Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-20
REASONS FOR THE DELAY
UNION STATION SUPERINTEND-
EMIT ISSUES STATEMENT.
Says 1000 Men Not Yet Entirely
Familiar With New Conditions,
But Soon Will Be.

In order that the public may under
stand the exact conditions causing the
delay of trains entering and leaving the
new Union railroad station, G.. w. Mar
tin. superintendent of the Washington
Terminal. has given out the following
statement:
Prior to last Sunday. and since Oc-
tober q. trains of the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad only had been using the
station. OF these there were ninetyf1ve
each day. many of them being short local
trains. Owing to the proximity Of the
old Baltimore and Ohio yards to the new
station, that companys men had become
fairly familiar with the new track lay
out before the trains began to use it. This
resulted in it being possible after a few
days to get comparatively good results
with this companys trains.
Sunday last, however, the trains of the
Pennsylvania. the Southern, the Chesa-
peake and Ohio, the Atlantic Coast Line,
the Washington Southern and the Sea-
board Air Line began moving into the
station. This increased the number of
trains entering and leaving to 224. net
gain of 100, very many of which were
long through trains. Most of these have
regularly assigned equipment, which must
be placed in the storage yard prior to be-
ing used. 1t had been hoped that the
large storage yards would be practically
completed by November II, but in this
the railroads were disappointed. The re-
suit has been material delay in making
up trains, due to the necessity for extra
switching and the difficulty of getting at
the proper cars. These storage yards,
however, are being completed very rapid
ly. and within few days there will be
substantially no trouble on this score.
Force of 1000 Men.
ITO handle these trains requires yard
and station force of some 1000 men. OF
these about $50 had to be transferred
from their old yards last Sunday. 1t was
necessary also to add about 100 new men
to the force. 1t should be understood that
the entire layout of this terminal is new.
and that many of the problems of opera
ton are likewise novel. Abundant pre-
liminary study had been given to these
problems, and it is believed that they had
been solved. Thorough plans had been
presupposed fairly normal yard and
switching facilities. AS the change to the
new conditions had to be accomplished in
one day, and as it had been physically
impossible for the men working in the old
yards to leave their work long enough to
familiarize themselves with the new con-
ditions, it is but natural that there should
have been considerable confusion while
the men became adjusted to their duties
under such changed surroundings.
The switches for tracks in the tunnel
under the plaza are to be operated by an
interlocking plant at Massachusetts ave-
nue.. The sEitches for tracks at the north
end of the yard are to be operated by an
interlocking plant at K street. Neither of
these plants has been as yet fully COM
pleted and it is necessary to operate all
switches by hand. This situation was
complicated Monday night by the fact that
ten of the fifteen switchmen operating the
north end of the terminal refused to work
longer because of the disagreeable wealth
err. AS safety would not allow of green
men being placed at this work, it became
necessary in the emergency for yard
masters and the superintendent of the
terminal to leave their regular work and
man the switches themselves in order that
there might be any movement at all
Conditions have been steadily improv-
ing since Monday. On that day probably
not more than 40 per cent of trains arrived
and departed on time. On Monday proba-
bly, fifty were subjected to some delay.
whereas today conditions were very great
ly bettered. The ajorlty of trains arriv-
ing from the north are on time. The
chief delays are in getting southern trains
away.
Not Now Familiar.
within few days it is expected that
the men will become familiar with their
new work. and that the storage yards will
be in workable condition. Then there will
have been removed the principal sources
Massachusetts, avenue is promised for
completion December l. and that at X
street January 1. though these delays
should not interfere seriously with the ter
minal operations.
THE delays which have occurred. under
the circumstances. could scarcely have
been prevented. The management of the
terminal is struggling as best it may with
the extraordinary difficulties which have
been presented Substantially normal con-
ditions cannot be expected to prevail for
a few weeks. but it can be safely stated
, that there will be improvement each day
1t Is earnestly hoped that the public will
exercise some forbearance. relying upon
the utmost endeavors of the management
TO do everything possible to make the
great facilities and convenences of the
new terminal fully available to the public
within the shortest possible time
Bay Schooner Sold.
The bay schooner Hester A. Waters a