New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-23
WESTERN RAILROADS AND WINTER
FRESHKTS.
Editorial Correspondence Of The N. Y. Tribune.

GENEVA, Ill, Feb. 1G, 1857.
The great rain and food of the Gth-Sth inst.-ths
first brt akiDg up of hard Winter-was followed in
this State by hard frost, which sent the mercury
down to TO- below zero on the morning Of the 10th.
Thence the temperature gradually moderated down to
the morning of the l4th Saturday, when another
heavy rain set in which continued at intervals for
nearly 4S hours, til this morning, when the wind
southerly the sky cloudy, and the mercury some co.
above zerc-in short, it is an April morning. How
general is the resulting damage to the Railroads Of
Illinois remains TO be seen but expec to hear that
many bridges which braved the frst food have been
swept away by the present. But let me speak of What
have seen.
The train from the Mississippi on the Chicago and
Gslena Union or Air Line Road left Dixon on Satur-
day little after noon, or not much behind its tine
and as the new rain had not then been falling more
than three or four hours, 10 obstruction was aLtci
pated. But every slough crossed by the track a
rapidly swelling torrent; and few miles after passing
the new village of Dement, serious obstacle to prog
ress was encountered. The waters south of and above
the Railroad being provided with adequate culvet
or passage under the track, had been set back by it
till they had formed spacious lake, from which qqid
sheet some Thirty or forty rods wide was pouring orer
the track stream from 40 to eighteen inches in deph
into similar prairie reservoir temporary lake north
Of the track and three feet lower than the other.
There was evidently more water running the
track at this point than runs by Albany in the Hudson
for weeks in dry Summer. The conductor very
properly refused to risk and probably wreck his
train by driving ii upon this rickoty substruo-
ture, and came to dead stop, sending back
his engine to Dement, to telegraph for orders.
In due time the train was taken back TO De-
ment, where it waited an hour, then returned eau
tiousy to the scene Of the deluge, where ii met by
appointment the train from Chicago and, each hating
on its own side their passengers and baggage were
exchanged across the food which had worn such chan
rels under the rails scarcely in any place to cover
them. The swap consumed some twenty or thirty
minutes when each party resumed its journey IN the
cars thus far occupied by the ether No further posi-
tive impeachment was ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS bridges
over large creeks which had been partially destroyed
by the former freshe and but hastily aud inperfecty
repaired were crossed with extreme caution-unti an-
other overflow was encountered SOME two or three
miles after passing De Kalb Here the culvet had
been washed out and the road was utterly impossible
Night was coming on; rain still fell; and there was
clearly NO alternative but to return to De Alb and
encamp VIII oh was done.
De Kalb is village OF yeste,day-it may have one
house as much as two years old, but guess not-but
il has now about hundred dwellings, two churches,
and two tmsl averns, which did their best for the
comfort Of the forty fifty travellers so Unexpectedly
showered upon them. This, like hundred such
which skrt the Illinois Railroads, is bound to grow
rapidly; but trust its mud will never be deeper nor
more slutinous than il was night before last. When
morIirg broke, construction train, well furnished
with men and timber, sent toan to the break
which had perempc rly stopped us, and succeeded
by noon in making il p4s.ab.e; when it returned,
aud the passenger train was immediately fired up
aid started on its way, crossing the new structure
cautiously and safely, passing other places at which
the water hae oveITun the track but was now making
its way under or through it, and bringing us TO this VII
lage (the capital Of Kane County, by 8 O'Clock. l
stopped here for the night while the train crossed the
Fox by the mistaken Railroad brdge-the old bridge
at this point having been swept off 10 the former
freshet nne days ago-and probably reached Chicsgo
by dark. might have stated that We met, some Gies
west Of this, the local train from Chicago, which
should lave iun cut TO De Kalb Saturday evening
bat which apprsed BY telegraph of our stoPpage laid
over OF this point. Such is my latest and least dsa'
greeable experience ofpogess in detpite Of difficulties
in Illinois. H. c.