Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-15
TRAFFIC BADLY DELAYED.
The P. g. W. Leaves the Junction and
B. g. 0, Roads in the Lurch.
MANAGER M'DONALD EXPLAINS
And Claims the Coke Strike is Responsible
for the Trouble.
NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THE BUSINESS

Trouble is brewing between the PittsburE
Junction Railroad and the authorities of th'
Pittsburg and Western. For some tint
past freight cars have been accumulating a
an extraordinary rate in the yards of the
former road, and also along the siding o.
the Baltimore and Ohio Company. 1t ii
claimed that it is almost impossible to get
the Pittsburg and Western to receive any
west-bound freight, and that if the blockade
continues to grow in size, as it is now doing
business will be practically suspended ovel
the junction road.
An idea of the size of the blockade can
only be gathered from an actual visit to the
yards of the interested companies. The
Junction is a special sufferer. Long trains
of cars filled with various kinds of freight
lie on its sidings, cover the bridge and in
ard around Willow Grove extend as far as
the eve can see. The Baltimore and Ohio
railroad has considerable freight laid up at
Glenwood and other points in and around
Pittsburg.
The coke men seem to be largely inter
ested in this matter, but they are very re-
ticent They are unwilling to offend the
officials of any of the roads concerned, and
while several of them were interviewed
none would allow the publication of their
names.
COKE MEN FIGHT SHY.
They admitted that they had been notified
by Superintendent Ward, of the Junction,
of the existence of blockade. but professed
&c hor for fbar-
cerned in it. One of them stated positively
that he had 100 cars of coke lying there for
over a week, and with little prospect OF
getting it to his consignees in the proper
time.
''Whyr' he said, Gears are coming into
the junction yards at the rate of from 125
to 200 per day. while the Pittsburg and
Western is only taking from 25 to so away
in the same time 1t would be very nice
problem for someone to solve when the
blockade will be ended, if this manner of
decreasing it continues"
The first intimation of the existence of
blockade came from authorities high up In
the Junction road. They were highly in
dignant at the way in which affairs were
being conducted. According to their state
ments abont 1,300 cars, loaded with all
kinds of freight, are now lying in the yards
of the Plttsburg Junction and Baltimore
and Ohio roads, and that cars are constantly
being received more rapidly than the Pitts
burg and Western handles them. The
blockade began, they say, about two months
ago, and has been steadily increasing ever
since.
Superintendent Patton, of the B. & O.,
agreed in placing the number of blockaded
cars at 300, and places the blame on the
o44S sa1c u
not inclined to talk very much, stating sar-
casticaily that it would take someone
thoroughly conversant with freight matters
to understand the situation. Something,
however, would have to be done, and the
sooner a change was made the better il
would be for all concerned.
M'DoNKLD TAKES A HAND.
When Mr.. Mcdonald, of the P. g. w.
road, was approached by DISPATCH re-
porter, he was outspoken in his views.
When asked if it was true that they were
only handling from % to so cars per day,
he said: "Well, people who make statements
like that generally have not much regard
for the truth. " e have been moving nearly
100 cars for the junction road every day,
and have only fallen below that number
when some accident has happened along the
road.
'Of course quite a number of cars are
standing on the junction tracks; in fact,
there is always a considerable number there
at all times. Some time ago the B. and o.
officials reported $50 tied up and there are
no more than that tied up at the present
time This shows that we have since this
last report been handling the freight as fast
as it has been received We cannot do i'm
possibilities, The grades on our road are
very steep; we can only haul from Is to %
cars at a time, and we have only got 13
engines to attend to this part of the work
We will move these cars as soon as we can
but our own peculiar business is more i'm
portant to US, and we are not going to suffer
in the meantime.
RESULT OF THE COKE STRIKE.
"The real facts in the matter are these:
During the strike in the coke regions.
quite a number of cars accumulated in these
regions. When it became known that ii.
C. Frick intended to buy up as many coke
plants as possible, and the price of coke
was, therefore, in danger OF. going up, con-
sumers became anxious to lay in a supply
of coke. The cars up there were hastily
loaded, and they were shipped on us SO
rapidly that the blockade resulted During
the months of July and August the juno
tion road did a rushing business, and
of course the officials of that road
are anxious to make as much
money as possible. Now the junction has
immense yards in which to store freight
while we are very deficient in that respect.
We could take these cars off their hands
and put them on our road, but we would
stop utterly all locomotion along the line
by such an action. We are not doing any
thing rash.
"Our rates are one-ffth less on freight
this year than they formerly were, and still
our profits are much greater than before.
This proves that we must have handled an
increased tonnage, and the Junction is
among the ones benefited, There is no
necessity for this kicking.
CARS LOADED WITH TANBARK.
"Many of the blockaded cars are loaded
with tanbark for Allegheny City, and it is
often the custom to let these cars stand for
months before unloading them. Besides
we only make switch fees. that is 81 so per
car on all freight due Allegheny City, and |
it would be folly to expect us to handle this |
kind of business to the detriment of better |
paying freight. We have endeaVored to |
lease engines from various roads, without i
avail. Several new ones are being built |
for the road, however. and they will be |
ready in month or two. When that time |
comes we will be able to handle freight bet
ter and will be in less danger of block
ade''
The coke men do not credit the statement
that the strike and subsequent events are
responsible for the blockade. Besides, the
junction officials state that VERY few of the