The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-02
YEARS RAILWAY TRAFFIC
ALL FORMER RECORDS HANDSOME
LIZ EXCEEDED BY LOCAL LINES.
Freight and Passenger Business
shows an Increase Over Any Form
err Year-Belt Road Traffic.

The following exhibits. compiled weekly
from the official records of the fifteen rail-
roads centering at Indianapolis, show that
there were received and forwarded at this
point in the year 1902 total of liz cars;
OF that number 1,163,S17 were loadd. This
was increase over the total movement
of 1901 OF 101,27S cars; in the number OF
loaded cars handled, 47,301. The average
load per car exceeded that of former years,
being an average as shown by carefuily
prepared figures. of eighteen tons per car
This Is large average for loaded cars
as agents have permitted shippers to over
load cars beyond their marked capacity
a large per cent of the grain cars carry
ing 5000 and some 1900 pounds, when the
marked capacity is but $1,000 pounds. As
yet there are but few cars of 100000 pounds
capacity in the Indianapolis lines.
The Big Four and the Pennsylvania have
adopted a system of loading cars through
which every foot Of space is utilized, and
consequently 10 to II per cent. larger ton
mage per car has been loaded on local
lines, besides large increase in cars car
rying through business. The heaviest month
of the year was October when 109, 249 load
ed cars were handled; the lightest month
was July, with 1889 loaded cars. The ex-
hibit of 1902 would have been much larger
| had the roads been able to furnish the cars
which shippers would have loaded.
An analysis of the traffic shows that in
local business about 16 per cent. larger
| traffic was handled than In any former
| year, 1t having been the most prosperous
| of any year of the various industries of
Indianapolis. There was a light grain
movement east-bound up to November anG
| December. The falling off. compared with
1900, was about 40 per cent. and with 1901
| but 10 per cent, as, owing to the partial
| ment i'm 1901 was comparatively light. The
anthracite coal strike cut down this line
| of traffic, which was, however, more than
made up in the handling OF the soft Goals
| of Ohio. Indiana and Illinois The tonnage
OF soft coal was fully so per cent. heavier
| than last year. because, owing to the fall
| facturers have resumed the use of soft coal.
| as have many private residences Another
feature of the years business was the in
! of Southern production TO Northern mark
cts. The shipments of Southern lumber
northward were in excess of any former
motive works, and in fact all iron indus
tries, did much to swell the total tonnage
of the several lines. Locally, such manu-
| facturers as the Atlas engine works, the
| Malleable iron works. Dean Bros. Brown
| & Ketcham, E. G. Atkins & Co., Nordyke
& Marmon, Parry Manufacturing Company,
| facturers all had a very prosperous year.
| and the shipments were considerably In ex-
cess of 1851. which was much the best year
| in their history. The through car move
| ment of the Big Four and the PennsyI-
| vania increased, and that of the Lake Erie
& Western. through its alliance with the
| Lake Shore, increased several thousand
cars. The Monon and the Cincinnati. Ham
ilton & Dayton had very prosperous
their fully %
now the Cincinnati Indianapolis & West
ern. In the early part of the year. owing
from which II draws se it's sof husiness largely
being a failure. showed no increase, but for
the last four months since the Springfield
extension was opened to traffic, both the
Cincinnati, indianapolis & Western and the
Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton have shown
an increased movement of loaded cars. Fol
a couple of months the Cincinnati, Hamil
ton & Dayton had a large movement oil
wheat to Toledo and other flour manufac
turing points in Ohio: The Vandalia hat
a successful year. The failure of natura
gas has again made the Vandalia one OF
the leading roads, and in other lines o.
freight its business was in excess of al
| former years. handling more loaded car.
at Indianapolis than ever before In twelve
months.
The local packing houses have been heavy
shippers Of dressed meats and provisions
from Indianapolis to Eastern cities and tn,
Southeast and have done an excelen
business. Export traffic. however, does no
, The stockyords had good year, all things
considered handling fewer hogs, but NOR,
} cattle, sheep and horses than in 1901. Tn
shipments of cerealine products were abou
the same as either of the last three years
but not heavy in 1899, which wa
one of the best years with manufacturers o
, this line of products. All the indianapolis
lines have experienced trouble from ca
: shortage. and the exhibits would have beer
even more favorable had the car suppl.
been equal to the demand. Wholesal
merchants have shipped. it is estimated
10 per cent more goods than in any forme
year; especially have shipments of whole
sale grocers. confectioners, hardware an,
iron dealers, and druggists been large
: than usual. The manner in which bushes
increased in 1902 shows that despite tn
large increase in bulk-track mileage an
in depot facilities more room is needed
and every road will of necessity be oblige
to increase its terminal facilities the pres
ent year. One feature of the years bust
ness is the fact that freight has been car
ried at full tariff rate for the first tim
| in the last twenty years.
i M. - RI