Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-25
CINCINNATI's SOUTHERN TRADE.
Delay In the transportation of
Freights.


FreIghts.
Some eight or ten days since we publish
ed the proceedings of meeting held at
Cincinnati to investigate the cause of the
delay in shipments to the South. At that
meeting a committee was appointed to pro-
ceed to Louisville to look into the matter,
and report at subsequent meeting. We
find in the Commercial the following report
from that committee:
The committee appointed at the meeting
held at the Board of Trade rooms Oct. ID,
respectfully report that they went to Louis
vile on the night of the 10th and spent the
18th in visiting the different departments,
examining the books, interviewing the diff
ferent officers and employees of the lines and
obtaining such outside information as they
could.
They ascertained the following facts:
About three weeks since the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad was blocked with an ex =
cess of freight, occurring, it is stated, in
consequence of failure of their connecting
lines to return cars promptly, and in con-
sequence of the great excess of freigh t
thrown upon them by the combined infiu-
ence OF the Cincinnati and Louisville Ex-
Positions. At this time about one hun
dred and fifty carloads of freight accumu-
lated in their depot, and one hundred and
fifty to one hundred and seventy-five car
loads at the Short Line, Mail Line, and o.
and NJ. depOts.
Since this time, from all the evidence we
have been able to obtain, there has been
no detention az the Louisville and Nash
vile depot, and a perfect, fair and equa-
bic distribution of their facilities to the diff
ferent connecting lines from Cincinnati and
Louisville shippers has been given. From
all the evidence we are satisfied that the l..
and n. r. r. has been at all times since the
first Of October equal to the task of carry
ing all the freight brought to it, and the
Superintendent claims his ability to carry
fifty car loads a day more ifthe freight was
furnished them. They took during Sep
tember 165 car loads per day, and are now
carrying but 125.
Inc trouble, therefore, evidently lies
with the contributing lines. We found the
Snort Line apparently folly up in all its
business, with ample facilities for transfer
of goods promptly to the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad, and on examining their
books could find no important detention
since Oct. l, but the road has not sufficient
rolling stock for the heavy fall business.
Out of over 800 cars, they are able to fur
nish only about seventy for through busi-
ness, and they average not over sixty, max
ing thirty each way daily. They have, they
state, adopted the policy, since Oct. 1, OF re-
ceiving enough freight for these cars. Pre-
vious to that time there was much deten-
ton Of freight on this line.
We found the mail line nearly cleared of
goods at their wharf, in Louisville, but the
low water materially interferes with their
efficiency al present. For a time their
wharf boat had been very much crowded
with Southern freight, and the practice of
pIing fresh arrivals on the previous re-
ceipts had resulted in but detentions to the
freight first received, as it was the last to
go.
The o. and NJ. r. r., are. laboring un-
der the disadvantage of having insufficient
facilities for the proper transfer of their
freight to the L. and n. r. R., only being
able to transfer about twenty-five to thirty
car loads day, while they have been carry
ing much more. The consequence is that
large numbers of cars, at times as high as
one hundred We have been informed, have
been left on the side tracks at Jefferson
vile, and serious delays resulted, goods be-
ing often ten to fifteen days before being
transferred to the l.. & n. r. R., and some
now out fifteen or sixteen days and not
yet transferred. They are now overcom-
ing this difficulty by transferring their sur
plus freight in wagons to the l.. & n. r. r.
1t is intended in the spring to extend their
track to the Il. & n. depot, which will
overcome this disadvantage.
Your committee experienced uniform
courtesy from ali the gentlemen connected
with the different roads, and believe they
are using their best efforts to overcome the
disabilities under which they are laboring.
The Louisville and Nashville are having
large additions made to their rolling stock,
and the Short Line c0ntemplates the same;
but your committee cannot fail to conclude
that Cincinnati is in pressing need of a
direct connection South, which will over
come the disadvantage of the transfer at
Louisville.
The lines find it to their interest to en-
ploy their rolling stock for the local busi-
ness, using only the surplus for through
fieight, which is not as profitable, and Gin
cinnati shippers will always be subject to
delays caused by heavy local business or
low water in the Ohio, and, in fact, almost
total suspension of business when there is
heavy traffic and low water combined.
Nothing but an unbroken gauge South,
whether by an independent road or con-
nections, will place US in sure position.
Respectfully submitted,
S. B. SACHS,
W. n. HoBART,
CHAs. ELDER,