The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-01
THE RAILWAYS in 1899
FEWER LOADED CARS, BUT LARGER
TONNAGE HANDLED LAST YEAR. I
Passengers Traffic the Most satisfac-
tory Ever Known-Good Work by
Car-service Associations.


piled from the official train records of the
fifteen lines centering at Indianapolis show
that in 1899 there were received and for
warded at this point total of 1,410.937 cars,
], 99S being loaded. This was a decrease
In total movement. compared with the
twelve months ending Dec. 81, 1898. Of 27,945
ears, and a decrease in loaded car move
ment OF 1856 cars; but it should be re-
nembered that the comparisons Of this
year are with those of 1885, in which year
136, 724 more loaded cars were handled at
Indianapolis than in any former year. The
loaded car movement of the first six
months OF the year was 53S,976, against 5iS,-
573 in the corresponding period of 1898.
The loaded car movement OF the last half
of the year was 1.022 cars against 595.273
in the last six months of 1883. From these
comparisons 1t will be seen that the de-
crease in loaded car movement of 1899 was
largely in the first half Of the year. This
decreased movement of cars does not mean
that there was a lack f tonnage in 1899, as
compared with 1885, blu. ii shows to what
extent the new method Of loading cars has
increased the tonnage carried per car In
quiry among the best informed freight men
shows that there was an average increase
in tonnage Of freight per car carried of
fully per cent, which shows that the ton
mage carried In 1899 was considerably In
excess Of 1898. and at the present time fully
70 per cent. of the cars in use are $1,000 to
$1,000 pounds capacity. which means much
larger increase in tonnage in lower class
freights, such as iron, coal and heavy
groceries. The records show that the
In Loo al Of
| was in November. as was the case in No
vember. 1885, and the lightest in February.
when 1,941 loaded cars were handled at
Indianapolis, against s5,1sl in 1898. From
this 1t will be seen that nearly the en-
tire loss of 1899 was made in that month.
For twenty-three consecutive weeks, with
one exception, over twenty-one thousand
| loaded cars per week have been handled at
| Indianapolis, and in the last week OF Oc
| tober there We're handled at this point 1851
loaded cars, the largest business of any
week in the year.
| A review of the business of 1899 shows a
| decided decrease In eastbound tonnage,
| the grain movement TO Atlantic export
points being the lightest of either Of the
were also light. The shipments OF pro-
visions average well with former years,
and the shipments of cerealine products
and dressed meats were heavier than In
year the volume Of traffic exceeded any
former year, even extending TO the holi-
days. the prosperity in the Southwest, West
and Northwest being the cause of the
| heavy traffic westbound, and it was not
| confined by any means to low class
| freights, the shipments of high class
freight having been unprecedentedily large.
| Since July l not an Indianapolis line has
been able to furnish cars to handle the
! business offered, although having in serv-
| Ice $1,000 more cars than in 1891 The Big
A rhx pAr,w
Western, the Monon. the Cincinnati, Hamil-
ton d. Dayton have been large purchasers
| Of new cars.
Indianapolis lines have enjoyed the larg-
1 est local traffic in their history. The
| wholesale houses on Meridian and Penn
| sylvania streets, especially the dry goods
! houses. the grocers, the boot and shoe mer-
| chants and iron and hardware stores were
heavy shippers. In fact, the wholesale
| houses furnished more business for the
| local lines than in any year In their his
| tory. During the entire year the cerealine
| mills, hominy mills and starch works ran
quite steadily and were heavy shippers,
| and never before in their history have the
| iron works, such as the Malleable iron
works, the Atlas engine works, Dean Bros,
/ Brown & Ketcham, Nordyke & Marmon
| Il. c. Atkins & Co., been as large ship
pers. The furniture manufacturers and
builders of vehicles had the most pros
porous year and made larger shipments
| than ever before, their business having
| been so good that every Indianapolis line
| of Importance has built large cars to ac-
commodate this business. Every local line
| shared in this prosperity, handling at their
city freight depots and on bulk tracks 10 to
| 20 per cent. more business tnan in any
| former year. AT all the city freight depots
more men Were employed and more over
| time made than ever before. On the bulk
tracks the increase In business was the
| most striking. Railway managers are much
gratified with the results OF the years bus
mess, and are confident that the year 1900
4 re hut h.
suits of operations for the year 1899 would
nave been much more favorable had the
roads been able TO furnish cars to handle
| the business offered. The car question has
been serious drawback nearly the entire
| year, the car famine setting in as early
| as June. Below Is given the loaded car
| movement at indianapolis by months for
the year 1899 and that Of the corresponding
| months for the four nrecedine xsars.