The evening times., 1897-12-31
FIVE THOUSAND NEW CARS.
Additional Equipment Of the b. q 0.
Road to. Cost s.. 500 900.

Rosd to. Cost - 2.500 900.
Baltimore, Nd, Dec. 81. The Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad IL suffering from \ large
shortage in freight cars. Owing to this de-
ficieucy, whfcL In the last four has
become more pronounced. the road is los
ing big share in the traffic which the
steady revival In business is developing.
Strenuous effostSare being made to SHIFT
heavy demands, D6t tile cry of more cars
Is heard fr,m the roads agents in all the
big cities which It reaches.
It is an open secret that for several
months tile representative of the various
big car manufacturers have been In Baiti-
more in conference with officials VI the
railroad. The disappearance Ut these men
has created tie impression that some def
mite action has been taken by the receivers
and an agrt enient made for supply Of
new cars.
The return Of Receiver Cowen yester-
day from visit to his family at Aiken,
g. c., revived the talk Of more cars. 1t
is understood that at least 5000 add.
tional cars have been decided upon and a
conditional agreement closed for this mum
Der. Besides this amount covering box
cars. it is Iik ely that an addition will be
made to the coaI cars OF the road. In all
the coal-IniniIg sections tue demand for
more cars is being urged, and SO ne ar
rangements may be made with the leading
coal companies to furnish the cars on a
mileage basis. Yesterday Mr.. C. X. Lord,
president Of the, Consolidation Coal Corn
pany, and Mr. II. Crawford Black, of
Black, Sheridan & Wilson, were in con-
ference with Receiver Cowen. These two
concerns are the heaviest operators in the
Georges Creek section, and it is believed
that tiis conference had in view the sup
plying of new coal cars for the Baltimore
and Ohio.
1t has beer. estima ted that the railroad
needs at lea st O,OOO new freight cars. INIT
owing t. the opposition OF the interests
rcpresen nted by j. P. Morgan & Co. to any
increase IN the Indebtedness of the re-
ceivers. the actual need would he cut In
half and a compromise reached on 3, 900
new cars. II is now expected that he
receivers will apply to the United States
circuit court for authority to secure this
number.
1t is estimated, that 6, 900 new. box cars
would cost Something more than 81, 30, 900.
Passing tho cost OF the new cars On the
amount ISL .s57 . OOO) pa VI for the 5000
which were secured some time ago, the
amount needed to pa y for them would be
81, 595,S33 The receivers may ask fo.
permission TO Issue lease warrants with
which 10 ray for the new cars, as WIS
done before.
Such step has been unexpected in
circles in touch with the Baltimore re-
organization Committee, with which J. P
Morgan is supposed to be in close re:a
tiunship. il not identified with the Com
mittee. Such, a irDove, it is unofficaily
said, would bes resssted by the Morgan
interests, and likely To lead to anotlcr
legal battle before the United States coart.
Under present fon9ttions it is admitted
that the Baltimore and Ohio is losing bus:
ness because of the hack of cars to handle
that which is being offered. During the
last four mordhs-it Is said that conserva-
tive estimate places This loss ut SSOo,JoO
Of gross earnings, and the amount. 1t is
stated, is swelling each month. For De
cember fully quarter OF a million dollars
of traffic was turned do wn. and the bright
prospects which aIe,in sight for the new
year. 1t is believed, viii even increase this
loss. a. .s
No account is taken in. this OF business
winch coulu ne secured Tor tue road from
having constantly at hand q full compile
ment OF cars- It Is IA fact well reeog-
uIzed alnong raiiIoa d men that the road
with a surplus of cars attracts traffic
which may naturally belong to a compel
tor. Most OF the trunk lines get big le!r
in this direction from the lines forming
their western outlets, but the roads which
make ur the Baltimore and Ohio's West
ern line are without equipment and INST
depenl upon the rolling stock OF the N lin
stem. As a result some lively work has
been done of late by the cars OF the
Baltimore and Ohio. The 1 200 new ears
secured under mileage agreement some
time ago, and Snown as the Fairport lin,
have been making remarkable records in
the ground they cover. These cars in one
month each made sixty miles day. wien
forty is considered good average.