New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-27
LIGHTER FAMINE
STARVING TRAFFIC
New York Railroad Termi-
nails Blocked with Rush
of Goods from West.
WILDERNESS OF CARS
ON JERSEY MEADOWS
Panama Slides Increase Conges-
tiOn-BoOm Part of New
Prosperity Era.

Next TO an ocean carrier with a
guaranteed right Of way over the war
blocked ocean lanes, the humble, snub-
nosed lighter has become about the
most sought after thing in New York.
1t Is the old law Of supply and de-
mand over again. There aren't enough
lighters to 90 'round-and so for three
hundred miles around the city side
tracks and built-to-order spurs are
choked with loaded freight cars which
have no place TO go and nothing TO do
when they get there.
The lighterage question is the one
weak link In the chain Of preparation
forged by the trunk railroads when
they foresaw the present overwhelming
rush Of traffic out of the West. All
records have been broken, and still
shipments keep mounting. With old
rolling stock rebuilt and new stock
ready for use, the roads have not yet
reached the limit Of their resources -
haven't reached it, that is. should they
discover way to keep things moving.
But without sufficient number of
lighters, warehouse and dock facilities
or a steady and dependable ocean out
let freight agents are at their wits
ends.
Over on the Jersey meadows, as far
as the eye can see, are box cars await
ing a chance 10 unload. There are tens
of thousands of them, and although
they are being dragged away by the
scores and hundreds every hour there
are always two cars fresh from the
West arriving to bid for the precious
track space Of each that leaves.
From Weehawken to Bayonne the
meadows are box car wildernesses.
Roth sides of the river, north as far as
Albany, are lined with thousands more.
Lying along the way to Philadelphia
and on side tracks all the way to Pitts
burgh are still other thousands Of cars.
In them are all manner OF commodities,
agricultural and manufactured, from
barley TO armored locomotives.
A good share of the stalled freight,
Of course, consists of war munitions
and supplies cont acted for by the
Allies. But that is by no means the
whole Of it. Many thousands of car
loads are consigned to South America
Uncle Sans response TO the influx OF
orders from the southern republics
diverted 10 us when Germany and her
put up their commercial shutters.
Another cause Of the glut, railroad
r1en say, is the number OF recent slides
in the Panama Canal. Because OF the
slides material that was TO have gone
&c Russia by way of,the Pacific ana
Vladivostok has been rerouted and
row swells the crush in the New York
terminal yards.
In the CroYton and Greenville yards
and all the rest Of them hundreds OF
shirt-sleeved men are at work night
and day at the special new telephone
installations in the car record ofhces.
1'heir duty is to bear the brunt Of the
onslaughts of worried shippers. And,
with trebled crews at work, the best
the record office men can promise is:
Yes, we know. Take care Of it soon's
We can. BY"
Cars containing livestock and AFTER
that pershable freight are getting
first attention and moving win
briskness close to normal.
"The big trouble is the lack OF light
ors." said an official of the Erie Rail
road Yesterday. THE roads have
plenty of cars and were there a normal
outlet through the Eastern terminals
would have no trouble in handling all
the business the increasingly prosper
Gus conditions could provide.
"For instance, our road has beeh
getting ready for the rush for more
than a year. We foresaw what was
coming and while there was time TOOK
measures to see we should not De
swamped.
az don't think the boom is due en-
tirelv TO the war order business. Us
lust the dawning of a countrywide
new era of prosperity, and the pros
perity is bound to remain even AFTER
the war orders have stopped coming