Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-03
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inc railroads IN this section since
Uncle Sam took control say that the
first signs of a speeding up OF freight
traffic can be seen and that the in
crease in coal traffic is commencing
to be notable. A few tremendousi
coal trains have passed through thei
city, but a larger amount is goingt
by Enola and from all accounts they
are only the forerunners of a great
movement Of coal as sidings and
lines of the Pennsylvania railroad all
through the soft coal country have
for weeks been filled with cars of
coal. There have also been many
cars standing on sidings along the.
Northern Central between this city
and Sunbury, some of 1t within tan
talizing distance of Harrisburg. Tho
Readings coal traffic over the Sus-
quehanna, which is far larger than
many people realize. is commencing
to grow and there are long trains of
coal from West Virginia and tho
Connellsville district coming into
Harrisburg, split up at Rutherford
and sent on to the eastern states
Some of these trains are considerably
longer than the usual winter size OF
coal trains. 1t has been customary
to cut down trains in winter, but coal
is being handled now in as long
trains as can be moved. Similarly
the empty cars are being rushed
back to the coal fields in very big
trains. When the new ARRANGEMENTS
for handling freight are perfected
there will probably be a volume fiow-
ing through Harrisburg every twen-
ty-four hours that will make some
of the rush periods of 1917 seem like
dull days.
An interesting theme for discus
sion now in view of the Governments
taking over of the railroads is just
what will be done by the Public
Service Commission with complaints
against the railroads There are a
couple of dozens of cases pending
which II they are decided now will
probably be with some directions that
at a future date certain things be
done. This has been indicated by or
ders which provide that applications
for grade crossing abolition may be
renewed without prejudice after the
war or that new construction can be
undertaken two or three years hence.
But what is interesting many is what
Will be done about the complaints
OF violation of the full crew law.
Operation is matter for the Gov
ernment and there is no telling what
the future may bring forth in the
way of manning trains or running
railroads for that matter. Federal
control probably sets aside state
laws.
Members of the Harrisburg Re-
serves will resume their drills at the
City Gray's Armory tomorrow night
) when two of the companies will
meet and go through the manual of
5 arms. The other companies will
: meet Tuesday night. 1t is planned
to take up interior guard duty this
month, line of'work in which the
Reserves will be given plenty of
practice as it will the duty they may
have to perform if called upon in an
{ emergency. Plans are also being
made for indoor practice at the range
in tho Armory.
Men who have been observing the
Susquehanna river say that the Ice
will probably be as thick as during
the winter of 1912 when the mercury
did some celebrating by going down
: to "ten below" in February and trees
and hedges were killed by the cold.
, Ice was reported that spring as
eighteen inches thick and some
which was called "two-foot ice'' was
talked of. In any event the ice that
spring was pretty heavy and only
: the gradual thaw prevented even
more serious trouble than occurred
during the famous "ice flood" of
. 1904 when Middletown suffered so
, severely and the tremendous cakes
of ice jammed the Susquehanna so
that the Columbia branch of the
: Pennsylvania had to be dug out.
Speaking of those severe winters
| IL ic m a
longed cold spell which the country
, has been enduring the last fortnight
is very unusual. In severe winters
/ recently there was a succession of
: short cold waves such as those which
sent mercury down to zero last win
{ ter, but they never lasted very long.
| The cold snaps of those winters
were very hard on people but they
T were able to get coal and to keep
, warm. The intense cold killed much
game. as coveys of quail were found
frozen and bird life was hard hit
generally. The probabilities are that
many birds will not be able to sur
vive the cold weather of the last
week because the SHOWS have COW
cred the ground and the birds have
had to meet terrible cold in an un-
dernourished condition. 1t was this
condition which prompted State
Game authorities to issue the appeal
to people to feed the insect destroy
ing birds as an economic as well as
sporting proposition.
|
From all accounts there will be
considerable curtailment of the usual
winter banqueting in Harrisburg
this year because of the war and the
conservation movement. Such din
ners as will be held will have menus
in line with the war and there will
be things eaten which can be classed
as among the nonessentials, while
war breads and similar things will
be introduced by way of variety. The
annulment of some of the banquesS
which have been annual features OF
Harrisburg life will make differ
ence, but everyone is looking for
ward to enjoying them all the more
when the war is over.