Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-03-21
REPORT.
120 BROADWAY, NEW YORK,


The only point on the Northern Pacific
route where, in the absence of ordinary
precautions, there would be reason to an
ticipate occasional difficulty from snow
are at and near the BoZeman Pass, in
Montana, and towards the western part
of Minnesota. AS to the necessity for
unusual precautions against snow, if the
route ria the Yellowstone Valley, Deer
Lodge Pass, Clark's Fork and Columbia
River be adopted, do not apprehend that
any would be needed.
The present winter is a remarkable one
almost everywhere, but it is my opinion
that, with well-constructed fences at the
most exposed points, the Northern Pdci-
fc Railroad can uRquesttoRd6ty be Kept open
for regular traffic its entire length across the
continent through similar 1oiRters hereafter,
should they occur Our road from Duluth
to Oak Lake (about 200 niles has been
free most of the way this winter SoittOut
snow fences, and the Lake Superior and
Mississippi and the st. Paul and Pacific
Roads, in Minnesota, have had compare
lively little trouble from snow this winter.
A few miles of snow fences will render our
line from Lake Superior to the Missouri
River as free from snow distractions as the
line from Chicago to Omaha. Even in the
Rocky Mountains, in Montana, the ther-
mometer, from January Sth to the 14th,
in the middle of the day, ranged from 81
deg. above zero to As deg above, except
the 18th. when it was 80 deg. above. From
January 10th to the 21st, the range was
from Is deg. TO 81 deg. above; from JAN
uary 30 to February 12 the range was
from deg. above to A deg. above-av-
to 1S, from 26 deg. above to 81
deg. above-average, 24.5. The first
snow storms of the present winter
came in the Rocky Mountain region of
Montana unusually early Tin November
and December), were accompanied by un-
usually cold weather, and were regarded
by the oldest settlers as very remarkable.
Most winters cattle range through the val
leys of this region without difficulty, and
are usually fatter in the spring than when
turned out on the approach of winter
| feeding on the nutritious bunch grass.
At Helena, in the mountains, during the
severest winter referred to, the lowest
thermometer was about 80 deg. below
zero, and from 90 deg. to 80 deg. below
| in the vicinity of the Bozeman summit
But such low temperature only occurred
for a few days, as witness the high range
of the thermometer from January s tC
February 1S. My latest information from
the mountain sections of our line is a re
| port from Assistant Engineer J. w
Flenniken, dated at Helena, February 10
and fully corroborated by letters from
residents of other portions of Montana
dated the 10Th. From the former MAKE
the following extract -
have not heard of any very serious snow
on any of our lines. The Jefferson has bu
very little on it. Major Pease, who just ar
rived here from the Crow Agency, says tina
between the Agency and the divide there il
but little snow. Between. Forts Shaw anC
Benton it has disappeared altogether. Ii
the Bitterroot and Missoula valleys there ha
been none of any account. So far as l cal
learn, the snow would not have delayed
| trains more than one day had they been run
ming. Ny opinion of the danger of deel
SHOWS and frequent drifts is, that at no tim
| will the Northern Pacific Railroad have to en-
counter anything resembling the trouble ant
vexation that the Union Pacific is suffering
| The wagon-road between here and Dee
Lodge, the highest elevation on our line, ha
been open and in good condition ever sine
just returned from the Muscle Shell Valley
where his stock has been during the winter
says the snow has been very light, and tn
cattle have no difficulty in getting plenty o
grass the entire time.
These very favorable reports, during
winter of unprecedented severity, cove
the most elevated and mountainous POI
llOIlS vi OuI llHO, NuIlS AAph
snow would occur if anywhere on tn
route; and when it is remembered tha
the distractions on the Union Pacific hav
been virtually confined to section of IS
miles, every part of which is at least 1, 90
feet higher than the highest summit of tn
Northern route, and most of which i
2, 800 to 5000 feet higher than the noun
tain section of equal length on the North
ern Pacific line, it becomes perfectly saf
to predict for the latter as complete ex
emption from winter blockade as is en-
ioyed by railroads in New York and New
England. The valley route and sheltere'
position of the Northern Pacific Roa'
through Montana prevents, to a great ex
tent, the constant drifting of what snoy
there is, which characterizes more elevat
ed routes, and which has been the chic
source of difficulty on the Union Pacific.
W. MILNoR ROBERTS,
! DaeiH Hc Pai lrOad