File:American railway transportation (1908) (14757175044).jpg

Identifier: americanrailwayt1908john (find matches)
Title: American railway transportation
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Johnson, Emory R. (Emory Richard), 1864-1950
Subjects: Railroads Railroads and state
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: Mugar Memorial Library, Boston University
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston University

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The accompanying chart shows what the railway mile-age of this country has been at the beginning of eachdecade since the introduction of the new means of trans-portation. In 1830 there were but 23 miles in use. Dur-ing the succeeding ten years the total mileage reached2j818. The account just given of the early history ofAmerican railroads shows that the roads constructed dur-ing the first ten years radiated from several Atlanticseaports, Philadelphia being the most important centerin 1840.^ N^ew York was a larger city, but having espe-cially favorable facilities for water transportation, itsrailway connections were developed somewhat slowerthan were those of Philadelphia. Chart showing Mileage by Decades of the Railways of theUnited States 1830 23 1840 2,818 18501860 9,02130,635 1870 52,914 1880 93,296 1890 163,597 1900 193.346 In the year 1850 the length of the railways in the United States reached 9,021 miles. The growth during 1 Consult map of Pennsylvanias railroad net in 1840.24
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GROWTH OF THE AMERICAN RAILWAY NET 545 the preceding ten years had not been especially rapidoutside of the New England States. The decade 1840to 1850 was not a period of rapid industrial develop-ment. The progress of the country was steady, but com-paratively slow. Railroad building in the SouthernSta:c3 made little headway, and in the Central Westonly three important lines were begun. In New Eng-land, where the country was most thickly populated,the progress was greater, so that by 1850 nearly all thepresent important trunk lines in that section had beencompleted. The ten years following 1850 were far more impor-tant in railroad history than were those of the precedingdecade. The increase between 1850 and 1860 was from9,021 to 30,635 miles. Several facts combined to giveprominence to the years immediately following 1850.The Southern and Central Western States were devel-oping, and thereby creating a demand for greater trans-portation facilities. From the discovery of gold in Cali-for

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