The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-10

freight blockade is now threatened at
Chicago. For several days the receipts Of
grain have been larger than the elevators
have been able to handle, and many of the
roads are filing up their yards with loaded
cars, which are crowdng them very badly
The situation is made all the worse by the
pressing need for cars that all of the roads
are experiencing.
The Timberman to-day publishes an ar
ticle on needed railway equipment, in which
it says: 1.-The number of freight cars avail
able for use Jan. 1, 1897, was but 1.1S9, 927
Notwithstanding the holding during 1896 Of
large amounts of agricultural products at
the sources of production, the railroads
hauled 1885, 15 tons, an average distance
per ton of 1913 miles. Taking into account
the fact that all of the 1897 crops and a
considerable amount of the crops of former
years is being and will be moved during the
present year, we may safely estimate shat
the total freight movement Will be at least
500. co., 900 tons, the average length of the
haul of which will be, because of the grain
movmeent from the West, not short Of the
average for 1895. AS each freight car dur
ing 1895 hauled an average of GA tons of
freight an average distance of ll596 miles,
we should be provided with l,3O2.93l cars in
which to transport our 500 600, 900 tons for
1897 under the same conditions, and adding
to this number the extra requirement that
would be necessary if the average length
of haul was increased 4 per cent, in order
to bring it up to the average haul for 1896,
increase the total to l,355,O4S cars. :
Taking into consideration the number of
cars that will be abandoned in 1897, the
Timberman estimates that on Jan. l. 1885
the roads will have available 1,149, 0S7 of the
cars available Jan. l. 1897, and then esti-
mating the number of cars that will be
turned out during 1897. the conclusion is
arrived at that the railroads of the United
States will be 10000 cars short or their
proper equipment.
eff one wishes to make a good guess
said prominent railroad attorney. who
left the city last night for the East, "he
should say that within the next sixty days
the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, the
Monon, the Indiana, Decatur & Western
and the Queen & Crescent will be operated
as one system. it's lines practically extend
ing from the lakes to the gulf" He then
cited the fact that w. Fl. McDoel. vice pres
ident and general manager of the Monon;
Samuel FELTON,, president of the Queen &
Crescent, and several railroad attorneys
of prominence have been East for ten days
in conference with the several parties who
control the properties named, and it was
safe guessing, he thought, to make the
above prediction.
Said an official of the Cincinnati Hamil-
ton a. Dayton lines: Il see the Journal
now has the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Day
ton and the Queen d Crescent about to be
consolidated. l don't know how that is,
but / am satisfied that something is brew
ing which will affect the Cincinnati, Ham
ilton & Dayton for the better or worse. |
look upon the c., H. q ID. as being one of
the most valuable railroad properties in
the West, and at the same time presume
that the Woodford syndicate, which con-
trolls 1t, will sell ii if they can get their
price but l incline to the idea that when
ever there is a change the c., IL. x ID. will
be the aggressive party. The value of the
c., III. a. d. is shown in the remarkable
TOD
wreck AT that time the common stock,
which is now selling at SO cents. sold as
Woodford syndicate secured control as the
common stock is the company's voting
power AT no time in the history of the
road has It's power its passenger and
freight equipment been large or in as
good repairs at present, and its road
bed is in equally good condition. While /
am confident some big deal is on, l cam
not even speculate with any grounds to
work on what the change may be-"