Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1901-09-18
THIS SEASON
BREAKS RECORD.
Millions Of Tons Of Freight
Shipped Daily
MANY ROADS IN NEED OF CARS
Local Shipments Exceptionally Heavy.
Little Difficulty in Obtaining
Cars Here
MANY ROADS IN NEED OF CARS

over the various lines throughout the
country reaches the millions and many |
roads are sorcly pressed for means of
transportation These traffic conditions
are not confined to any particular lo-
caity. but exist wherever the lines eX-
tend.
Adviccs received at the railroad Offices
from points West concerning freight traf- |
he are to the effect that never before has |
such freight tonnage been carried or |
the demand for cars been so great Not
even in the boom years since 1897 were
the railroad lines So taxed and so much in !
need of cars. No line is excepted from
this statement, although the Pcnnsylva- |
mia. according To an official who is well
Informed ON this point, Is probably in a
better position than any of the others III
the matter OF handling traffic.
During the past season the railroads |
running 20 and passing through this city
have had their full share of the traffic
and have been equally pressed for want
NJ cars The freight shipments of tho
b. 4 o. and the Z. x Il. have been re-
markahly heavy. aud cars have been in
great demand. The Maryland and Della
ware Divisions of the Il. X. r., however
have done the bulk of the business. In
addition to the shipments of what might
be called standard freight, such as coal
| IRON, etc. the shipments of fruit has been
heavy. Over nine hundred freight cars
were fitted up during the season to be
used for peach shipments These cars
were taken from the regular rolling stock
Of the road. leaving that many less for
the regular traffic. This of course, ham
percd tie local branches 10 lme extent.
and as soon as the peach season had
practically closed the ears were disman-
| tied and put back into regular service.
! Already about three hundred peach ears
are again doing regular work So great
| has been the freight traffic that extra
men have been working day and night
for many weeks. and in the yards thir-
teen shifting engines are employed with
a corresponding number of crews. ship
imcnts have increased sevcnty-hyc loaded
ears daily and In many eases are shipped
To- various points, reloaded at once and
shipped back All day long and in fact
al through the night long lines of freight
ears are moving back and forth heavily
loaded with products of all descriptions.
Many trains heavily loaded with sweet
potatoes from the South pass through
cnroute for Western points. The phos-
plate shipments while not so large are
gradually Increasing.
! Although no surplus cars are to be
had the local officials have not had
as much difficulty in obtaining cars as
has been experienced at many other
points This fact is due To two reasons.
In the FIRST place greater portion Of the
freight shipped from here is merchandise
for which cars are forwarded as prompt
ly as possible. and again the freight Iii
vision headquarters are located in this
city from which all cars are furnished,
consequently local rahroads are enabled
to obtain means of transportation more
readily than more distant points.
I'm speaking of the enormous freight
traffic over the Pennsylvania railroad
lines recently a prominent official said
"Our equipment has never been so eX
tcnsive. We never had so many cars ol
locomotives as we have now, although
more were built last year. We are add
ing constantly 20 our equipment, yet il is
! insufficient for the business before us
Al this season of the year traffic is us
nally heavy; this year it is eNtraordinar
lily heavy And this is true Of all dc
scriptions Of freight, merchandise, grain
coal and coke. The steel strike has no
reduced our coke output one pound; il is
% per cent. of the capacity of all the
5 ovens. That is the ordinary percentage
+ OF ovens i'm service. the rest undergoin.
r repairs. | have just been trying TO calcu
I late the extent of our equipment in orde
{ 90 get an idea of the amount of traffic We
. can handle. My figures however. ar
p incomplete. There are blocks along th
, line. and these. no doubt, have something
10 do with the shortage in cars. Bu
there is an enormous business doing
which shows that the country is enjoyini
d an extraordinary measure of prosperity.
J. One result of the insuflicicncy of equip
q meut 10 the great volume of business j
"A an cndeavor making ON the part of man.
Il railroads to keep their ears from goin
to other lines. Especially are the West
- crn roads short of cars. The traffic a
Chicago is reported 10 be so heavy that
after all provision. the railroad equiv
D ment is not sufficient to handle it, Il,
u ports from Pittshurg say that ralroa
A yards in that vicinity are chokcd wit
y freight and coal ears, and that the raj
Y roads, East and West. are burdencd wit
n trains.
N In addition 10 the already large numbe
u of locomotives now owned 10y the con
n pany. the Baldwin Locomotive Work
y of Philadelphia has commenced wor
D upon forty engines for the Pennsyivani
i railroad. They are part of an orde
& placed early in the year for 1874 locome
a tives. These engines. which are of dir
ferent classes, represent the new motiv
y power requirement of the company
q lines. OF the 1874 ordered. So have bee
N delivered TO date.
n Many more freight cars are also undc
s. course Of construction for the road. Or
n ders for 1900 ears have been placed b
a the company with the Schoen Presse
"a Steel Company. Of Pittshurg. and for Sc
N cars with the American Car and foundr
N Company. All the new ears viii have
n carrying capacity Of 100000 pounds. {
n about 10000 pounds more than the ave
Fl age freight car now in use. In the Loci
q railroad shops many cars are being r.
nairad aud re6ffad in order Ia keen D