New-York tribune., 1900-08-31
TALK OF AN OCEAN FLEET.
PLAN UNDER DISCUSSION BY THE NEW
YORK CENTRAL.
CONSTRUCTION OF LINERS FOR FREIGHT
AND PASSENGERS MAY FOLLOW THE
COMPLETION OF THE wEEHAw-
KEN IMPROVEMENTS

The construction of fleet of large ocean
steamers. for carrying both freight and pas
sengers. by the New-York Central Railroad has
been under discussion of late. The New-York
Central, as was pointed out in The Tribune on
August 10. is improving it's terminal at Wee
hawken. and spending between S3,000,000 and
S4.OOOOO0 in enarging the yards there build
ing new piers and tracks and generally in
oreasng its freight capacity across the river
As announced in The Tribune the new termi-
nal will afford admirable shipping point for
export business. 1t will take a long time. prob
ably three or four years, to complete all the
work mapped out, and while this will go on
steadily, the cost will make a heavy draft upon
the extraordinary fund for such improvements.
therefore no plan providing for the building
ls"f fleet Of steamers will be adopted as yet.
gut 1t has been talked of by certain influential
ainterests in the New-York Central as a possible
development to follow the improved terminal at
1sWeehawken.
~ There are few, outside of the stockholders and
Eothers directly interested who have any ade-
Kquate idea. of the enormous sums of money spent
Erecently py the New-York Central in improving
ffts physical condition and providing additional
equipment. Some time ago 1t increased it's capi-
s5tai stock by $15O00OO0 and this money was
bEpent in buying new rolling stock 1t was said
I Fyesterday by prominent official that even this
enormous expenditure for equipment had been
insufficient and that another 81 100000 would
now have to be added TO it for engines The
road has not enough cars and engines to handle
the enormous traffic offered. The decision to
expend between S3,OO0OO0 and $4,000OOO on the
Weehawken terminal is only item of extraor-
dinary expenditure. Other millions have been
spent in bridges. structural steel. improved
grades and tracks and stations.
ITS ENORMOUS BUSINESS
Despite all the money set aside and expended
for these improvements and equipment the re-
| cent annual report of the property shows that
the enormous business done justified It. Samuel
r. Galloway, president of the Central has fol-
lowed a we'll defined policy in his MANAGEMENT of
the road. When Mr.. Galloway came East from
the Lake Shore to take charge of the Central he
at once started in to improve it's physical cOndi-
ticn, increase the amount of equipment secure
modern rolling stock. and get the highest pos
sible amount OF work out of the property. The
earnings have increased with the expenditures
in a way to justify them, and Mr.. Galloway S
| Judgment has been vindicated by the results
| This increase in traffic capacity and the de-
cision to reconstruct the Weehawken terminal
and facilitate the handling of a great export
business naturally suggested to those interested
in the Central the possibility of building line OF
Atsaners to carry freight and maybe, passen-
gers. This has been talked over in an inform a.
~ b,E there has yet bsen no decision 70
order the CONSTRUCTION or sucn d line OF
steamers although some of those interested in
| the New York Central think that such policy
| would be wise. Owing to the extensive work
on hand. however. and the great outlay OF
money and the time that will elapse before the
| Weehawken terminal be completed. there
| is no immediate prospect of a decision to start
building boats.
If such plan were proposed for immediate
action, it would meet opposition from certain
-arfI in he
is pointed out by these officials that just at
present the New-York Central is extremely
friendly with all the big steamship companies.
and that the construction of a line of its own
would involve 1t in warfare with these com
panies at once. In the next place, it is de-
Clared that the Central is able to get salts
factory rates from the steamship companies
for whatever freight it has to send.
Owing to the absence from the city of nearly
all of the directors of the New York Central
there have been Board meetings for some
time. 1t is said, however, that the matter
may come up for discussion this fall. and there
some identified with the New-York Central
who believe that a transatlantic line owned
and operated by the New-York Central, will
be a logical development of its enormously in
creased capacity for handling freight and the
Improvement in its Weehawken terminal. The
increasing demand for American coal in Euro
pean markets. and the effort of American coal
the demand ii is believed, may have some
bearing the project. The Weehawken ter
ninal now has a large coal yard belonging to
the New York, Ontario and Western, and in
the work of reconstruction. the coal capacity
OF the yard will be increased and facilities for
coal export provided.