10 miles of
railway to every 100 square miles of territory and New Jersey 30.23. In
five years the Prussian territory has increased her railway mileage to
28.30 and New Jersey to a little less than 30.25.
Five years ago, in the Prussian territory, the only double lines
existing were those from Cologne to Treves, from Coblence to Treves, and
the two double lines, one on each side of the Rhine, from Cologne to
Coblence, thus forming the three sides of a triangle. There was also the
double track running from Cologne to Aix-la-Chapelle. These double lines
were fed as commerce required, by only two sets of single-track lines,
all amounting to a little less than 550 miles of traction--a very fair
service, considering the products of the country covered.
In five years, without any apparent industrial and commercial demand for
it, this traction has been increased to nearly twice its length, or to
about 1,020 miles. Villages like Dumpelfeld, Ahrdorf, Hillesheim,
Pronsfeld, and the health resort of Gerolstein of comic opera fame, all
of less than 1,300 inhabitants, have been linked up by double-track
lines with towns like Remagen, St. Vith, and Andernach, whose
populations only range from 1,500 to 9,000.
Exactly what has been done? In the first place the Stolberg-St. Vith
line has been relaid and doubled, and very extensive detraining stations
constructed at various points along it, especially at Weiwertz and St.
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