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Show fFIFTV YEARS OF I BIG HCBEHI The development nf the railroad la the most notable achievement In the nation's history. The world began to develop when cheap transportation was provided, and America has cas-H cas-H led. Within the half century till tho great railroads have been bull; and transportation by rail has been revolutionized. Tho advancement and rapid giowlli of transportation llnea will bo best appreciated by giving tho total mileage mile-age for the different periods: In lSHS there wore three miles of railroads throughout all the country; In 1S30, 11 miles; in 1810, 2.800 miles; in lSoO, 0,000 miles; in 1SC0, 9.S00 miles; in 1S70, 50,000 milo3, In 1S89, 82,000 miles. In 1890. 1C3.420 milc3; In 1900, 194,33-1 miles; In 1910, approximately ap-proximately 210,000 miles. The Pennsylvania railroad Is not only the greatest railroad in America, but In point of traffic and earnings Is the greatest In the world. The operations oper-ations of this great system are on so enormous a scale that wo need a standard of comparison. It is also one of the oldest railroads of the United States, and was originally chartered in 18-IS. Its main lino, built by tho state of Pennsylvania, was opened In lSiil, but operated at a loss until It was taken over by the preseut company com-pany In 1S57. From this tho road has grown steadily to Its present enormous enorm-ous dimensions, until It now represents repre-sents the consolidation of 200 smaller roads. The road originally consisted of iron-plated wooden mils, along which trains rnn "at the marvelous speed of nine mllos an hour," according to a writer or the time. The first steam-drawn steam-drawn tralu "daBhed along at the rate of ten mlley nn hour." Today trains aro drawn over the rails of this great system at a speed exceeding seventy miles an hour. The opening of the Pennsylvania station In Xew York, In November, ranrhed the completion of the greatest feat in the world's building history. The great terminal, situated in the heart of Gotham, cost more than $100,000,000 Hnlf a million persons daily pa6s through the station coming into and leaving New York on 1,150 trains. There are sixteen miles of track In the station, which means thirty-two miles oT single rails in the station itself. In the tunnels there are sixteen miles more of track. The tremendous size of the station can be appreciated by the fact that 12G passenger trains can be unloaded at the same time. There are twenty-one twenty-one tracks within tho depot. On each sldo of each platform It Is possible to draw up six trains at a time for un loading purposes, thus abolishing the usual congestion about a large passenger pas-senger station. The waiting room is 1 10 feet high. 107 foot wide and 4C2 feet long It Is located one level below be-low the street. Three million cubic yards of rock was blasted out to a depth of sixty-one reet In the center or New York to make way tor tho gigantic terminal. Within twenty years the size or engines en-gines has been doubled. For soveral years an American railway has been running passenger locomotives weighing weigh-ing 270,000 pounds each another rond is running rreight locomotives weighing weigh-ing 182.000 pounds each. Locomotives Locomo-tives are increasing in woight and capacity ca-pacity because or Increasing weight of trains and the greater severity of conditions which they must meet. Passenger engines which were considered con-sidered very large ten yonrs ago arc now completely outclassed. Thirty years ago on the best roads where grades were easy and tlio trucks modern, mod-ern, twenty-flvo cars, each loaded "with ton tons of freight, were all that the strongest locomotives could draw. Now thero are from thirty to seventy cars of fifty tons apiece to a train. The air-brake was Invented by George Westlnghouse, Jr., in 1869. Ills first idea was crudo In comparison with that which is crystalized in the best air-brake of today. In 1S73 Mr. Westlnghouse produced the automatic air-brake. In 1SS7 Mr. Westlnghouse Invented the quick-action alve to obviate ob-viate the setting of the brakes on tho forward cars sooner than the brakes on those which followed The very high train speeds of recent years led Mr. Westlnghouse In 1S97 to place on the market a high-speed brake. The railroad mileage of the world Is about 625,000 miles, representing an estimated cost of $50,000,000,000 Tbe United States has about 210,000 miles or railroad, practically built within sixty years. nn . |