St. Paul daily globe., 1893-05-02
GETTING TO THE PARK.
Transportation Facilities to and
From the Grounds Given Their
First Test.
Yesterdays Experiences Show
That They Will BE Ample for
All Demands.

CHICAGO. May To-day the trans
portation facilities to and from the ex-
position grounds were given their first
trial. At the time of the dedication
exercises last October none of
these were in complete opera
ton. The Illinois Central ran a
large number of extra suburban trains.
and the cable lines did their utmost, but
they were not quite sufficient to meet
the demand upon them. Today they
were prepared, and the thousands Of
Q and 80 o'clock reached their destina-
ton promptly and in comfort. The
bulk of the downtown traffic came upon
the Illinois Central, which all day long
ran trains of eight cars each at intervals
of Jhree-minutes. This was sufficient
to handle the 1000 people who rode from
its Van Buren, street station every
hour. AT this point the Illinois Central
has erected twelve ticket offices.
six of them being on one long platform
and six on another. From each plat
form trains are to go during the exposi-
ton at three minute intervals. making
one train every ninety seconds. This
schedule will be increased by additional
trains whenever occasion demands.
Today the rush was all upon one plat
form. The other was not quite com
pleted. The excellent manner in which
the road handled 1000 people an hour
today, with but half It'll terminal system,
is strong evidence that it will, when
things are once settled in a regular rOu-
tire, be able to handle with ease almost
three times as many passengers as it
did today.
The Cottage Grove avenue cable line
carried about 5000 an hour, and that
with cars not too badly crowded. They
were full, and he who got a seat was
lucky, but there was no suHocating
crush or rib-breaking jam. Grip cars
with two and three trailers ran to jack
son Park every two minutes. The ele-
waited road was not so fortunate. Its
terminal system at Congress street is
not yet ready, and it was swaInped to-
day. 1t ran trains every three minutes,
but they were pOWerless to dimsnish the
crowd at the station. At the foot of the
stairs Leading up to the depot 4 special
detail of policemen were statlOned, and
several times the rush of the crowd
threw some Of the officers down. They
could not use their clubs, for the people
lay in that fearful pressure of a tremen-
dous crowd, which is one OF the most
forces on the earth, and one
of the most difficult to withstand. The
stairs and platforms were packed to
fearful degree. Many people who had
passed the ticket chopper were unable
10 reach the trains for the best portion
of an hour. The road carried about
q. 600 an hour, and could have collected
fare from almost three times that num-
Der, if they could have found room for
them in the trains.
The boats ran at about thirty-minute
intervals, but the day was toe cold and
the lake too rough for the rOIte to be
very popular. They carried several
thousand people, however. Ii addition
to these means OF reaching The park,
were the Illinois Central regular sub
urban service, which carried fully TO-
900 people to the park during the day,
the electric road and the State and
Sixtv-thrd street cable line, which took
about half that number. Taking the
day. and it was day heavier than the
average will be, as a criterion, it is safe
to say that the transportation to the
park from down town will be ample for
al! demands made upon it.