Evening star., 1944-09-17

lima to Maine which were hit by last
weeks hurricane have already clear
ed away the debris and much Of the
wreckage, reports from these centers
indicated yesterday. AT the same
time they were attempting to handle
throngs OF the curious who were ar
irving hourly to view the storm
damage.
Costly ~ the damage was, there
was no indication that the big
wind" had done more than bring
about Z brief pause in the tide Of
autumn vacationists which promises
to set an all-time September outing
record.
Few, II any, cancellations Of the
heavy bookings reported by both re-
sort committees and hotels were
expected, and with the passage Of
the storm excellent weather well
into late October was prophesied.
The call for autumnal vacations
this year Is Nation wide, the Amer
ican Express Travel Service reports
as . result Of survey which found,
among other things, that:
Approximately 30 per cent Of
mountain and lake resorts in the
Northern tier from the White Noun
tains to Minnesota are scheduled to
remain open from two to three weeks
beyond seasonable closing dates.
In the Midwest, heavy autumn
reservations are reported from near
ly all resorts in Michigan, Wiscon-
sin and Minnesota. A poll of
Michigan resorts at Grand Haven,
Benton Harbor, Nackinac, Petoskey
and the Upper Pensinula showed the
largest percentage Of Chicago resi-
dents In history. Resorts and camps
in the Ozarks are booked to CA
pacity.
Forida's excellent summer Seascn
continues without q break with
promise that winter accommodations
will be at q premium. The Ever
glades. State, which will celebrate its
Tooth anniversary Of statehood on
March ). is justifying to . marked
degree its year-round climate - q
resort mecca.
Headed by New York State, with
90 country fairs scheduled for au-
tumn, the largest number Of State,
county and country fairs since war
time are being listed in nearly all
States.
Illustrating the mounting tend
ency to go places" = survey by the
same agency points out that ass, $50, :
000, 900 passenger miles were Travelled
last year out of which approximately
10 per cent was credited to the rail-
roads, buses accounted for IL per
cent, electric railways rs per cent
and air lines o. per cent, while the
private automobile represented 60
per cent.
Comparing this volume to prewar
travel. it is readily glin1psed that
railroad passenger volume was ur
2S7 per cent over 1899, and the
Pullman travel included in that total
was up 225 per cent, bus travel va,
up ITS per cent, air travel had in
creased ia per cent, electric rail-
way business was up 80 per cent and
private automobile travel was down
43 per cent.
The so-called standard gauge OF
the railways. although not standard
in many parts Of the world, Is 4-foot
8h inches between the inside run
nning edges of the rails.
How 1t happened to be this
rather odd figure mas puzzled rail-
way historians. Numerous answers
have been given, chief Of which
Is the influence Of Roman rutways
on the width Of British cart treads,
the width Of old edge rail tracks,
T. D. Slattery, general trafic, man.
ager of the British Railways Head
quarters In New York, points out.
The width of the Killingwortll
Colliery line was feet 8 inches,
for which George Stephenson built
locomotives with a similar guage.
Perhaps as q result of experience
he built the first public railway be-
tween Stockton and Darlington