Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-13
Admiral Here to Spur
League Island Service


uelpHl"' went to tne navy yard where
he met Rear Admiral Tappan, command
ant of the yard.
Admiral T1ppan said that while tran.
sit conditions to the yard had i'm.
proved slightly the last two days. they
were generally intolerable.
lie urged Admiral PEOPLES to ta,,.
steps toward obtaining direct routes IN
the navy yard from West philadelphia
Market street ferry Frankford and othe,
places, so that the men could 90 to the
yard on one car line. This would neces,
state n reroutng Of some of the lines.
After his conference with Admiral
Tappan, Admiral Peoples went TO
Broad street Station ana with traffic
of the Pennsylvania Railroad rode TO
the cwst Philadelphia station. lie was
was also accompanied by Natclv Dick
ins. assistant Councillor of NAVY. From,
there he rode to the navy yard, in order
to see what could be done i'm the way
Of establishing train service from the
West Philadelphia station to the ward
The Admiral then had another confcr
cnce with Admiral Tappan. during
which he learned the various sections
of the city in which navy yard workers
lived.
Admiral Peoples will call on President
Mitten, of the Rapid Transit Company
this afternoon or early tomorrow. lie
will make several requests for better
ment of.the transit service.
| Asked what course he would take
should these requests not be granted.
the Admiral said he would not discuss
that phase of the matter at this time.
! In addition to asking that direct routes
be established between the navy yard
and the northwestern, northern and
western parts of Philadelphia Admiral
/ Peoples will also request the company
to place stations ut the navy yard, so
, that the men may pay their fares before
boarding the ears aud thus save the
time now occupied in collecting fares
before the ears start.
/ AUTHORITY TO SEIZE LINES
The navy officials have the authority
/ OF Secretary Daniels even to Comman-
deer the lines running to the yard II
necessary. But as the =. Il. T. has
shown that 1t can handle the big crowds
both going to and coming from the yard
with little or no delay--Whcn II wants
tot is the belief of officials that this
action will not be necessary.
The efficient manner in which the
! crowds from the yard We're carried
away is ample proof that the company
does not want the Government to run
any of its lines. The navy officials
were expected to view the manner in
which the p. Il. y. handled the crowds
at the evening rush hour. The COM
. ,
sible handling the tnrongs of workers
for two hours without hitch and in
4 perfect time without undue crowding.
Thomas T.. Alitten, president of the
4 transit company. said positively that
no cars were added to the navy yard
, lines: the suddenly rejuvenated SER
/ vice was due to a system of rear load
ing--the emergency doors in the rear
/ Of the cars being opened until the car
/ departed.
In addition, there were extra dis
patchers on hand and the cars were
brought to the navy yard before the
vanguard of the army of Government
/ workers came through the gates. As
| the first of the men came from the yard
! the extra starters and the conductors,
nguratively speaking. stood on their toes.
! The rush was on. As fast as one car
| was comfortably filed another took its
place.
Rear Admiral Tappan, commandant of
D., the navy yard, and group of transit
company officials headed by President
Mitten watched the efficient handling
of the crowds.
Well what do you think of the SER
vice now?" Mr. Mitten asked the ad-
miral He smiled as he quietly replied.
81 thought it could be done"
Mr.. Mitten was asked if it had been
merely by coincidence that the double
loading system with the extra dispatch
ers had been established on the day OF
the beginning of the Navy Department
investigation. Mr.. Tuliy said he could
not answer the question, while Mr.. Nit.
ten subordinated it to other matters.
OBTAINING CARS MOST IMPORTANT
"It is not the loading that concerns Us
chiefly" he $ i'd ''it IL getting the cars
here. This loading innovation saves very
little time. Where we have saved time
Thirteenth, Twelfth, Fifteenth and Six
teenth streets, Mayor Smi:- .. my re-
quest has assigned extra Policemen to
these streets to keep wagon drivers
chauffeurs and others from blocking the
lines. That is where the main difficulty
has been. 1t might he asked why we
did not request Gle lrer traffic before this
The answer is that you cannot ask
wagon drivers to turn from the trolley
tracks to the side of the highway when
the streets are piled high with snow
The break in the weather has made this
possible"
Navy yard officials said the double.
loading system had been proposed to the
company a month ago. Asked why the
innovation, which proved great sue