WAUPACA  REPUBLICAN

July 20, 1888

 

Railway Catechism.

 

            How many miles of railway in the United States?   One hundred and fifty thousand six hundred miles.

            How much have they cost?  Nine billion dollars.

            How many people are employed by them?  More than one million.

            What is the fastest time made by a train?  Ninety-two miles in ninety-three minutes, one mile being made in forty-six seconds, on the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad.

            What is the cost of a high-class, eight-wheel passenger locomotive.   About $8,500.

            What is the longest mileage operated by a single system?  Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe system – about 8,000 miles.

            What is the cost of a palace sleeping-car?  About $15,000, or $17,000 if “vestibuled.”

            What is the highest railroad bridge in the United States?  Kinzua viaduct, on the Erie Road, 305 feet high.  

Who built he first locomotive in the United States?  Peter Cooper

What road carries the largest number of passengers?  Manhattan Elevated Railroad, New York – 525,000 a day, or 191,625,000 yearly.

What is the average daily earning of an American locomotive?  About $100

What is the longest American railway tunnel?  Hoosac tunnel, on the Fitchburg Railway (four and three-quarter miles)

What is the average cost of constructing a mile of railroad?  At the present time, about $30,000