OCR Text |
Show WILL SPEND A BILLION. Astounding Figures Demonstrate .Growth of our Railroads. Chicago. American railways will spend close to n billion dollars during tho present year in nn extraordinary effort to securo sufficient equipment, power nnd track, Including new roads, to mako it posslblo to handlo tho great amount of traffic being offered to thorn. If tho car nnd locomotlvo builders nnd tho steel rallmakers do tholr part, tho year will bo a rocord ono In tho three Industries mentioned, It is estimated that it the manufacturers manufac-turers aro equal to tho task, botweon 340,000 and 350,000 freight cars to tho total equipment of the railways of th6 United States, fully 50.000 passenger cars and moro than 0,000 locomotlvos will bo ndded to tho steam powor which Is now available. It Is said now that tho railroads will pay fully $92,000,000 for steel rails during thb present year. If this proves true, tho stool mills- will have to turn out about 3,300,000 tons ol that product. Tho output last year was about 3,250,000 tons. It 1b said tho western roada will uso fully 1,-000,000 1,-000,000 tons of rails and that noarly 1,000,000 tons of this will bo lolled In tho eastern mills. |