The Detroit times., 1915-10-14
This and New Termi-
nal Given Credit For
Increased Receipts
CONGESTION
is RELIEVED
New Switching Yards
In Windsor Result In
Great Saving

That the Michigan Central tunnel
ana new terminal have been an un-
qualified success. not only from the
standpoint of economy In both time
and cost in handling traffic, but from
the standpoint OF the public service
as we'll Is shown by a statement Is
sued by Henry Russell. vice-president
and general counsel of the railroad
company.
On any trunk line with nuctuat-
ing volume OF trafiic there are usual
ly points which tend to limit the
amount OF business which can be
done on the whole line, Mr.. Russell
points out. The Detroit river was
always one OF those points. he says.
and he details some Of the troubles
which used to be experienced In get
ting freight ard passenger traffic
across the river.
BY 1906 these troubles had be-
come 70 serious, he declares. that
the company was faced with the
necessity OF largely increasing its
investment In ferry transfer equip
ment or doing something else, and
the committee Of directors was ap-
pointed which finally recommended
the construction Of the twin-tube
tunnel and new terminal. The tun-
mel was commenced Immediately
and completed in 1910, the tunnel
and terminal. costing s21. 900, 900
investment. s3000,O00 of which was
represented by capital stock of the
terminal company and the remain
der by bonds--~ ~~--.e.,
What the result OF the building OF
the tunnel and terminal has been Is
shown by figures comparing the pas
senger and freight earnings for two
lhre e-year periods. the first includ-
ing the years 1907, 1908 and 1909.
before the construction Of the tunnel
was undertaken, and the second
including the years 1912, 1913 and
1914. after the tunnel was in use, al
though the advantage of the ter
minal was had only for the last
year OF this latter period.
Passenger earnings for the sum-
mer months showed an increase OF
29.74 per cent, for the winter
months Of 34.S7 per cent, of a total
increase of 31.9 In the latter period
over the earlier three years Freight
earnings on the same basis showed
an increase of 21.7 per cent alto
gether, the gain for the summer
months being 20.94 per cent and
that for the winter months being
22.47 per cent. The combined
freight and passenger earnings
showed total increase of
24.49 per cent, or an increase Of
1881 per cent for the summer and
25.4S per cent for the winter months.
Mr.. Russell points ont that Il is
impossible to tell how much Of the
increase shown IL due to the i'm.
provements and how much repre-
sents normal growth of the road.
His company seems, from the tone
Of the statement, however. to be en-
tirely satisfied with its investment.
He adds:
"A material saving has also been
obtained by the transferring TO the
new freight yards at Windsor. con-
structed for this purpose, OF all the
switching operations necessary on
through freight trains, thus reliee-
ing the Detroit yards (which were
rapidly becoming congested and
overcrowded owing to the extraor-
binary industrial growth Of Detroit),
and increasing their capacity about
40 per cent. Another item. the ex-
act amount OF which can not now
be computed because OF the loss Of
records by fire. Is the saving in per
diem charges on loaded and empty
freight cars. particularly empty cars,
many OF which we're formerly fire.
quently held back on either side OF
the river as q matter OF necessity IN
order that the forwarding Of loaded
cars might be expedited. Under
present conditions. there being no
congestion at this point, empties are
forwarded wfthotsf dolnv-