The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-01
Mr.. GABBETT STEPS IN.
THE CENTRAL's MANAGEMENT IN
NEW HANDS.


Presentation By the Conductors
Mr.. Gabbett Creates Two New Of
hces-No Changes in the Depart
ments at Present.
Cecil Gabbett became general manager
of the Central railroad system yes
terday. Maj Belknap's last official act
was performed when he attached his sigma
ture to his annual report last night. Yes
terday was his last day at the head of the
system and be wanted to close up every de-
tail of work which was begun by him.
He labored long after the dinner
hour in order to relieve Mr.. Gabbett
Of the trouble and annoyance of having
to trace the work later on.
Mr.. Gabbett arrived in Savannah on the
fast mail from Atlanta. bringing with him
his stenographer, w. II. Bruce. He spent
the entire day in the Office Of the general
manager dispatching with Maj. Belknap
such new business as came up and familiar
izing himself with the work of the Office.
He will assume the duties regularly this
morning.
TO MAKE TWO NEW OFFICES.
Mr.. Gabbett will create two new
important offices, which were talked
of and agreed upon by
himself and Maj Belknap. They are the
Offices of general master Of transportation
and chief engineer of maintenance of way.
To the first Of these positions Capt. Tyler of
Alabama has bean appointed. The other
appointment will be- made soon. The former
officer will be at tue head of the depart
ment. The telegraph service, and such of
the traffic and mechanical departments and
reports from the superintendent as are
classified in his department, Will he reported
TO him, and through him the general man
ager will receive the reports OF that depart
ment.
The duties Of the chief engineer Of main
tenance and way will be to attend to every
thing appertai ing to the road department.
Bridges, crossings, depots, etc, will come
under his supervision, and the road masters
will report to him. SO will the superln-
tendents and other officers report to him
anything originating in their department
but which must be disposed in the office Of
engineer Of the maintenance of ways.
These are two very important offices,
railroad men say. They relieve the general
manager Of u great deal of labor and detail
work, and concentrate the action OF good
many men into a single source. BY this
change head is placed at each department,
and if tie general manager has business
one man.
NO CHANGES IN EMPLOYEES.
Mr. Gabbett said that he will retain
Ste9ographer Bruce and bic chief Clerk
j. NJ. Dawson, but they will be used in the
same capacity as at present They will not
have anything to do with the Central rail-
road business. He will also retain Stenogra-
pher Macdonald aud Chief Clerk Kriegsbaker
as the CentraPs men. Offices will be
placed in the general managers depart
ment for the extra men, and the business
of the Central and of the other four roads
of which Mr.. Gabbett Is connected as presi-
dent, vice aud general manager, will be
carried on as heretofore.
General Manager Gabbett outlined briefly
to MORNING News reporter last night his
work for the next few weeks. The Atlanta
Exposition is going to tax the railroads for
accommodation. With a view to facilitate
that traffic he is going to have the double
track from East Point 20 Atlanta rapidly
pushed forward, and nc thinks that it will
be completed by Oct. 10 at the latest He
viii also consolidtt tie the agencies of the
Atlanta and West Point railroad and that
of the Central railroad at A lanta, and the
Central's yard will be used. Heretofore The
Georgia railroad yard has been used by the
Atlanta and West Point road. Stations
will be put on the double track, one at e Ast
oilit, NuS az IitilCOCh sldbiOn ana one at
Atlanta. All trains going into Atlanta will
use tae right hand track, and all trains
coming toward Savannah will run on the
left hand track
TO INACCURATE THE BLOCK SYSTEM
The Block system will be inaugurated by
Mr.. Gabhett Oh this portion OF the road
The portion of the road between East Point
and Atlanta will be divided into two blocks;
that is, when train starts from East Point
toward Hancock, no train is allowed to fol-
low until the first train is reported "arrived"
at Hancock. When it leaves Hancock
for Atlanta, no train will be per-
mitted TO follow from Hancock
until the first train is reported arrived" In
Atlanta. BY this means it is impossible for
collision to occur. Collisions can only
result on the double tracks by one train
running into the rear of the forward train,
and by the Block system the possibility of
'rearn collisions is removed.
General Manager Gabbett said that ex-
cursions will be run on the other lines which
he operates from Opelika to Atlanta and
on the Central excursions will Re run from
Macon to Atlanta at ! cent a mile fare. On
the Atlanta and West Point railroad he ex-
poets to be pressed for cars. He has secured
as many cars as pos IDLE from the Louisville
and Nashville railroad to facili ate the
business over that line. With the Centraps
supply of cars he does not apprehend any
lack of facilities.
TO INSPECT THE SYSTEM.
Mr.. Gabbett will leave here Friday with
Supt. Hege, TO 60 over the line of the Cen
tral, and also for the purpose of CONSOLIDATE
ing the two agencies IN Atlanta. The
accounting departments and traffic depart
ments of the four roads in Atlanta and
Montgomery will make it necessary for him
TO go to those points as often as three or four
times each month. His headquarters wi IL.
however, be in Savannah, and he will
bring his family here just as soon as he can
secure house. Mr.. Gabbett said that be
finds the Central in a good condition, and
he is going to see that it does not drop be-
low the standard. He is an advocats Of the
new standard rules which Maj. Belknap
has put into operation.
ANOTHER GIFT FOR MAI. BELKNAP.
just as Maj, Belknap, General Manager
Gabbett and Supt. Hege were about to
leave the office last night, shortly before Z
o'clock, several passenger train conductors
filed into the general managers office, and
a pretty plush box was placed on Mai
Belknap's desk, and Conductor B. B. Cub.
hedge stepped in front of the ex-general
manager and, 10 a neat speech, presented
the box and its contents as a token OF
esteem which the conductors enter
tain for Maj. Belknap. Maj BelknaE
expressed his thanks for the gift, and replied
that such manifestations of his former EN-.
ployes' kindness made him feel the regret
of laa wing rnuch keapar mas xr,th q