The herald., 1897-07-10

handled II trains, carrying 1892 pas
sengers from Grand Junction to Ogden.
The greater percentage of these passen-
gers stopped over in Salt Lake City, thus
requiring a second movement, or a
handling of a total of nearly $4,000 pas
SEN gers This was accomplished with
out an accident or serious delay.
The bulk of this immense traffic hav-
ing been carried on July Sd, 4th and 9Th,
establishes, it is claimed, the worlds
single-track passenger record.
SOME STATISTICS
SAN FRANCISCO, July 9-With the
arrival of the last of the Christian En-
deavor trains at Oakland this after
noon there was completed one of the most
remarkable movements perhaps ever ac-
complished on single track line as diifi-
cult to operate as that of the Central
Pacific. Nearly $4,000 people were trans
ferred from Ogden to San Francisco,
distance of over 800 miles, with but COM
paratively slight delay and without a
solitary accident to delay the progress
of the Christian hosts.
General Manager Kruttschnitt of the
Southern Pacific company, has furnished
the following details of how the Chris
tian Endeavor traffic was handled: The
movement of excursionists was first felt
on July 1st. when the regular overland
trains delivered by the Union Pacific and
Rio Grande Western were handled in
regular sections. These carried the ad-
vance guard of the movement, the main
army of which reached the Central Pa
cific lines on, the evening of July 4th,
pouring through in an almost uninter-
rupted stream until the evening of July
Sth. Including regular trains, there
were moved out of Ogden from the first
to the sixth seventy -four trains. OF which
fifty-nine were specials or sections OF
the regular trains; the total number of
cars moved was S3S, or an average of
nearly twelve cars per train; the total
number of passengers 2S,S00, or 80 per
train The distance from Ogden to San
Francisco is S33 miles, over the first
part Of the railroad the trains had to be
lifted a total height of 93S9 feet, or
nearly two miles vertically. and within
a distance of Ill miles had to be dropped
down a mountain grade with vertical
fall of 1000 feet or nearly mile and
half
The question of obtaining sufficient
water for the locomotives gave the Of
ficials more concern than any other
question connected with the movement,
but when it is considered that for almost
the entire distance across Utah and
Nevada the country is practically q
desert, the difficulty will be better un-
derstood. Many of the waker stations
are supplied by gravity lines from
;,,t tl,o tot vx-ty taI.
men We're detailed to go to the heads of
these lines to prevent leaves, chips or
obstruetions of any character from get
ting into the pipes. At all stations
where the water was procured from
streams, springs or wells extra pump
ers were put on. with instructions to
keep the pumps going night and day.
At some stations where the supply ob
tanned from springs and wells was short,
water cars, moved from other parts of
the line. were stationed to increase the
supply, the water being hauled from
such stations up and down the line
where the supply was ample.
The most serious problem, after that
OF watering the locomotives. was that of
feeding the people, and railroad officials
arranged with citizens at Terrace, Elko
Carlin. Humboldt Battle Mountain
Wadsworth Truckee, Summit, Blue
Canyon and Auburn to furnish lunches
outside of the regular eating houses.
The company's carpenter forces were
detailed to erect long counters or tables
in the open air, at which the meals could
be dispensed.
Up to time within ten days of the 4th
I,,lx- orb t1,ot !, l1o y
locomotives on the Central Pacific would
be able to handle all the trains offered.
but as the 4th approached, and reports
were received from the east of the mag
nitude of the movement it was deter
mined to prepare for movement larger
than the company was warranted in ex-
pecting from any of the reports re-
ceived.
Ten locomotives were leased and a
sufficient number We're taken from other
divisions of the system to concentrate te,
fifty-siX locomotives and crews in Ogden
on the morning of July 4th. Six locomo-
tives and crews were concentrated at
each terminal west of Ogden at the
same time so that. as the procession of
trains reached the first terminal, the
locomotives were cut off and locomotives,
and crews kept in relays were, detached,
whilst the crews of the relieved locomo-
tives took the necessary rest and nour-
ishment. AS soon as they had done this
the relieved locomotives We're started
eastward light to take their places again
among those awaiting the incoming
trains at Ogden. The arrangements were
so perfectly made that there would have
been no difficulty in handling fifty per
cent more trains than the company re-
ceived. The first trains came through
without patronizing the eating stations
to any extent. But the last ones availed
themselves of the facilities offered and
their slow movement can be attributed
almost wholly to the delay in feeding
the large crowds.
1t was at first intended to keep the
trains thirty minutes in time apart, but
in reviewing the plans offered by the
officers to move these trains, the time
limit was overruled and a space limit
substituted. An order was issued block
ing the Central Pacific road absolutely
at 1901 a. m .-of July 4th, and forbidding
any operator clearing his sema phore sig
nal to allow train to pass his office
until he had received word from the
next telegraph station west of him that
the last train in advance had passed him
and left the track clear
The entire traffic was handled without
the slightest accident. although some of
tbx. 10 St traipc wara de1ox,ad about ax,a