The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-04
NEARLY 100000 COMMUTERS,
GREAT ARMY THAT POURS INTO
NEW YORK EVERY MORNING.
And Leaves Town Every EVening-Tts Tram.
pOrtation Erected with Hardly q Hitch
About Half Carried by Railroad,
Half by Trolley Cars

Half by Trolley Cars
II ia impossible to get accurate statistics
of the number Of those who commute In and
out of New York every day. The railroads
can give approximate figures, but there
Ia no way OF distinguishing the commuter
from the occasional passenger on the trolley
oar lines.
1t has been estimated that the eight rail-
road systems that run out OF New York
carry every week day 1914 200 commuters;
that Ia, o7,lO0 into the city in the morning
and the same number out Of the city in the
late afternoon.
The Erie officials estimate that their
road carries "a. 900 commuters each way
every week day.
The New York Central and leased lineS
nut the number they carry at 1900.
The New York, New Haven and Hartford
carries $500; the Pennsylvania, 5000; the
Delaware, Iackaw and Western carries
10000.
The Long Island Railroad carries about
is. 900 commuters each way every day for
nine months of the year, but in the summer
these figures swell to the total OF 10000 a
day each way. II the combined commu-
ting business of the New Jersey Central and
the Lehigh is put at 10000, which Is a small
figure, the total Of 97,1oo given above Is
reached.
Inasmuoh as the Pennsylvania ferries
carry in one day about IS 1000 persons, the
Long Island ferries from 10000 to $4,000,
according to the time of the year, and the
other ferries an equal number, approx
mately. there is presented an enormous
number of travellers crossing the rivers
who are not accounted for in either the
committing or the through business of the
railroads.
These people may reasonably be con-
side,ed to include the commuters who
tray vel by trolley, and their number may
be estimated at 100000. Thus we have
197,1oO men and women travelling in and
out of New York every day.
In other words, New York's floating
population is larger than the entire popu-
lation of Providence, R. l.; indianapolis.
Denyer. Col; st. Paul or Kansas City,
and Is nearly as large as that OF Minne-
apolis.
We can get some idea Of how rapidly
this committing business has increased.
Since 1899 the increase reported by tins
railroads has been from 40 to 90 per cent;
since 1895 1t has been close to 100 per cent?
or about 10 per cent. a year.
II has also been estimated that from
rs, 900 + % 80, 900 persons come into this city
from distant points daily, and that about
the same number leave the city daily Tor
distant points.
In view of the large numbers OF the COM
muters the railroads naturally seek to get
as much of the business as they cam but
railroad men complain that committing
rates are low and that commuters are haro
to please.
So large has this business become that
the Erie Railroad in the building Of its new
station has found it necessary to construct
it larger than was at first intended because
of the present magnitude and the expected
future increase in their committing busi-
ness. The Long Island Railroad Ii double
tracking a great part of its system, and
before very long all three OF its divisions
will be double tracked from Long Island
City to Montauk Point.
AS for the oommuter, il the train is late
ten minutes, he is apt to lay 1t to the In
capacity of the train dispatcher. II the
eneine breaks down, he is apt to believe
that the engine hadn't been o~verhauled IN
a month and that the road is too stingy
to fix it up. 1t is likely in the first case
that the train was delayed by the train in
front of It, which in turn was delayed by
thirty trains ahead of it and that the initial
delay was due to a slight fog or delay at a
switch, and in the second case it's just as
likely that the engine was brand new
It is astonishing, on the other hand, that
there are not greater delays and accidents
in view Of the crush Of trafic. One road
brings in ffty-one trains loaded with COM
muters between and $50 A. M, or one about
every three minutes. The following is a
sample report of these trains. 1t will show
a few of the troubles the train dispatcher
fights against:
Due to arrive between 700 and $50 A. Nj.
ST trains, of which there were late 10 trains.
Train No. 10, 9 minutes late, G minutes
between - and passenger train ahead
Train No. 6l2. 10 minutes late. 10 minutes
drawbrid &c: switches out of order and No llo
ahead.
Train No. 40, 0 minutes late, 2 minutes be-
tween - and - by fog. 7 minutes at juno
tion. No. az ahead, and operator at bridge I'M
able to see markers account OF fog. and helu
until No. 612 passed =.
Train No. 8lI. II minutes late, 10 minutes
between junction and drawbridge: Nos. %
and ll2 ahead and iog' minutes az lot
track In train shed.
Train No. So, 10 minutes late, 10 minutes
between junction and -; Nos. liz and olt
ahead account of fog.
Train No. 80, 0 minutes late, 7 minutes be-
tween - and junction; Engine 1897 low in
steam, s minutes at - examining tram
account agent at - reporting somethin g
dragging: found nothing.
Train No. ll6, 9 minutes late, ? minutes at
=. express, Z minutes draw brid &c and -:
No. lO8 ahead.
Train No. 2ls. 9 minutes late, 1 minute be-
tween junction and - account of fog. )
minutes between and mo. SIG ahead,
Train No. els. IS minutes late, IS minutes
between junction and -. Nos. lie and $40
ahead.
Train No. sic. S minutes late. 2 minutes
at - for connection. 3 minutes at -; No
ila ahead.
Rediscoyery OF a Rare Plant.