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20 MARINE REVIEW. [July 17 SUMMER NAVAL MANEUVERS. Plans are materializing for the naval movements which will precede the joint army and navy maneuvers. The arrangements have been placed in the hands of Rear Admiral Higginson, commanding the North Atlantic station, and he is expected to settle soon matters of general detail, such as the limits within which the enemy's ships may attack, the selection, of a commander for the enemy's force and the selection of the ships which will compose the attacking squadron. An interesting part of the work in both sets of maneuvers will be that assigned to the umpires. Officers will be assigned to each of the ships in the naval maneuvers, and to both ships and fortifications in the joint exercises, to act as judges, and it is understood that the final decision in the greater maneuvers as to whether the army or the navy has been victorious will be rendered by a board of high ranking officers from both branches of the service, probably headed by Admiral Dewey. The task of the individual judges will not be an easy. one, for the entire scheme of the exercises is to be based on probability. For instance, a battleship steams up past one of the Staten Island forts in the dead of night. A searchlight flashes out into the blackness from the fort, finds her, and the gunners ashore train their big weapons to blow her out of the water. Did the searchlight find her in time to have prevented deadly work if it had been real war? Were the guns in the fort trained on her with the requisite precision, or can she be considered as having run the gauntlet, and as flying up the bay to shell the metropolis? This is only a sample of what may be expected in the way of situations open to vigorous dispute from both sides. As soon as Gen. MacArthur takes hold at New York it is expected that he will co-operate with Rear Admiral Higginson in drawing up a complete and definite plan for the games of war between the army and the navy, which begin the latter part of August. The plans for the joint maneuvers are lagging a little, owing to the fact that Gen. Brooke will turn over the command of the department of the east in a few days to Gen. MacArthur, and not until the latter takes hold of the arrangements for the army's part are the plans expected to take definite shape. The battleships Kearsarge, Alabama and Massachusetts of the North Atlantic squadron, which have been laid up for repairs at the New York navy yard for some weeks, will be ready to put to sea this week. Rear Admiral Higginson will transfer his flag from the Olympia back to the Kearsarge, and the squadron will immediately begin active work in target _ practice, drills and evolutions, in order to increase its proficiency, and also with a view to fitting itself for the coming maneuvers. Lieut. Comd'r Niblack, inspector of naval target practice, is now in New York city making arrangements for that feature of the squadron's work. The cruiser Olympia left the Boston yard a day or two ago for New York, where it will be docked and undergo additional repairs, and then will join the other vessels of the squadron. The war game which the North At- lantic squadron will play this summer should give it somewhat of an advantage over the other squadrons which will be assembled at the great naval maneuvers in the Caribbean next winter. RAILWAY MILEAGE PASSES 200,000 MARK. The Railway Age publishes the following article upon the growth of railways in the United States: : _ The railway mileage of the United States has passed the 200,000-mile mark. The figures at the close of 1901 were approximately 199,525 miles, and the construction for the first six months of 1902 brings the total up to 201,839 miles, the track laid during the first half of this year on 155 lines aggregating 2,314 miles. This is nearly 500 miles in excess of the new mileage for the first six months of 1901, when 1,817 miles were built. The total for the twelve months last year was 5,222 miles, and if the same ratio is maintained this year it will readily be seen that the construction for the year 1902 will easily exceed 6,000 miles. Track-laying thus far this year has been distributed throughout forty-one states and territories, the following states reporting no new mileage, although lines are under construction in all of these with the exception of two or three New Eng- land states: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware, Wyoming, Nevada and Idaho. The following table shows the details by states: - TRACKS LAID FROM JAN. 1 TO JUNE 1, 1902. ~ Number Number States. lines. Miles. States. lines. Miles. Alabama) 25 seo. Z Otae | Momwtana-....).:2. 2. 2 52.68 Avizona 2.9.2 | 4 T7005 |. Nebraska ...... 4). 1 12.00 Arkansas 2.0.50... 15 is62) ) New Mexico ....... 4 190.15 California <2.5 4123, 4 mere New Yorke =... 3.) 5 30.80 Colotade. :.. 24 4 49.50 | North Carolina ...; 2 13.50 Connecticut :.144..77 1 e410.) North Dakota .....7 4 27.00 Florida ....4,45. 4 4 M4 | Olio 30 Ge 3 16.70 GeOrgia ..257..8 ut 14 ot) Oklahoma ....:..., 'it 211.00 Piinois --..02. 4.2; 2 toe F Oregon - fencing. 2 10.00 indiana)... 4 44.21 | Pennsylyania..,,.... 9 86.60 Indian territory .... 4 211,00 | South Carolina ..... 1 22.00 tows 8. ko 4 6108: | South Dakots 33... 1 8.20 TeauSas 206 cae 3 45.31 | Tennessee ....;.... 3 15.00 Kentucky. ...-..2... 1 Bod ROXAS Ge cas ee vas 10 236.06 Louisiana, 32.5.2... 6 Doe tan oo, 1 14.50 Maine... 5 2 T2090. | Vermont: .<...4,.... 1 3.00 Maryland... ccc. 1 400 | Virginia o.4,0,...0.. 2 8.00 Michigan ...54. 3 Zoe | Washington ....:.... % 79.30 Minnesota ...0. 626: a 20.81: |: West. Virginia .....; 6 22.21 Mississippi ;.......: 5 A001 |) Wisconsin -......... 1 10.00 Missouri <2... Sue 8 64.84 ee oneness Total in forty-one states and territories ........... 155 --s-.2,314.30- Texas shows the largest new mileage, with 236 miles. Oklahoma and the Indian territory are tied for second place, with 211 miles each, and New Mexico is fourth with 190 miles. Other states showing 100 miles or over are: Arkansas, 186 miles; Georgia, 125 miles; Louisiana, 102 miles, and Illinois, 100 miles, Florida being near the 100-mile mark with ninety- seven miles to her credit. B45 While the new mileage is widely distributed, the greater portion of it is located in the southwest, the five states and territories of Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, the Indian territory and Oklahoma territory con- 'twenty-four miles in Iowa and Missouri; Des tributing no less than 984 miles. The eight states and territories which are usually classed as southwestern states have built 1,143 miles of new line, which is nearly half of the mileage for the entire country. Other group- ings are as follows: New England states, twenty-one miles; middle states, 12i miles; central northern states, 196 miles; South Atlantic states, 287 miles: gulf and Mississippi valley states, 191 miles; northwestern states, 183 miles; Pacific. states, 172 miles. The states west of the Mississippi river have built 1,613 miles, and the states south of the Ohio and east of the Mississippi 380 miles, making a total of 1,993 miles of new lines com- pleted in the states south of the Ohio and west of the Mississippi river. While many of the large systems of the country are building import- ant extensions, the majority of them have laid but little track so far, the first six months of the year having been devoted largely to surveying and grading. Notable exceptions are the Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf, which ° has completed 202 miles in Arkansas, Texas and the Indian and Okla- homa territories, and the St. Louis & San Francisco, which has laid 181 miles in the same states and territories. The Great Northern has built 122 miles in Montana, Washington and North Dakota; the Santa Fe sys- tem sixty-eight miles in Arizona, Oklahoma and the Indian territory; the Missouri Pacific sixty miles in Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri; the International & Great Northern sixty-four miles in Texas; the El Paso & Rock Island fifty-six miles in New Mexico; the Seaboard Air Line forty-five miles in Florida, and the Southern Pacific (Atlantic sys- tem) forty-two miles in Texas. The large systems which are building extensions, but which have laid but little track so far, are the Rio Grande system, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, Burlington system, Northern Pacific, Southern, Louisville & Nashville, Chicago & Northwestern, Chesapeake & Ohio, Baltimore & Ohio, Nor- folk & Western, Illinois 'Central, Missouri, Kansas & Texas, St. Louis Southwestern, Wabash and Oregon Short Line. Two independent lines of importance now under construction are the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake, which has laid twenty-two miles in California, and the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient, which has laid twenty miles in Kansas, as well as twenty-five miles in Mexico. Other inde- pendent new lines, or lines whose identity has not been fully disclosed, have laid track as follows: El Paso & Southwestern, ninety-seven miles in Arizona and New Mexico; Illinois Valley, 100 miles in Illinois; Ar- kansas & Choctaw, eighty miles in Indian territory; Ozark & Cherokee Central, forty-five miles in Arkansas and the Indian territory; St. Louis, Memphis & Southeastern (reported to be backed by the St. Louis & San Francisco), forty-three miles in Arkansas and Missouri; Iowa & St. Louis, Moines, Iowa Falls & Northern, twenty miles in Iowa. The following table shows the building by years for the first six months and for the entire year since 1892, inclusive: First Six Entire First Six Entire Year. Months. Year. | Year. Months. Year. 1802 oe ee 1,367 aie | See oe 1,181 3,018 1803) ce es 1,014 20005) 1809 oo. 2 oo. sy 1,360 4,588 1894 5. §25 POSS | 1000 1,654 4,436 1895 43 641 bee Ee ii, 1,817 5,222 T8906: 3. 788 bS48 1002 2 2,314 aoa 1897... 622 1,880 The new mileage for this year embraced in our table does not include many logging and private roads which are being built for temporary use, but as large as the total is exclusive of such lines, it will undoubtedly be increased by returns from a number of companies which have not yet re- ported, but which have doubtless laid some track. The work of grading is being pushed on several thousand mites of new lines in various sections of the country, and track-laying is just commencing or will begin during July in many places. A good many lines report difficulty in securing rails, and this is the only thing that will prevent the-completion of 6,000 miles or over of new road during the calendar year 1902. MARCONI! LECTURES ON WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY Mr. 'Marconi gave a lecture lately before a crowded audience at the Royal Institution, London,,on "The Progress of Electric Space Teleg- raphy." He said that it might be possible by means of his system to telegraph messages at a speed of several hundred words a minute. At present by means of this detector it was possible to read thirty words a minute. The Canadian government, on the initiation of Sir Wilfrid Lau- rier, had not only encouraged but welcomed the establishment of a station in- Nova Scotia, and had granted a subsidy of £16,000 for the erection of the transatlantic station, the object of which was to communicate with England. Another station for the same purpose was being erected on the United States coast. Experiments from vessels had shown that messages were received from upwards of 1,551 miles from Cornwall, while indica- tions were received as far as 2,099 miles. A result of great scientific inter- est was that at a distance of 700 miles the signals transmitted during the day failed entirely, while those sent at night remained quite strong up to 1,551 miles and the indications at 2,099 miles. He did not, however, think that the effect of daylight would be to confine the work of transatlantic telegraphing to the hours of darkness. Sufficient energy could be used during the daytime. He felt that the day was rapidly approaching when ships would be enabled to be put into communication with the shore across the ocean, and when those aboard ship would no longer be isolated in their information as to what was going on in the world. And what was of great importance was that the system would be found applicable for such great distances as divided Great Britain from her colonies and America. Returns for the six months just ended show the production of all classes of manufactured iron in the north of England district to have been the smallest recorded in the history of the trade. The total was only 41,900 tons, compared with 46,206 tons for the same period of 1901, which was the previous worst half year. Compared with 1899 this year's output shows a diminution of 51 per cent. The semi-annual report of shipping at the port of Hamburg has just been issued. It shows that 6,401 vessels arrived at Hamburg for the half year ended June 30, an increase over the same period of last year of 370. The total tonnage which entered the port in the specified time was 4,318,- 571, an increase over the first six months of 1901 of 159,260 tons.