The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-13
nys new gravity yards now being con-

ny's new gravity yards now being con-
structed.
The express companies have had re-
markably profitable business for many
months, and the American has declared
a per cent. dividend and an extra divi
dend of q per share; payable July l; the
per cent. dividend out of earnings, and s.
per share out of revenue from investment.
The latter payable June 80.
The National Association of Travelling
Freight Agents met in Louisville
Wednesday and completed arrangements
for the annual convention, TO be held
June and 10 at greensboro, KY. The
Louisville, Henderson K st. Louis has ar
ranged for through transportation and the
Louisville & Nashville has arranged for
the members of the association to visit
Mammoth cave.
f.. A Richter, who represented the ILL
nois Central at Pittsburg as travelling pas
senger agent, has been ordered to take
full charge of land and immigration mat
tiers IN the Eastern district and the pas
senger business hereafter will be in charge
of Joseph Biggs, district passenger agent,
with headquarters in Cincinnati, except
be in ehapgs of Bshop
ern passenger agent. New York city.
On Sunday special train. consisting of
seven sleepers and a dining car, in charge
of G.. S. Blackman, carrying the National
Federation of Womens Clubs, will pass
through the city about IL O'Clock in the
forenoon en- route to St Louis, and on the
pass through on their way to st. Louis.
The Queen & Crescent will deliver the
train of six cars to the Big Four at 7:i5
a. m, and it will reach Indianapolis at IL
a. m.
The report that the Panhandle lost its
fight against the slow speed ordinance
in a number of towns in Indiana is denied.
The railroad has been confronted with
contests in all the small towns, and about
a year ago decided to take action to obtain
more privileges in running trains. AT Fra
IL cd
Several trainmen were arrested and seven
ty suits resulted A compromise has been
reached whereby the company will install
electric signals and place watchmen at
certain crossings, and under these condi-
tions the company is allowed to operate
trains at any speed desired.
The Chicago & Alton will open its new
short line between ST. Louis and Kansas
City this month, reducing the distance
between these two cities to 279 miles. The
cutoff, which is sixty-five miles long, is
level and straight. The maximum curva
ture is only l per cent. the road being
practically an airline, with 81 per cent. OF
perfectly straight track. The bridges are
steel the cuverts concrete and the road
ballasted with rock. The tracks are laid
with S5-pound rails, 1872 feet long. There
are thirteen passing tracks of three thou
sand feet each. and over seven miles of
such track.
The financial statement of the Lake Shore
e. Michigan Southern Railway Company for
the fiscal year ending Dec 81 1903 shows
been $34, S.OSl; operating expenditures and
taxes G9.70 per cent?, S27,7l1155; net earn
ings from operation, 81, 056, 926; income from
other sources, 81 ,326. S69; gross income, So
1893. 759. or a decrease of S734.99S over the
previous year; total net income, A41,03l,
or decrease of $2.s64,49l over the previous
year. The surplus is s76l.043 The operat-
ing expenses included $6,53i,5Oo spent for
equipment and betterments.
The freight committee of the roads CEN
tering at Fort Wayne met in that city
on Wednesday. for the first time since 1896:
by NJ. r. Maxwell, assistant general
freight agent; the Cincinnati, Hamilton q
Dayton by +. r. Garrison. general agent
Billing. division freight agent; the Nickel
plate by James Webster, assistant general
freight agent; the Wabash by w: A.
Sprock, division freight agent; the Penn
sylvania by William Il. Borner. general
Western and division freight agent, and
the Grand Rapids by L. c. Leavenworth
general freight agent
The largest steam derrick ever built for
service in the wreck department of a rail-
way is receiving thorough test at the
Pennsylvania coal docks, Fort Wayne. A
gondola car was loaded with scrap iron
and car wheels until il and its load
weighed 120 TONS the guaranteed capacity
of the derrick. and the load was handled
without difficulty. The derrick has the
fore used by the company, and was built
by the Bucyrus Company at South Mil
waukee to be exhibited at the world S
fair, but the manufacturers neglected to
make application for space in time and it
will not be exhibited.
A new system of dispatching trains on
the Lake Shore road is working satisfac-
torily When a train wishes to leave a
station the engineer signals for the target,
and as soon as he receives answer, he pulls
out arid does not stop until he is tagged
and told TO take the siding for a train
to pass. freight train does not have to
avoid a fast train until 1t receives orders
TO do so at some station along the line,
and when an engineer leaves a station
he knows that the track is clear for him
until he comes against a block Freight
trains are now making much faster runs
than under the old order. This system has
been used between Buffalo and Chicago
for month and il will not be long before
all the branches are working under the
same system.