The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-01-07
Letter from Omaha.
OMAHA, NEB., Dec. 26, 49,

OMAHA, NEB., Dec. 26, 1870.
DEAR WHIG:-Wc had almost concluded
! that winter with all it's horrors as we'll us
its seasons of pleasures and festivities,
would pass us by unnoticed, until Monday
last, when sudden change of atmosphere
reminded us that we were still at the mercy
of the weather king, and before 4S hours
had expired we witnessed hundreds of
persons crossing the Missouri River on the
ice, with merely 4 few plank to make 4
pathway for pedestrians, and in "a hours
more, sleds were used for transferring bag
gage and mails as we'll as many other mat
tiers; meanwhile, the most important, the
letter mail, was carried by the contractor
and assistants across the ice at no little
risk of immersion in tic Big Muddy, and
by Thursday, wagons and vehicles of every
description were whirling across from shore
to shore with imaginary safety. The trans
fer of the L. S. Mails, from first class
railroad trains, daily, and the baggage and
express matter from the same, is no tritling
matter when teams can be employed, but
when all have to be backed, using famil-
lar western phrase, it amounts to rather
serious consideration. But "a hours delay
was experienced by any part of the heavy
amount daily conveyed across this difficult
stream.
The cold has been severe almost beyond
endurance, as some of the agents have
realized during the past week. While accom-
nying the mails at night from the light trains
to the Omaha post office, they have had
their ears badly fiozen although it does
not require over 80 minutes. The cold
beyond Cheyenne as far as Wasatch is even
more severe.
Thus far no delay has been experienced
on the L. p. Railroad on account of snow
drifts, and from the extensive preparation
by snow fencing and shedding, l do not
anticipate any serious delay, unless the
weather should he more severe than last
winter, which was by no means a trtler
beyond the Black Hills of Wyoming.
The cold weather for the last week has
had rather stiffening effect on masonry,
but not sufficient to discontinue work on
the bridge across the Missouri River which
is progressing very favorably. 1t has
been impossible to proceed with the Custom
House and post office walls, but a number
of men are cutting stone for the upper
front walls. The great hotel is now
enclosed and out of danger from stormy
weather, and can be proceeded with without
serious interruption.
We are sorry to say we have had two
serious fires inside of "a hours. The gas
works, under the management of one of
your townsmen, by some unaccountable
cause, caught fire from an explosion, it is
thought, and the main building was
destroyed, but fortunately the receiver was
not injured-which caused such delay to
the progress of the works previously.-
The gas company's loss will be some
$4,000. The works will be in working
order inside of eight days.
G. w. Mead, the 1st Assistant Superin-
tendent of the L. p. Railroad, has resigned,
and is engaged in the Omaha Smelling and
Essaying Works, which, under such man.
agement will, no doubt, be success. The
railroad is conducted by Superintendent
Sickels, and Mr. Clark, of the Platte Divi-
sion, with Mr.. Fillmore, of the west end.
The ship is kept in motion successfully.
Yours ever, OCCASIONAL.