The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-18
STILL IN TROUBLE


Conditions are little better on the rail-
roads today than they were Saturday
and Sunday and in some instances are
much worse. There is no regularity in
the running of passenger trains in and
out of Topeka on any of the lines and
the congestion in the freight traffic is
such that the officials of the roads are
at loss to know what to do with it.
Such is the condition of the Union
Pacific tracks between this city and
Kansas City that practically the only
line into Topeka from the east is that
of the Santa Fe. This road is doing
the best it can to handle the trains of
/ the Rock Island and the Union Pacific
as well as its own between these points
but the physical capacity of any road
has limit and that limit has been
reached on this road. All that it is pos
sible to do is to bring trains in and out
sometime and the schedule of the trains
on all three roads is not being adhered
to in any way. So great isNhe passen-
ger traffic on the three roads between
these points that practically no freight
is being handled. The passenger trains
have to be moved because of the mail
contracts of the roads with the govern
ment. Only freight of the most perish
able character is being moved and not
very much of that.
The Union Pacific has it's track fixed
up east of Soldier creek, where the
bridge is washed out, and plug trains
are being run from that point to Perry
where there is bad washout. Plugs are
also run from Perry into Kansas City.
All of the through trains on the Union
Pacific are using the Santa Fe tracks
and the Rock Island has not a single
train on the Union Pacific tracks. The
was out of commission on Saturday has
been fixed up and trains are being run
west from Topeka over it.
The bridge. at Straight creek, near
| Hofton, on the Topeka-St. Joe, Rock Is
| land line. which became unsafe and tied
up traffic ON this line ON Saturday was
4 repaired yesterday so that this line
could be operated for a time last night,
| but early this morning the rush of wa
ter in the creek again loosened the
foundations of the bridge and it was
found to be unsafe. These damages were
| repaired after a couple of hours work
and the line is now open. The Rock
| Island lines west of Topeka are in fair
shape and trains are being sent out over
it as fast as they arrive over the Santa
Fe.
On the Santa Fe the general condi-
1 tionS ON all lines is fair considering the
conditions that have prevailed. The
washout at Argentine has been fixed up
SO that there is little or no delay to the
passenger travel at this point. There
are a number of pieces of soft track
west of Carrollton, Mo-, and trains are
! being run over it under slow headway.
| The Southern Kansas division of the
| Santa Fe is practically out of commits
sion because of the overflow of the Yer
digris and the flood at Madison. Tracks
at this point are under six feet of water.
The washouts and soft tracks on the
| Emporia cutoff have been put in shape
but trains are being run over it at half
| speed. Additional watchmen have been
put on to patrol this part of the road
| to watch for breaks and soft track and
| every care is being taken to handle traf-
| fic in a safe way.
l ~, Cot ox aud
Santa Fe handled between Topeka and
| Kansas City So trains of the Rock Is
land and Union Pacific and as many
more Of their own.