Evening journal., 1918-07-15
pEhAA. R. R. BREAKS
FREIGHT RECORDS
Establishes New World Fig
ure by Moving 1881
Cars in One Day
250.322 CARS
JUNE'S TOTAL

June of this year was the month o
greatest raiiroading achievements in
the history Of the country according tC
the reports OF the Federal managers OF
the various roads. The Pennsylvania
Railroad, in a statement issued yester-
day, asserted that the movement OF
freight over its main line on June %
was the greatest which had ever taken
place on any railroad line and stood
as worlds record
The cars moved on, that day past
Columbia, Penn, on the main line num-
bered 9,53i. The second highest move
ment on that line occurred on May II
OF this year, when 9,i73 cars passed
the same point. The third best day on
record on the Pennsylvania line took
place nearly eleven years ago, when
9027 cars were moved past given
point.
The abolition OF unnecessary pas
senger trains 10 release engines, the in
crease in the rate OF engine building
motive power under Federal manage
ment and the use Of the shortest routes
under non-competitive conditions are
The principal factors in the speeding
up Of railroad operation, which chang
ed the worst congestion in history,
which occurred last winter, TO an un-
precedented achievement In freight
handling this spring and summer. The
statement OF the Pennsylvania Rail-
road is as follows:
Complete figures which have been
made up for the movement OF freight
cars past Columbia, Penn. on the
Pennsylvania Railroad, during the
month of June, reveal an immense !
volume OF traffic, far exceeding any
thing ever previously recorded The |
total number Of cars passing In the
month was O322-enough 10 make a |
continuous train more than 20O0 miles |
in length or solidly oil up a double
track railroad from New York to St.
Louis. Each day in the month seventy
miles of freight cars passed. the daily |
average movement being s344 cars /
which is the equivalent Of one car |
passing every ten seconds. Both the |
months total and the daily average |
created new high marks for the move |
ment Of freight traffic, not only past |
Columbia, but at ell the other obser-
WALTON points.
"The freight moving through Colum-
bia in the thirty days OF June exceed
ed 100000 tons, or more than 1900 Or
binary steamship cargoes OF 5000 tons
eaclK Roughly, forty vessel loads OF
freight a day were hauled past this
point during the month. OF the 250322
cars moving past Columbia in June,
1852 were loaded and iii.79O were
empty The difference between the /
loaded and empty movements, east
bound and westbound, was very strik-
Ing. Out Of ii0,93i cars moved east
bound. i06,3l2 wsre loaded and only
I,5s9 were empty, while in the west
,ound movement Of i39,39i cars, there
we're only 32,f90 loads, and i0720l cars :
we're empty. In other words, four out
Z every five cars going west were
empties" while going east there were
My four temples" in a hundred. This
a good example Of the extremely un-
alanced loaded freight movement on
astern trunk line railroads. resulting
om the war conditions. which have
.es<ly increased export freight traffic r
Al at the same time have reduced inn |
ort freight almost to zero.
"COlumbia derives its importance as
passing point for the observation OF
eight traffic on the Pennsylvania Rail-
oad, from its situation on the low
rade line, between Enola Yard, near
and Parkesburg. Pa, over {
,hich practically all the through cast
nd vestbound freight is routed. TO
cave the shorter main line route free
or the heavy passenger traffic which
4 carries The great volume OF freight
moving through Columbia in June ex- {
'mplifles the magnitude Of the burden
resting upon the Pennsylvania Railroad
by reason Of its geographical position, {
which has made It the principal car
Iier Of the nations war freight. An
overwhelming proportion Of the enor-
nous esstbound traffic recorded origin
ated on the Pennsylvania Railroad and
rs branches between Harrisburg and
and was OF the most es-
'ential character for the successful
OF the war. Il consisted in
,ery large part Of the iron and steel
OF the Pittsburg industrial re-
,ion. coal. from the mountains in cen
raj Pennsylvania and coke from the
many ovens in the same region. In :
luded were ship plates and other nee
ssary material for vessel construction
n the tidewater yards, supplies for
he building Of new shipyards and other J
var industrial plants, raw and semi I
lnished materials to keep the eastern
plants in full operation. and {
'uel for the eastern industries and for y
'he ships which are keeping up the Z
Vital line Of communication with Eu-
rope" q