The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-03
THE RAILWAYS in 1894
FREIGHT TRAFFIC LIGHTER THAN
IN ANY YEAR SINCE 1850.
shows Failing on-The Passenger
business Disappointing.

The official train records of the fifteen
roads centering at Indianapolis show that
in the year ending Dec 81 there were re-
ceived and forwarded at this point a total
or 1,l250l0 cars, 878, 1873 being loaded This
is 25. 4S4 fewer loaded cars than were handled
at Indianapolis in 1898. and 1872 1O7 fewer than
in 1892, which was the most prosperous year
with Indianapolis roads. In the above foot
ings one thing should be borne in mind that
Is, with each year the use of larger box and
stock cars increases, and while it will not
offset the falling off in loaded cars it is
more important cause of the large decrease
as compared with the movement of 1892,
than this branch of traffic would naturally
be credited with
In looking over the comparative statement
1t will be noticed that the whole loss was
In the first half of the year-August, Sep
TENDER, October, November and December
all showing larger movement of loaded
cars than in 1898. This is certainly an en-
couraging feature OF the situation. The
average car movement per week was 16, 1887.
against I7,416 in 1893, and against 2O,192 in
1892 The first half of the year the empty
car movement was unusually light, while
the last three months of the year it largely
exceeded that of the corresponding months
of 1888 review of the business of 1894
vsho<vs considerable falling off in export
tonnage in flour. ceraline products and pro-
Visions of which Indianapolis is a large
shipper. More export live stock was shipped
than In 1898. The shipments of grain and
-four and OF cerealine products to New York
and New England points in 1894 were some
what in excess of 1898, while the shipments.
of provisions and produce averaged well
with the last two years. The shipment of
excess tnf N ives r.
bound tonnage the difference this year as
compared with 1898 is not as noticeable,
lower class freights of fully 60 per cent. is
shown. The shipments West Of iron struc-
tural work glass and nails were exceeding
~ light. and the shipments of coal and
coke by no means reached the usual late
summer and fall volume. Local business
months being light, April and May improv-
Ing somewhat dropping to a minimum in
June and early July, then Improving some
Of the year, SO that, taken in the aggre-
gate local business makes a more favorable
active movement Of live stock and Of the
new corn crop. which was ready to be har-
vested unusually early, proved Of great
The vandalia, the Indianapolis & Vim
cennes and the Indianapolis, Decatur &
Western came nearer handling their aver
age of loaded cars than did any other of
the roads The Big Four and the Pennsyl
vania lines recovered much of their lost
AFounu III OctODeT, november ana DeC6fIl-
Der. The vandalia. the st. Louis division
of the Big Four and the Bee Line division
of the Big -Four have. as well as the Pan
handle. in the last three months handled
large quantities of cotton and live stock.
The Lake Erie & Western has gone on in
much it's usual way. handling between five
and six hundred loaded cars per week, and
on two or three occasions about 1000 loaded
cars. The Cincinnati, Hamilton Dayton
the first half of the year, and in July also
kept up to about its usual volume of bust
ness, but 1t is evident that the deal by
which the Pennsylvania comes into fuller
control of the Vandalia has told on the
through business OF the c., H. & ID. The
Monon held it's ownAthe greater part Of the
year suffering more in its business the last
three months than any preceding months
in the year. A heavy run of coal from the
Ohio river to northern points during the
strike helped the G., H. & d and the Monon
handsomely in the years exhibit. There
is one feature of the business of 1894 which
Is deserving of mention; rates have been
better maintained than in either of the last
five years, and especially is this true of
local freight rates.
Below Is given the loaded car movement
at this point by months for the year 1894
and the movement of the corresponding
months of the four preceding years: