Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-30
WHY THIS BLOCKADE?
The Pennsy Superintendent of Motive
Power Gives the Reason.
A RAPID GROWTH In INDUSTRIES
Gives the Railroads More Business Than
They Can Handle.
WILL BE PUSHED FOR A TIME TO CONE

continued blockade in freight traffic on the
roads centering in this city was given by
two officials of the Pennsylvania Railroad,
| at present in Pittsburg. in the course of
conversation with representative of The
DISPATCH last night. Stated shortly. the
reason for the abnormal condition OF affairs
on the roads is found in the sheer inability
of the companies to handle the traffic, due
solely to the rapid development of industrial
enterprises in this city and its vicinity, for
which no adequate preparation had been
made.
Coming quite within the range of their
| sphere of action there are no persons better
capable of explaining the situation than the
gentlemen referred to, Mr.. f. Sheppard,
superintendent of motive power, and Mr..
c. P. Worthington, chief clerk of the de-
partment, both of Altoona They are here
for the purpose of conferring with the Penn
| sylvania Railroad officials on the present
condition of freight traffic. Mr.. Sheppard,
on being asked to explain the caue of the
block in the traffic, said:
THE BLOCKADE EXPLAINED.
"why, should have thought that you
Pittsburg people would have known all
about that. Don't you know that Pitts
burg has reached, within few years. the
position of being the center of the largest
| industrial district in the world, and that all
| branches of trade right here have expanded
with such rapidity as to have quite out
grown the carrying capacities of the rail.
roads employed in hauling the product of
its enterprises? Every year increases the
number of routes leading out of and sur
rounding Pittsburg, due to the growth of in
dustrial undertakings in the neighboring
localities, and which, with every year, more
and more taxes the powers of the road to
overtake the trade.
with regard to the car service it must
not be forgotten that with brisk business
comes equally brisk competition, producing
greater exactness among trades for certain
classes of cars. namely, those which suit
their particular business the best, and afford
them the greatest facilities for quick loading
or discharge. This matter of distribution Of
cars is one of the most difficult that man
ayers have to deal with. The iron, coal and
coke trades require certain stamp of cars
and the point in management is to have the
cars of certain samples in the required
locality, while at the same time handling
others which from underlined causes may
have accumulated at that point"
THE MOTIVE POWER PUSHED.
"How about the motive power?"
"Well, with regard to that can speak
only of my own division, the main trunk
line, from this point to Philadelphia, but
suppose the Western road is pretty much in
the same way. We have all the business
we can handle, If, indeed, the public will
II Al 4 L
bigger business this year than ever before,
and it taxed our motive power to the utmost.
1t must be remembered that the increase in
the traffic is really very great in recent
years. Six years ago 500 locomotives were
sufficient to handle the traffic between this city
and Philadelphia; the number on the road
now is 1000. Our summer passenger traffic,
which was unusually heavy, is now over,
and we hope to be able to move all freight
age with as much promptitude as possible.
During the winter we have to shorten our
trains. and we are not supposed to carry as
much as during the summer; but we are
preparing to handle the traffic which this
winter will be larger than ever before.
There are IA new locomotives in the shops
which will be on the road bv Christmas,
and the Baldwin Locomotive Works have
% in hand, which they have promised us by
the end of the year. Out of 1000 new cars
ordered we have received 900, so that we
think we shall be able to take care of all the
business we get.'
NO DECREASE EXPECTED.
"Do you look for decrease in traffic dur
ing the winter months?"
"Well, 1 did expect little relief in that
direction during the bad season, but am
sorry to say that as far as can learn from
Philadelphia am doomed to disappoint-
ment We shall not be so rushed as during
the summer, but, from what can learn, we
shall have our hands full for some time to
come"
Both gentlemen displayed great interest
in the difficulty between the founders and
their molders. Five hundred are employed
at Altoona, but nearly all are on contract
work. In connection with the price paid
for molding in his shops, Mr. Sheppard said:
"All the molders earn high wages as COM
pared with rates elsewhere. Indeed, am
rather ashamed to mention what some of
them make beside the usual run of wages
for that class of work"
Both gentlemen return to Altoona to-day,