The first charter for a railroad in this country was granted by New Jersey. The Legislature, at the session of 1814 15, chartered the New Jersey Railroad Company, to build a road four rods wide from the river Delaware, near Trenton, to the River Raritan, near New Bruns wick. The country was not then pm pared for the enterprise, and the work was abandoned. The honor of introduc ing railroads was reserved for Massachu setts, and the first road that was built on this continent, was the Quincy Railroad, from the quarry to Neponset nver, which was first used in the year 1827.
At the close of the year 1848, there were 1,614 miles of railroad in operation in New York, and on the 1st of Decem ber, 1849, there were 2,133, showing an increase, in eleven months, of 510 miles. By the let of January, 1850, there were about 150 miles more in operation, which will make the aggregate length 2,283 miles, and the total increase 669 miles. In the State of New York there has been an increase of about 400 miles. In the Southern and Western States, a great many miles of railroad have been opened this year. The total number of miles of railroad put in operation in the United States, during the year 1849, was not much less than 2,000. At the close of the year 1848, it was estimated that there were 6,120 miles of railroad in the United States ; to which add the 2,000 opened, and the aggregate at the close of 1849, would have been 8,120 miles.
New York and Erie Raitroad.—The line is pow open to Dunkirk. The whole cost of equipments, buildings, &c., is about twenty and a half millions of dol lars, and the cost about $38,706 per mile —not counting the machinery and build ings. This is an enormous sum, but the expense of construction is very moderate, considering the difficulties of the work, and the manner in which it has been per formed. The earnings for the year 1850 have been $1,600,300, or $5,000 per mile ; in 1849 they were only $3,697 per mile. This is a great increase, but nothing to what may be expected now that the road is finished. This road runs through some of the grandest mountain scenery in our country. The bridges, cuttings, and gradings are works of great magni tude. The most able engineers and architects have been employed by the company. This road is of a wider track than the common roads in our country. It is now an unbroken line of wide track 543 miles long, and at the rate of 30 miles per hour, a traveller will be able to reach Erie from New York in 18 hours.
The State of Georgia has been much improved by the lines which traverse it. By the Central Railroad of 191 miles, and the Macon and Western of 101 miles, she has a direct communication with Atlanta, distant, in all, 292 miles, through the heart of the State, embracing its richest regions, which field is widened by the cross lines of the Southwestern and the Macon and Columbus roads, stretching to different points of the valley of the Chattahoochie and the borders of Ala bama; and the intended extensions, northward from Atlanta, of the main central route to Nashville on the one side, and to Knoxville on the other, will open to her the vast and as yet undevel oped wealth of Tennessee.
In Indiana, 1,205 miles of railroad have been projected, and 212 bavo been com pleted.
• The following is a summary of the prin cipal lines of railroad in the United States: It is calculated that at the end of 1851, there will be 10,600 miles of railroads in operation in our country ; and with those which have already been contracted for, there will be 2,000 miles more construct ed in 1852. NO country in the world can equal ours for the number of railroads.
Besides the lines in this country, other lines are in contemplation ; such as the Canadian line connecting Halifax with Montreal and the Isthmus.
The Panama Railroad. The Panama Railroad progresses very slowly, but it is said that it will be finished in three years. There are but three stations formed at present. There will be one inure, mak ing four from Navy Bay to Gorgona, as follows :-1st, Navy Bay, the commence ment; 2d, Gatun, about 7 miles from Navy Bay ; 8d, Bohia Soldado, (soldier's camp); 4th, Juan Grand, (Great John.) The distance from Navy Bay to Gorgona, by railroad, is 28 miles ; the Chagres River will be crossed by a bridge, 17 ID i les this side of Gorgona. Nothing has been done or commenced on the other side of Gorgona, nor will there be until this is finished. ?here will be some stu pendous work between Gorgona and Panama—a tunnel is to be made of about 3,000 feet.
The air line distance from Chagres to Panama, is 307 miles. The highest point of land on the line of road between Gor gona and Panama is 320 feet above the Pacific. The Pacific is 12 feet 6-100 high er than the Atlantic. The greatest rise of water known at Panama, 22 feet ; the least, 10. There are swamps between Navy Bay and Gatun 24 feet lower than the Atlantic. The grade of the road from Navy Bay to Gorgona, 26 feet to the mile; Gorgona to Panama, by mule path, 22 miles ; Cruces to Panama, by mule path, 17 miles ; Isthmus of Tehuantepec, air line distance between the Atlantic and the Pacific, 182 miles ; Nicaragua, air line distance between the Atlantic and the Pacific, 90 miles.