The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-01
SNOW ON THE RAILWAYS.
Losses to Which Companies Are Subjected by
Temporary Suspensions of Business.
Special to the indianapolis Journas.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
NEW YORK, Jan. 3L-The snow blockades on
the railroads has cost the companies great deal
of money. General Super intendent Thompson,
of the New York Central & Hudson River. said
to your correspondent: ut costs a railroad like
this between five and eight thousand dollars q
day for the extra expenses necessitated by a
snow blockade. We have very few such exper-
fences, and an not therefore able to give you
an itemized statement. / do not take into
sideration in this guess the loss perishable
freight or passenger traffic We always select
the perishable freight in case of blockade and
aim to push that through at all hazards. In
that term include dressed meat. It does not
suffer any harm from being frozen, to be sure.
but it would spoil it, after being frozen, it
allowed to thaw. There is not nearly much
perishable freight at this time of year
as any other. Our appliances for removing
snow are not the best, for the reason that
seldom have any trouble of that sort. In
the present instance the blockade caused
by the fact that the ice the Hudson river
was frozen solid and that the snow would not
pack on it. With the wind blowing strongly
from the northward the light snow was blown in
drifts to the tracks We could not get men
enough at such short notice to more than clear
that, if another blizzard came along in the same
direction, it might get back there again. We
do not, however, apprehend much danger from
it."
''Hsve you any idea of the amount lost TO the
railroad through the falling off in the number
of passenRersl" your correspondent inquired.
~ do not doubt il was considerable. The
blockade on our road lasted less than twenty
four hours, and know the loss will exceed
SIS, 900. How many people have given up
tended trips of course cannot say. 1t is prob
1ematical They may have only put off travel
anything. AS freight, the men intending to
ship it will have to send it sooner or later l
suppose that the New England railroads have
lost more money in this way than we have, be-
cause their blockades more extensive and
last longer. The blockade our road extended
only from Cold Springs to Syracuse"
From your knowledge of railroading, what
do you think of the losses sustained by the
Western railroads, where blockades occur for a
week at timer"
Their losses are very heavy and must make
considerable inroad into their annual dvden1s.
They are of course prepared for long sieges, and
have all the most improved snow -plouehs and
other assisting agents that have been invented.
With them there is unquestionaby loss on
freight l refer not orly to perishable
goods, but also to the fact that merchants will
not send freight when they that there
small chances of its being delivered within a
effect uron trade, as buyers cannot get aroand
to inspect goods nor drummers to display them.
A blockade of a week on this road would cost rs
a great deal more than $780, 900, and / suppose
that the large Western roads would lose not
much less