The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-06
.STOPPA AGE FREIGHT
TRAINS MEANS LOSS
Birmingham Would SuRer,SayS
Milton Smith
ILLUSTRATES CONDITIONS
Members of Birmingham Pastors
Union Speak In Favor of the Bill
introduced BY Senator
White.

Montgomery, February 5.-(Speeial)-
At a meeting of the senate committee
on commerce and common carriers to-
night Milton II. Smith presented a state
ment to the effect that the stoppage of
freight trains on Sundays would mean
great loss to the Birmingham district.
The statement was presented by Jno. P.
Tillman, of Birmingham, representing
Mr.. Smith. The other side of the ques-
ton was largely represented by the fol-
lowing members of the Birmingham Pas
tors union: Rev. L. F. Written, Rev.
Sterling j. Foster, Rev. J. {. Persinger
and Rev. J. d. Hall. All of these spoke
for the bill, seeking to prevent Sunday
trains
The bill was introduced by Senator
White, who also spoke for the measure.
Other speakers against the bill We're J..
r. Adams, Superintendent Johnson of
the Alabama Consolidated at Birming-
ham and Thos. Pounds of Birmingham.
In his statement, which is of much III
terest to Birmingham, President Smith
said
THE Louisville and Nashville and
South and North Alabama and affiliated
railroads. although utilizing all the faeili-
ties and resources and eXerting all the
energy under their control TO the utmost,
and working continuously, are unable to
move the traffic offered. resulting in Sc
rious embarra ssment to many of their
patrons on Sundays extraordinary ef-
forts are made by all officials and en-
ployes to move the accumulation.
The following statement will illustrate
the conditions and the efforts made to
move traffic:
ION Thursday, January 81 1901, there
mad accumulated at Boyles, Ala, (Blr-
minghanO 767 loaded cars destined TO De-
catur and beyond. In addition there were
several hundred cars destined south ana
to points on and reached via. the Varl-
GUS branches of the South and North
Alabama railroad ana its connections, oi
the 767 cars. 4J7 were loaded with lum-
Der, practically all of which had orislnat-
ed at local points in Alabama. There
were 236 loads of pig iron, all of which
originated in Alabama, ana in addition,
J24 cars loaded of miscellaneous prop
erty During the twelve hours ending,
say at S o'clock a. IN. Sunday, February
8, thlrty-two freight trains were dis
patched from Boyles for Decatur and
beyond containing about AIS cars. These
trains wera run in addition to the num-
Der OF passenger lfdliiS dlll lIlC 'puNii
bound freight trains.
considering the character of the road
which is exceedingly difficult, the curva-
ture and grades equalling one and one
nalf per cent, or eighty feet to the mile
| doubt If there exists another piece of
single track road of that character over
! which as many trains We're moved In the
| same time.
1.-The quantity of traffic moved would
be exceedingly small for the great traffic
lines with two and four tracks, with
grades of but three-tenths per cent, OF
sixteen feet to the mile, where the SAME
engines move from four to five times as
| much tonnage as can be Jnoved over this
difficult road. Notwithstanding the, uni
der the circumstances. large movement
there were on hand at a. m. Monday
February T. Gil loaded cars at Boyles, de-
| stined to Decaaur and beyond.
Does not the foregoing show conelu-
sively that a suspension of effort for
twenty-four hours in each week will add
greatly to the embarrassment of all con-
cerned-carriers and patrons"