seen of a long continuance Of
this construction, though the mileage
of Africa may be doubled within few
years.
A different situation is seen in Asia,
and especially in China, where a large,
fertile country and a vast population
are in need Of better means of trans
portation. At the end of 1908 China
had very nearly as much railway as
Japan (4,99S miles, against 5,O35) and
its mileage has increased as follows for
the four years ending with 1908: 1904,
1928 miles; 1905, 2,247; 1906, 300; 1907,
4,163, and 1908, 4,e0s miles. This is still
very little for 4 population which counts
by the hundreds of millions, but it is
a good start, and it is expected that
soon and for a long time China will
be the chief field for railway construc-
ton. More thar half of THE ASiatic
mileage is still in India, where addi-
lions are made on a moderate scale
but without interruption.
In Europe the most notable change in
1908 is perhaps the very small amount
built in Russia, only 285 miles. 1t has
still 102 miles less than Germany, which
has little more than half it's population
and only one-tenth of its area. In
South America the chief progress has
been made since 1907 by Cuba (573 miles
or 81 per cent?; Brazil Q,224 miles, or
IL 1-3 per cent?, and Argentina Q,S0O
miles, or Is per cent?. OF the 4102
miles opened in South America in 1908
1857 were in these three countries
Capitalization statistics show that
1896 miles of railway in Europe are
represented by 81, Ass, 100000, which is
very nearly as much as the capital OF
335, 2S6 miles in other countries, max
ing approximate averages of Sl2l, 1893
per mile in Europe and $65,100 for the
rest of the world. This applied to
mileage whose capital is not reported
would make the total capital invested
in railways in the world SOL. 49,, 900 geo.
not including roads such as street and
ri, lines