The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-09

The last party of west bound Chris
tian Endeavor excursionists Will have
TO leave here at noon today in order to
reach San Francisco within the time
TO which the cheap rate tickets are
limited There will probably be a few
struggling parties pass through here to-
day but practically all of the heavy
travel closed Wednesday night and
yesterday morning. so far as this point
is concerned. The regular noon train
over the Rio Grande Western came in
yesterday in only one section for the
first time in a week, but it was found
necessary TO send the train to Ogden
in two sections as there We're twenty
cars in the train owing to the overflow
travel here The train from the east
last night was also heavily loaded.
The passenger travel over the Rio
Grande Western in the past week
reached proportions which were never
approached in this part of the country
before and the officials of that road
have every reason 10 feel very proud OF
the great work they accomplished.
They claim to have established the
worlds single track passenger record
and they are doubtless correct in this
claim. When the work of handling
without serious delay and without
accident the great number of cars that
rolled into this city is considered in
detail the magnitude of the undertake
ing is apparent During all the time
that the special excursion trains were
moving from Grand Junction TO Salt
Lake and filling UP the yards here the
regular east bound service had TO be
maintained as usual and it required the
establishment of a perfect system and
the carrying out of instructions
promptly, to say nothing of the display
of the utmost care and vigilance on the
part of everyone connected with the
handling of the trains.
During the period from July list TO
9TH the Rio Grande Western handled
Il trains carrying 1882 passengers
from Grand Junction 10 Ogden. The
greater percentage of these stopped
over in salt Lake City from II to "A
hours, thus requiring a second move
ment to ogden, which made the work
equivalent 10 the handling of a total of
nearly 5000 passengers.
The bulk of this immense traffic was
carried on July Sd. 4th and 5th.
The number of cars handled by the
road was GA. There was an average of
nine cars and 242 passengers on every
train. Not the slightest accident was
reported from any point along the line
of the road This successful under
taking was not accomplished without
great thought and labor on the part of
the officers and employees of the road
and particularly Of eight or ten indi-
Viduals, none of whom are known by
the thousands of people whose comfort
and safety were in their hands. In the
first place credit is due A. 2. Welby,
the general superintendent of the West
ern, who mapped out and planned the
system and watched every detail of the
work while 1t was in progress. Mr..
Welby remained at Grand Junction
during nearly all the rush and gave
his directions from that point Other
officials put into execution the plans
that he formed. Equal credit is due c.
w. King, the train master, whose head /
quarters are in this city. Mr.. King
was in his Office nearly 20 hours day
for three or four days and devoted the
most untiring efforts TO the task before /
him. He was greatly assisted by IRAN
Supervisor Z. Selgroth, who was also /
on duty for long hours attending TO the
handling of the row after row of cars
which formed a moving city in the
yards for several days. superintendent /
Of Motive Power Hickey was another /
who gave his whole time TO the work /
He spent several days in travelling back /
ard forth over the road watching the
work of his own department and pre-
pared for any emergency that might I
arise. Then there were four other indt- I
viduals in particular upon whose train 4
ing, GOODNESS and vigilance depended /
the safety of 1000 people who passed .
over the road between Grand Junction
and Ogden. They were Messrs. Hum
mel and Hamilton, the train dispatchers
at Salt Lake and AIessrs. Walker and /
Bowes. tie train dispatchers at Helper
The two latter handled the trains be-
tween Grand Junction and Helper, and
Mr.. Hummel and Mr.. Hamilton at
tended to the same work between
HELPER and ogden. In addition 10 the
officials mentioned above the conduc-
tors. trainmen and yard men every
where were or duty all the time and re-
ceived the commentator OF their
superiors for the effective service which
they rendered.
Mr.. Wadleigh, the general passenger
agent, is particularly pleased with the
work accomplished on his road and he
speaks with the greatest praise of all
the officials and employees.