New-York tribune., 1918-01-21
Cracked Rails, Frozen
Switches and Boilers
Add to Congestion
Conditions Bad
Throughout East
Gangs Quit Work of Clear
ing Terminals Because
of Weather

The weather, executing a wide en-
veloping moveacnt, has temporarily
chcckmatcd plans to clear the railroad
congestion before the expiration ofHthc
five day industrial shutdown.
I'VE arc managing to move empty
cars back to the mines" said officials
Of the Federal railroad directorate last
night, but OF other progress there was
little or none
Instead, there were reports Of low
temperatures baking efforts in New
England, heavy snow blocking lines in
New York State and blzzards in the
mining regions. Derailments, owing to
the breaking of rails by the cold, were
numerous.
Would Divert Export Trade
c. L. Anderson, one Of the advisers
of the fuel administration, hearing re-
ports Of the rapid increase of railroad
difficulties, declared that the only So
luton Of the congestion problem was
to divert export traffic from the Allan
tic scaboard to New Orleans and other
Gulf points.
"New York has been regarded too
long as practically the only shipping
point for Europe" he declared.
All the railroads with terminals in
New Jersey sent out special trains yes
tcrday to gather in men from factories
shut down in obedience to the fuel ad-
minstration order These men were
taken to various terminal points to re-
Inforcc the gangs of laborers tagged
out by the endless battle with the cold,
but railroad officials admitted last
night that this additional working
force had made little impression upon
the situation.
ut is clcar-cut fight between the
United States and the weather." said
Pitt p. Hand, OF the assistant railroad
directors staff. $50 far the U. S. A.
has not Won"
At Scarborough, for instance. the
Hudson division of the New York Cen
tral, tied up previously by heavy SHOWS,
suffered another setback yesterday by
the breaking Of rail. A little later
another rail break occurred near Dobbs
Ferry. Tho automatic block signals
held up trains from ono to two hours
Mr.. Hand also told of frozen bal
last. buckled by the cold. opening the
hoppcrs of gondola cars and empty
ing upon the roadbcd piles Of coal
which doraicd the cars following.
Car Wheels Crack
Cracking car wheels caused other
transit mishaps to add to the welter
Of trouble for the officials facing the
task of getting the mass of freight
out Of the miles of cars that crowd
tho terminal yards.
During the early hours yesterday
when the temperature was as low as 5
degrees, some Of the yard locomotive
Guilty making steam. This contributed
to the general slowing down Of efforts
to clear up the congestion.
On top OF that hundreds of men who
had been moiling among the steam Jets
set to thaW out cars surrendered to the
weather, and failed TO appear when
their shifts returned to duty.
Large gangs Of those who did report
for duty had to be taken from the task
of unloading cars to pick ice out of
frozen switches.
There were gang foremen on duty
yesterday who had not been to bed
since Friday night. SO gruclling was
the toll Saturday and yesterday that
shifts.
Reports received last night by A. II.
Smith, Assistant Director General OF
Railroads. stated that conditions
throughout the East were as bad as
they were in the vicinity Of New York
Swapping rails, derailments and de-
lays from other causes were general
throughout Penns sylvania, New York,
Ohio, West Virginia, Illinois and see
tions of the Middle West
In Northern New York there was a
heavy snowfall. Lines west of Buffalo
and Pittsburgh were hampered by
drifts piled up by a heavy gale