1 MARCH 1856, Page 31

RAILWAYS IN THE UNITED STATES.

On the 31st December last there were 21,450 miles of railway open for traffic in the United States ; an increase of 2010 miles in the year. At the end of 1850 the mileage was 8850; on the 30th June last, as shown above, the mileage of the United Kingdom was only 8115; but our iron roads are much more substantial and costly, and calculated to bear greater traffic, than the Transatlantic railroads, most of which also are only single lines. The 21,450 miles in America cost, it is estimated, 140,000,000!.; our 8116 cost a trifle more than that-we spent some twenty millions in "law, engineer- ing, and Parliamentary expenses" on the lines that were made and those that were not allowed to be made.

New York has 2733 miles of railway; Ohio, 2702; Massachusetts, 1220; Virginia, 1030; Maine, 520; New Jersey, 457; lAnuadann; 230; Texas, 40; California, 21. There are 296 main lines of railway, and 34 branches and extensions. In the year 1855 the railway accidents, casualties to trains only, _caused the death of 116 persons; of whom, 61 were railway-servants, and 00 Mongers.