Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-17

To consider methods for making bet.
Der Of prominent officials of the Bur
lington in Iowa are holding a meeting
at the court house today. The com.
pany is to inaugurate new system
for the handling Of time and expedite
freight after January /, 1905, and Su.
perintendent of Transportation w. L.
Barnes, Of Chicago, Is outlining the
new plans to the division superintend.
ents, train dispatchers and agents Of
the Burlington In Iowa.
For some time Burlington officials
have been considering how to make
faster time and it Is believed that the
new system will result In greatly i'm
proved service. No radical change Is
to be made but 1t Is stated that the
size of the trains may be reduced to
insure better speed Special precau-
tons will be taken to prevent any de-
lays to the time and expedite freight.
The object is to give the best service
possible for the shippers.
Largo Number Present.
About fifty of the prominent Bur
lington officials of Iowa are In attend.
ance. Among those present are w. l..
Barnes, superintendent Of transporta.
ton, George G. Ross, assistant superin-
tendent Of transportation. and G.Weid-
enheimer. OF the transportation depart
ment OF Chicago, Superintendent o. e.
Stewart, Creston; Trainm aster G. p.
Seward, Creston; Superintendent VIC.
Sharretts, Burlington; superintendent
n To ~ 4
Partland. Burlington; Division Freight
master M. w. Robinson and Chief Dis.
patcher @. w. Messenger. Ottumwa.
Among the prominent agents pres.
ent are s. L. Howard, Des MONIES; r.
L. Pepper, Charlton; W. G. Jerffies Os.
ceola; H. R. Goodwin, Abba; Perry
Hef1lin, Fairfield
Millions for improvements.
More than $s,00o,o00 has been spent
by the Burlington this year upon new
construction and maintenance. A new
line from Oskaloosa to Tracey, con-
Meeting the old line Of the Burlington
! & Western with the branch from Al
bia to Des Miones, has been COM
pleted. Another line was built from
i Old Monroe to Mexico, Mo-, connect
Ing with the Alton and thus furnish
! ing through line from st. Louis to
Kansas City, More than 81, 100000 was
spent in Iowa in eliminating curves,
and reducing grades. For track ele-
walton in Chicago the company spent
about $4,000
Electric Power for Railroads.
4 When the electric motor car now
being experimental with in the Bur-
I lington shops at Aurora Is completed,
1t is expected that electric equipment
will be used extensively by the COM
pany. Experts claim that for short
branch lines that the electric railway
! is the coming method Of Transports
Ition.
/ In electrical railroading 1t is gener-
ally conceded that passenger trans
} portation is the principal line Of trade
carried on and in fact the roads have
been depending almost entirely on II
for their sustenance. though some
: have carried freight in small way
Promoters of these lines now, however
: have been thinking over the problem
and their actions indicate that freight
, transportation will be carried on II
!. way that promises to be a paying
business. A good example Of the use
electric lines are being put to is on the
Danville, Urbana and Champaign road
: Here coal is now being handled II
!. large quantities over the electric road
!. small cars having been built for the
: purpose.
Started as an Experiment.
: It was started as an experiment a
J. first, but the trade grew to such pro
! portions that it was necessary to mak'
:, arrangements to handle it. Now I
' large type of motor has been ordere'
!. to be used principally for the heav.
! business and the freight business OF
L that line is SURPRISING the passenger
}, Farmers have their stubs laid to thei
}, private coal cars and are derivin
). much advantage.
}, Year by year the argument In favo
lof electrical transportation grows i
J favor and today it Is something tina
0 is bothering the minds of experts O
l. power and power transmission tha
r electricity is the coming railway force
Il Science will solve several complicate
It problems which are now dfsfavor !
it's use and when this occurs 1t ca
readily be understood that it will dill
place the old modes of transportatio
in quick time. 1t is argued that a
electric locomotive wastes no powe
o when its work is done there is no flu
Their need of force. This is not S
with steam engines and there lies a
advantage.
!, Engine Hoodoo.
y Engine No. 2400, which jumped tn
Ie track near Bristol, ILL.,, Thursday morl
= ing, with Burlington fast mail trai
No. 8, causing the death of F'irema
s. Oscar w. Johnson, of Galesburg, wa
a, known among railroad men as no,
doc because of the many times 1t ha
8 been in serious wrecks. Friends {
4 Fireman Johnson state that he ha
several times predicted that the 81
Is, CINE would sometime cause his dealt
a, Railway officials have not yet give
out the reason for the accident, but
Y is believed to have been caused by
3 defective rail. The train consisted
y the engine and four mail cars ar
f. was running at the rate of abo'
sixty miles an hour when the engir