Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-11-03
THE GREAT GRAIN BLOCKADE.
Western Railroads Cannot Begin tic
Handle the Cars.
No Relief by Means of the Lake Vessels
Buffalo blocked and all Traffic May be
Cut off From the East.

No Relief by Means of the Lake VESSELS
Buffalo blocked and all Traffic May be
Cut off From the East.
CHICAGO, Oct. 27.-As yet there has
been no relief afforded to the growing
grain blockade in this and other grain
receiving cities Of the country. Unless
something is specially done the conse-
quences that must necessarily ensne will
be serious. Elevators cannot be built in
order to receive the coming grain and
once it is on the cars nothing can be
done with it until it is unloaded to eleva-
tors somewhere or transferred TO lake
boats.
But there is no relief at hand from the
lake boats, and in consequence grain
freights were at u standstill to-day.
Shippers arc Offering two cents on small
lots Of wheat, but adyices from Buffalo
arc so unfavorahle that vessel men are
at great delay in getting their boats un-
loaded. The blockade in the grain trade
at Buffalo is daily growing worse. To-
day brokers' offices are flooded with
kilograms asking what dispatch can be
given shipments. The inyarable answer
is, mo room for any more grain at
Buffalo"
BOATS ON THE LAKES TIED UP.
Canal boats which were expected to
return this week have been held in
Newark because there was no room to
unload there. Coal shippers, who have
large shipments to go forward before
the close of navigation, are becoming
anxious on account OF boats being
tied up there with their grain cargocs
on board. Several Of the western roads,
alarmed at the way grain cars are piling
up, not only here but at other western
grain receiving points, instructed their
agents to load no more grain until fur
Their orders. But more than 10000 cars
are already loaded on western tracks
and ell route to Chicago. Unless the
10000 and more cars already here are
unloaded there is danger of the greatest
blockade ever known.
The hopes of eastern lines are that
eastern roads will find means of doing
away with the blockade, but no en-
| couraging word has yet come. On the
other hand, but little grain, compare
| lively, will be received by Chicago east
| bound lines. Probably five thousand
cars were refused by them yesterday
and nearly as many to-day. They will
not run the risk of letting their cars go
beyond their eastern termini, and they
only load for through shipment when
they are guaranteed promt return of
their cars. The consequence is that but
| few more cars are sent east than are
necessary to hold back west-bound
traffic.
COULD USE FORTY THOUSAND CARS A
DAY.
The natural result of this is that the
demand for cars east has been redoubled
in the west. The st. Paul is 1000 be-
hind in its orders, the Atchison is prob
ably 5000 behind, and a conservative
estimate is that western roads could,
if they had them properly ordered ac-
cording to demand, load 10000 cars to-
day. These 10000 loads would repre-
sent only the traffic whose owners were
ready for transportation, and would
cause but the slightest decrease in regu-
lar business,
1t is a position they do not often &C.
cupy, but freight men are engaged a
large part of their time in fighting off
THAR traffic. The main trouble is that
four.tifths of the business is east-Dound
and long lines of cars must be hauled
back for new loads. in Chicago one
would almost think the switchmen or
other trainmen were on strike by the
way the freight cars are banked up along
the river and in the yards of the western
roads. These cars, if placed in line,
would reach for many miles and are
bristling with loads.
While the wheat crop of the country
this year is more than one hundred mil
lion bushels less than last year the
country roads are SO much better than q
year ago that the farmers are rushing
every bushel they can to market. The
farmers are sending wheat to market
that they have been holding back for
higher prices and can't afford to hold
longer. The yardmasters and freight
officials here arc at their wits end.
MAY STOP PASSENGER SERVICE.
81 never saw it so bad BEFORE" said
one. 1--WE don't know what to do for
cars, as cars are as thick as locusts and
we can't hardly make up our regular
trains. If this thing keeps up we will
have to dump our passenger cars in the
have for the cars loaded with grain"
There is not an elevator in all the
west that is not filled to bursting. There
ID u IllDHOlply dbpuI llC lGpOlls lldJ
come from the towns west of here. 1t is
the same story of jammed side tracks
and inability to clear them. All along
the line of the Santa Fe & Union Pacific,
and in all the lines running through
Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and North
and South Dakota, there is but one re-
frain.
The feeling is general, however, that
matters couldn't be worse, and for that
reason they are expected to right them
selves. Duluth seems to think that in
couple Of weeks the big rush of grain
will be over, and Kansas City reported
the same thing to-day, adding, however,
that orders had been sent to agents OF
all the western roads running in there
not to receive any more grain for ship.
ment just now.
NEGRO COLONIZERS.