The avant courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1871-1872, 1872-03-21
snow Drifts rs. Railroads.

] The following rule relative to the drifting
Of snow, and devices for guarding roadl
against snow bloekades. were obtained from
Mr.. l. E. Sickles, General Superintendent
of the Union Pacific Railroad. whose pas
winters experience and observations should
make him good authority on the subject !.
FRS, that on level, the drifts extend
laterally twenty feet, to every foot in lei ght
Of the snow fe co Of other obstruction. THAI
il, il the snow fel ce be five feet III height,
the drifts will slope from the top Of the fence,
one foot in every twenty. and terminate ut d
distance Of one hundred feet from the fence.
This ratio OF height to distance has been OBJ
served To be invariable OH level ground. On
billy and broken ground, the same Il true.
proportionately rs the currents Of wind are
parallel with the contour Of the grcdild, aver
which it sweeps. Mr.. sickles relates as one
il stance of the great blockade. that at point
on the Union Pacific road where punches OF
sage brush on the windWard side. rose slight
" above the level Of the track, q small de-
posit of snow was made ia the road. which
Was without difficulty swept off by the first
passing engine. This left the track a few
inches lower than the bank on either side.
Fresh snow soon drifted into the open space,
which. when removed, again increased the
height OF the banks above the track. At
length, having been accumulated little by
little. perpendicular walls OF snow, fifteen
feet IN height. bordered the track for several
hundred feet. The removal of the sage brush
in the beginning would have forcstallcd all
difficulty at this point. The theory of drifts
being established, clue is furnished to guide
US to the successful prevention OF blckades.
In the first place, iii all level country. the
track should be raised number Of feet equal
10 any probable depth of snowfall. Then.
brush Or other objects which might serve as
fences to start drifts. in the vicinity oi
the track should be removed. Thorough cuts
should be avoided as much as possible. When
the accumulation of snow upon the track
commences at the beginning uf tile drifting
season. care should be taken to keep the
windward site of the track free from all OBJ
structions to the. free sweep OF the wind. II
snow fences are used for the protection of
ctllS, IiitIT ulstdilcc from tile IfaCR
should be tn their heigh as twenty to one.
They will be- found available in light falls of
snow, where their heiyht and distance are
sufficient for any probable accumulation of
snow. The winter just closing has probably
had no parallel. within, the recollection of tile
living. IN the frequency. amount and severity
Of the storms. Major Hunt. ronllnandant Of
Fort Sanders. has kept all accurate record of
the snowfall at that place durisg the past
,even years, and he reports that there has
been greater depth this winter than the ag-
yregate depth of the six preceding winters,
Some severe structures have been passed up-
IN the officials Of the Union Pacific road.
When we take into consideration the extra
ordinary difficulties with which they haye
,een called to contend, it would seem that
,ensure should give place to regret, for theirs
vas a war against the elements over which
hey had no control. Central CITY Register.