Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-03-21
REPORT.
100 BROADWAY, New YORK,
March Z, 1872.


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 ma the Yellowstone Valley, Deer
Lodge Pass Clark's Fork and Columbia
River, be adopted, l do not apprehend
that any would be needed.
The present winter is remarkable one
almost everywhere, but it is my opinion
that. with well fences at the
most exposed points, the Northern Pacific
Railroad can anquesti0nably be kept open for
regular traffic its entire length across the con-
hiaent through similar aointers hereafter,
should they occur. Our road from Duluth
to Oak Lake (about 200 miles, has been
free most of the way this winter acithout
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 Mis-
souri, River as free from snow Obstruc-
lions as the line from Chicago to Omaha.
Even in the Rocky Mountains, in Mon
tana. the thermometer from January Sth
to the 18th, in the middle of the day,
ranged from 81 deg above zero to AZ deg.
above, except the 18th, when il was 30
deg. above. From January 18th to the
21st, the range was from Is deg. to 81 deg.
above: from January 80 to February IL
the range was from 2 deg. above to Al
deg. aboye-average, 26 deg. above !;
February 10 to 10, from 26 deg above to
"a deg. above-average, 425. 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
levs of this region without difficulty, and
are usually fatter in spring than when
turned out on the approach OF winter
feeding on the nutritious bunch grass
At Helena, in the mountains, during the
sQverest weather referred to, the lowest
thermometer was about 80 deg. below
zero and from 20 deg. to 30 deg. below
in the vicinity of the Bozeman summit.
But such low temperature only occurred
for few days, as witness the high range
of the thermometer from January to
February Is My latest information from
the mountain sections of our line is a re-
port from Assistant Engineer j. w.
Flanniken, dated at Helena, February II,
and fully corroborated by letters from
residents of other portions OF Montana,
dated the 10th. From the former l make
the following extract -
! have not heard of any very serious SHOWS
on any Of our line 4 The jefferson has has b art
rived here from the Crow Agency, says that
between the Agency ana the divide there is
but little snow Between Forts Shaw and
Benton it has disappeared altogether. In the
Bitterroot and Missoula valleys there has
been none Of any account. 30 far as ! can
learn, the snow would not have delayed trains
more than one day had they been ruAuing.
Nv opinion Of the danger of deep snow and
freouent drifts is, that at no time Will the
Northern Pacific Railroad have to encounter
ANYTHING resembling the trouble and yeXa-
ton that the Union Pacific is suffering. The
wagon. road between here and Deer Lodge,
the highest elevation on our line, has been
omen and in good condition ever since IL was
first broken. Mr. Sparks, just re-
turned from the Muscle Shell Valley, where
his stock has been during the winter says
the snow has been very light, and the cattle
have no difficulty in getting plenty OF grass
the entire time.
These very favorable reports, during a
winter of unprecedented severity, cover
the most elevated and mountainous por-
tions of our line, where distractions from
snow would occur if anywhere on the
route: and when it is remembered that
the distractions on the Union Pacific have
been virtually confined to section OF lsC
miles, every part of which is at least ooo
feet higher than the highest summit OF the
Northern route, and most OF which is
$500 to 5000 feet higher than the noun
tain section of equal length on the North
ern Pacific line, it becomes perfectly safe
to predict for the latter as complete ex'
emption from winter blockade as is enjoy
ed by railroads in New York and New
England. The valley route and sheltered
position of the Northern Pacific Road
through Montana prevents, to a great ex'
tent, the constant d,Itting of what snow
there is, which characteriZes more eleVat,
ed routes, and which has been the CHIEF
source of difficulty on the Union PACING.
w. minor ROBERTS,
Chief Engineer, Northern Pacihc RAILROAD
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