New-York tribune., 1918-01-29
Freight and Passenger Traffic
Demtoralized, Many Trains
Are Annulled
Snowdrifts Stall
Engines on P. r. r.
Service Out of Philadelphia
Suspended; Worst Tie-Up
in Years, Officials Say

y
terday-the second Monday of partial
industrial suspension.
Storms of snow and slect. sweeping
the Atlantic coast and extending across
Pennsylvania. Ohio. Michigan and parts
of Indiana and Illinois, utterly demor-
allied freight and passenger service,
and shortly before O'Clock reports
were received in the Office of A. II.
Smith, Assistant Railway Director, stat
ing that all service had been annulled
from New York, Philadelphia and Wash
ington to points reaching the Altoona
and Pittsburgh districts.
Eastbound passenger service was
practically brought to q standstill all
over the Eastern railway district after
12 o'clock noon.
The railroads reported that weather
conditions in Pennsylvania, West Vir-
ginia. and throughout the Alleghencs
were worse than they had ever been
this winter. With the freight trans
portation still in sick state and under
the treatment Of experts, Yesterdays
general storm caused a relapse from
time to recover.
Few Trains Running; All Late
While passenger travel has been cut
down to minimum for the last month.
the few passenger trains still running
have been operating close to their
time schedules. All trains that did
come in were from one to twelve hours
late yesterday. Several trains are held
up indefinitely.
Two main line Pennsylvania passen-
ger trains became stalled in snowbanks
west of Philadelphia with one engine
derailed. West-bound trains were held
up at Altoona till conditions cleared.
On all railroads leaving New York
schedules were changed, trains were
annulled and tickets were sold to trav-
ellers without any assurances that the
purchaser would be able to reach his
destination until the weather cleared
The result was that hundreds Of per-
sons cancelled their trips out Of New
York City, preferring not to take
chance of being stalled for hours in
snowdrifts on trains with limited ac-
commodations for Pullman or dining
service.
The freight situation came closer to
the panic stage than ever. Scores of
coal trains are stalled in the mining
regions Of Pennsylvania and West
Virginia. Freight services in the
Pittsburgh district came to an absolute
standstill early in the afternoon.
Pennsylvania Annuls Trains
The Pennsylvania suspended all ser
vice west Of Philadelphia yesterday
tickets to Western travellers with the
reservation that they would have to
take their chances on getting out of
Philadelphia. The Philadelphia En-
press, due to leave here at 10 o'clock,
was cancelled, likewise the Pennsyl-
vania Limited, leaving here at II: :O4
for Chicago. Passengers who had
planned to leave on this train were
taken to Philadelphia on a train which
left the Pennsylvania at IL o'clock, and
were told that they might make West
luck and the weather man favored
them.
Many travellers who had planned to
take the Manhattan Limited due to
leave at 5:04 p. m, and the Lousian.
due to leave at 6:04 p. m, gave up their
trips. However, both trains left the
Pennsylvania Station on time, as rail
conditions had cleared up in the after
noon. 1t was announced at the Penn
sylvania that the lines west of Phila-
delphia had been cleared by . O'Clock
in the afternoon, so that the keystone
Express from that city was able to
start on its way to Chicago. Two
trains due here at o'clock from Phila-
delphia and Washington were annulled.
Pennsylvania officials said the road
had not been so badly crippled in years.
Trouble on New York Central
The New York Central Jared little
better than the Pennsylvania. There
was a heavy snowfall along its system.
holding up both freight and passengr-
trains. In several sections two engines
with a snow plough were required to
pull train through the heavy drifts.
Every incoming train was late. The
Twentieth Century. due here at 9:4O
a. m., came into the Grand Central at
. O'Clock in the afternoon. The
Wolverine. due at o'clock, was more
than eight hours benind time. The
Lake Shore, due at 5:25 p. M, was re-
ported eight hours late No. &C. due
from Chicago at 9:2O o'clock, was seven
hours behind time.
The New York, New Haven & Hart
ford also felt the storm severely. Ser
vice between New York City and STAN
ford, Conn, was cut in half, and on
the Putnam division, between New
York and Brewster, little or no effort
was made to keep up the schedule.
New England trains on the New Haven
were from twenty minutes to three
hours late.
The Lackawanna. reported that the
storm had not disarranged its passen-
ger travel in the least. while on the
Central Railroad of New Jersey one
passenger train, leaving at o'clock for
Washington. was cancelled.
The reports of suspended freight SER
vice in the Pittsburgh district indicated
to the railroad officials that there was
no encouraging prospect of keeping up
the necessary supply of emptes for the