The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-06

track, dropping just outside of the north rail
and struck on the bottom fange almost every
rail in the eight miles of its course to Piqua. OF
the 1880 rails in that section 135 had pieces
broken out, ST. received hard blows, and 100
light ones, while many of the rails that showed
no injury have since yielded, SO that the whole
track will be relaid $40 tons of sxtypound rails,
costing $ll 900, but the old material being avail
able IN yards sldings, ETC., so as to reduce the
absolute cost of the steel to $4,000 There is
something not very pleasant in the thought that
rails may be SO damaged by broken wheels that,
although they give no apparent indication of be-
ing dangerously weakened, the very next train
may break them, with disastrous results. One
of the officials says cases in which trains have
been wrecked by broken rails have not been
rare, but he does not remember ever to have
heard of a case before where the train escaped
and miles of permanent way were ruined A
seven-dolar wheel, if it misses wrecking train
to which tits attached may yet destroy an in
definite number Of steel rails.
The Union Depot Project at a Stand-Still.
Unpleasant as it is to say that the new Union
depot enterprise is at stand-still nevertheless
the statement is true, the presidents and man
ayers of the several roads comprising the Union
Railway Company not being willing to expend
81 000 900 in such improvements unless they
have the power to control the property and die
tate on what terms renting roads shall be given
the advantages in terminal facilities which the
Union Railway Company offer. The facts in
the case are as follows One year ago the pres
ent Union Railway Company was organized at
which time the /. & ", the l. e. St L., the l., b.
e. W. and the l., D. & S. roads were taken in
as members, on terms perfectly satisfactory to
them, while the Wabash and the L., N. A. & c.
approved of the plan as renters, and have acted
harmoniously with the Union Railway Com
pany, which terms were that each road should
pay certain annual interest on the appraised
value of the property of the Union Railway
Company the appraisement to be made by the
chief engineers of the several roads comprising
the Union Railway Company. Further, each
road running trains over the Union tracks, or the
Belt road, should share the expense of maintain
ing the Union tracks and Belt road on the actual
use of said tracks made by the respective roads,
basing such expense on the actual wheel mileage.
This arrangement seems satisfactory to all roads
centering here, except the Cincinnati, Hamilton
q Dayton, the management of which lay back,
SO to speak, and say We will pay $500 per
month rental as In past roaa
have for year past been sharing their
proportionate burden under the plan upon which
the Union Railway Company was reorganized.
The suit brough Saturday last for rental against
the c., H e. d. company was for sum pro-
portionate with that paid by other roads and no
more 1t is to be regretted that the c.. H. e. D.
management have taken such stand, as of late
years the road has made many warm friends, as
is evidenced by their handsome increase in bust
ness since 1882. The company is now running
eight passenger trains in and out of the Union
Depot daily, against four three years ago, and
handling 500 TO 800 loaded cars at indianapolis
per week now against 200 to 300 three years ago.
The only excuse yet offered, that we have heard
of, is that they are too poor to pay
any larger sum than $500 per
month for use of the Union tracks, the Belt
road and the Union Depot. Then again they
say they have all the facilities they need with
the present accommodations. Yet. in the face of
all this poverty pleading, the road has just de-
claired per cent dividend, and is the only In
dianapolis road, the T. III. & l. excepted, which
has paid a dividend in the last twelve months.
1t could hardly be expected that the Union
Railway Company will proceed to spend money
layishly in improvements at this point, if road
can maintain the position assumed by the c., H.
q ID. people. Under the reorganization plan no
road pays for anything but the terminal facli-
ties it enjoys. No one road can profit at the ex-
pense of another.