The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-19

GREAT PROBLEM OF THE TRAF-
FIG FOR THE ENUAMPMENT.
Train After Train Handled Without
Congestion or Accident. and Hun
dreds Of Carloads Of People Carried
& into Minneapolis and Taken Out Ia
# "a Week. E

Praise for the successful manage
Ement of the G.. "A. r. encampment lust
closed is given freely to the railroads
which handled the heavy passenger
traffic into and out Of Minneapolis.
The public is not generally aware
Of the problems which the railroads
encountered in preparing for the en-
campment and in the handling of the
traffic, without accident to life or
rolling stock 5zz r. II
On Monday the Milwaukee road had
| thlrty-nlne passenger trains on the
river division between Minneapolis and
La Crosse. This is only one instance
Operating ;. departments of the heavy
travelled lines had to meet. In con-
nection with the handling of long
trains Of cars and the necessity Of
adequate motive power, one Of the
hardest jobs fell to the car service de-
partment-that of having cars at the
right points at the correct time. This
was problem considered weeks be-
fore the encampment began, and the
volumino!ls.. When, the actual traffic
began, however, the theoretical prob.
lem was merged in the practical one
and hard headwork was required.
-: Local Problem Added. =. -
Traffic from local points was heavy
Wednesday morning and out again
Wednesday, night. This business re-
CURED local equipment, while the traf-
fc previous was largely in equipment
from connecting lines. To get the
cars back again each day from Mime
;apolis SO as to ccommodate the travel
the next day, required the haul of
long lines of deadhead trains out of
the city as fast as they came in.
While great proportion of coaches
were kept on the move, there was an
the cars that remained in the yards.
Preparation was made, particularly at
the union station and on Boom island,
to "park' the cars, or to put them
in shape with sewer and water con-
nection for temporary lodging places.
The "parked' cars were not used as
freely as expected, but the roads were
prepared for all emergencies.
The yards were filed with vacant
coaches which were being cleaned up
Or were waiting for the outbound travel
which began Wednesday. No sooner
had one mogul engine puffed out Of the
station dragging long line of coaches
than another Immediately took it's
place. The manner in which the yards
were handled is said to be as worthy
of communication as the manner in
which the crews at the stations took
care of the people.
i Long, Hard Hours.
Station crews were called upon to
work from sixteen to eighteen hours at
a stretch, yet they worked uncomplain-
ingly and so carefully safeguarded the
passengers that no accidents were re-
ported. ? s...+5; -. 80,
The Milwaukee landed 800 carloads
| a fro -ron iriro IF ich4
motives. The company handled 100 ex.
ira trains and brought in about $4,000
fpersons in the week .s-GIt$ 2:S
T Thef st. Louis road hauled in 200 car,
loads Of. excursionists with the use of
twenty-five engines. It handled more
than 10000 passengers.
The 500 line reports 5000 passengers
in. with 5000 taken west. One hundred
cars were in service to bring the peo-
Eple in, with ten locomotives doing the
work. l..
T The Omaha road brought in over &c.:
900 people, the trains from the west
being crowded. The officials estimate
that South Dakota sent more people to
the twin cities in proportion to it's pop
ulation, than Minnesota. , ...',.
The Great Northern carried . 900
from points east of Montana and an
unestimated. crowd from points farther
! west. .---.5. --. ..,- H.. *,->f..
The Northern Pacifc's conservative
estimate is 10000 passengers. 1.-,s >.
Twenty three special trains were han
died by the Great Western, and 1900
passengers. The Burlington handled
210 cars Of G.. A. R. visitors, or ninety
cars on regular trains and 120 addi-
tional cars. The estimate of passengers
is 10000. The Rock Island operated
twelve special trains with from twelve
to seventeen cars each. It is estimated
that the Wisconsin Central brought
10000 persons into the union station
in. sixteen specials Of about ten cars
each,