Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-03-23
new line FINISHED
TRANS-CONTiN LINE IN
AUSTRALIA MEANS MUCH.
Comparable in Way With Opening of
Union Pacific Nearly Half Gen.
fury Ago-State Roads Form
Connecting Links.

Forty-one miles of track are now
needed to complete the Australian
transcontinental railroad, according to
correspondent of the Philadelphia
Commercial museum. The importance
of this news can hardly be Overesti-
piece of trackage promises to have an
influence on Australian development
comparable in way with that eXerted
upon the development of this country
nearly a half century ago. The imme-
date effect will be to link up the CAPT
tails of the five continental states of
the Australian commonwealth by es-
munication from Brisbane on the east
through Sydney, Melbourne and AIDE
laide, to Perth on the west, distance
just little short of $500 miles.
The Australian transcontinental rail-
road has been long in the building, and
is the result of linking up of Isolated
stretches of lines constructed in and by
the different states rather than of a
carefully matured program of develop
ment. By the year 1889 railroad COM
municatiOn had been established be-
tween the four capital cities of Bris-
bane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide
a distance Of 1,790 miles, through the
connecting at the borders of the state
railroad lines of Queensland, New
South Wales, Victoria and South Aus
tralia, which line was in time extended
from Adelaide northwest to Port Au,
gusta, 260 miles. About the same time
West Australia had built a state
railroad eastward 1913 miles from Perth
to Kalgoorlie, in the heart of the gold
fields.
Nothing was done looking toward the
tracking of this l, (s63-mile gap between
Port Augusta, in South Australia, and
KalgoOrlie, in West Australia, until
1907, when the Australian government
ordered preliminary survey of line
to connect these extremities of the ex
listing lines from the east and west. As
result of that survey the common
wealth decided, four years later, to con
struct the railroad as government
line. Work was started at both ends
September, 1912, and construction has
progressed so rapidly that there now
remain only Al miles of track to con
meet the Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie
divisions.
1t is improbable that the opening Of
the first Australian transcOntinenta
line will have the same immediate eff
feet as did the opening of the frs
American transcontinental line. The
Australian railroad, and more particu
larly the 1000-mile stretch between
Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie, passes
through relatively poor and barrer
land, which does not now seem suscept
ible of the same agricultural develop
ments as the land pierced by the Unior
Pacific.
The largest results cannot be expect
ed from the Australian trunk line be
cause of the lack of uniformity o.
gauge throughout its length, a defec
traceable to the different gauges adopt
ed by the different states In the frs
days of railroad building.
In the trip from Brisbane to Peril
four transfers of passengers anC
freight will be necessary, and the trou
BILE, delay and added expense of thes'
transfers, already Of appreciable mag
nitude along the eastern section of thu
line, will naturally become more seri
GUS along the entire line as the volume
of business increases.
Notwithstanding the defect, which
the government is already preparing tt
remedy, the completion of the trans
continental railroad will undoubtedl,
facilitate interstate trade and, in con
junction with its principal branches
will allow the produce Of inland area'
to find it's natural outlet at the neares
port.