New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-09-07
RUSHING BACK To CITY
TURMOIL At TERMINALS.
Abscncc of School Children SaUes
Situation for Traffic Managers.

What saved the situation yesterday for traffic
managers OF the railroads that run into this city,
was the fact that the schools scheduled to
open to-day. Labor Day marks the end Of the
vacation season for vast numbers of persons living
in this city, but when the day for the children is
week away there IS no hurry to bring the young
sters back before that time. There was turmoil
enough it at the stations here and in Jersey
City, HObOken and Weehawken.
The stations the west bank of the North River
which have the OF the tube didn't look much
buster than on ordinary ween end days. The tube
trains. however, we'll on to midnight, showed that
it was rush period. But there was no real
geston. The ferries crowded also, and great
wagons piled high with baggage were set back and
forth the river the trunks to be transferred
the suburbs to points in this city being handled
rapidly, owing to- the through check system.
At the New York Central station real evidence
of the end of the holiday and for many the end Of
the season. more manifest than elsewhere.
Every possible safeguard against congestion had
been made, and A r. Whaley, the who runs
things at the station had three hundred extra men
at work there and at the Mott Haven yards To be
sure that nothing untoward occurred TO interfere
with the safety and comfort Of the passengers Mr.
Whaley sent word early last week to all employees
on a vacation to report Saturday They were
there on time. and aided in handling the crowds
and the baggage yesterday and last night
Mr.. Whaley and Superintendent G. L. Bardo, his
assistant. up all night TO be ready for any
emergency. single error at the swtchbosrdS
would create situation that they only could sue
cessfully handle. New areas had been established
10 store the baggage for quick transfer. Great
piled with aisIes between and each row
contained trunks according to the last number of
the check, which made finding comparatively easy.
Over at the Lexington avenue end an overflow
place where three thousand trunks could be handled
and that is where three extra baggage trains were
unoaded.
There were seven hundred train movements in
the CONSTRUCTED track area Of the station yesterday
Between o'clock in the afternoon and II o'clock
last night the rush was heaviest but there will
he an unusually busy time at o'clock this morn
ing, when the mountain expresses come in. Last
year the Adirondack special contained ten sec
tons, and 1t may contain many to-day, One
train last evening brought 80 pieces of baggage
and before midnight $3.50 pieces had been handled
Last year in five days $1,000 pieces of baggage were
sent out and taken in. This year the heavy rush
has been spread over a longer period, with a con-
sequent better condition for the
The situation at the Grand Central Station has
peculiar difficulties and will continue to have
for passenger traffic until the many improvements
have been completed. There only eight tracks
in the station proper which to receive and send
out trains. The Mott Haven yards are the stor-
age place. and there is almost a continuous
shutting hack and forth of the heavy trains in
volving an immense amount of careful train han
ding.
Mr.. Whaey in close touch with every branch
of the terminal service yesterday. The manager of
the power Stdtlon was at the main ONCE IN the
evening He said that on Saturday 15S0O0 kilOwatt
hours used and that the maximum for any
one hour was equivalent to 2iO0O-horSepower. A
breakdown there would mean a shutdown of the
whole terminal work for a considerable period: but
Mr.. Whaley is not looking for breakdowns of any
kind. They would fit in the terminal manage
ment, least of all at this time.
In all stations extra men employed so that
a full force might be at work throughout the rush.
Shifts of men will be made at regular periods so
that none in a responsible post may become tired
out and thus unfit for service The period of re-
turn of persons from their vacation being more
extended than usual. 1t will he some time before
a comparison of the volume of traffic can be made
with that of former years 1t was said last night
that the traffic seemed greater than since 1897.