Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-02-15
THE SIO4 OOO, 600 FRAUD.
A History Of the MIshaps Of the Union
Pacific Road SnSw-sheds Played
Out-A Sauthern Pacific Line
Imusratlveiy Demanded.
Another story, but not Told by the Great
COnpaBy-A Voice from Salt Lake.

| 1.-THE annexed lengthy clTcuAdE
teIegrsphed from Omaha-emehatine
from the Union Pacific railroad COM
pany-as an apology and explanation
for the delays experienced nearly the
whole winter by passengers whose
business compelled them 10 attempt
this route to and from the Pacific
coastl,
OMAHA, February lathe follow
ing statement OF the history and con-
difion Of the Union Pacific snow block
ade is furnished by the company;
The first blockade on the Union Pa
cific railroad the present season Oc-
Cured on the 18th OF October, near
Rawlins, and since that time, with
brief intervals, there has been q sue
cessiOn of snow and wind storms OF
great violence. The greatest depth OF
falling snow was on the line OF the
road across the mountains, hfty-four
inches deep, but the detention of
trains has been caused by the drifting
and not by the falling OF snow.
Three winters ago blockade Oc-
Cured which lasted twenty-one days.
This was before any snOW-fences or
snOW-sheds had been built.
During the following year snow
sheds and snOW-fences were erected
In the localities where the rOad had
been Obstructed, and at other points
where those persons best acquainted
with the country and its meteOrolOgy
thought il desirable for the thorough
protection OF the road. The summit
cuts were shielded, and at various
places from one to four lines of snow
fences were erected on the northwest
side of the road, from which direction
it was the experience of the mountain
men that the snOw-stOrms invariably
came. This protection appeared to
be ample.
During two winters next succeed
ing, although snow storms were nu-
"a .r0us, there was no blockade, and
but very slight detention Of trains.
After the first blockade this winter,
the three succeeding snow-stOrms
came from precisely opposite direc-
tions, and against these storms the
fences afforded no protection whatever
An effort was then made to erect
fences on the opposite side of the road
and every available resource of the
company was used to procure mate
riais for that purpOse in the shortest
possible time. Large gangs OF work
men were employed night and day in
the construction of fences at Omaha,
and when made ia sufficient quanti-
ties, a special train of snow fences
were sent to the proper places for erec-
tiOn. A preference was given to these
and coal trains over all others. In
November the second serious blockade
occurred, the fences being insufficient
to arrest the drifting snow. An ef-
fort was then made TO open the road
and keep it open by the use of snow
ploWs, of which the company had
thirteen, that had proved to be eff
cient during the past two winters.
Three heavy engines were coupled be-
hind the ploW, and, as result Of this
attempt, twenty-five locomotives were
disabled within one week by being
thrown from the track, and materially
Injured. The drifted snow proved to
be 80 dense that il was impossible to
force the pleYa through or into it un-
til after the cut Wss tfen6hed ct inter.
yals of eight or ten feet down to the
rails.
It then became evident that manual
labor must be provided to clear the
track, and with all possible dispatch
seven snow trains were ft, ed out, with
on each for sleeping
and feeding seventy-tive labOrers, and
with two weeks supply Of provisions.
This force was set at work In addition
to the ordinary number of employees,
and il has been only by the aid OF
these Snow trains, iolloYed by plOws,
that it has been possible TO send trains |
oyer the road.
Ranchemen who have been bred on |
the mountains for the last twenty-five |
years say that nothing like the pres |
ent winter has occurred in that time, |
the depth Of snow, the |
duration OF the intense cold or the |
violence and frequency OF the storms. |
For such winter our road is not PRE- |
DaredS but, after an examination of |
the situation, it is thought the road |
can, during next season, be prepared |
to pass trains promptly during any
future winter Of even greater severity |
than the present, at sn expense con-
less than the amount the |
has lost during the last three
months from the interruption Of ira
vel and increased Expenditures. One
difficulty has been that the road passes |
through region destitgte of supplies,
and of labor, and whenever Sn Oh.
struGtiOn occurred beth OF these
were required to be transported over
long distances, by long continued
in extra hours and during
intense cold. The men in some cases
became disheartened and refused to
work. In numerous cases they had
frozen limbs and we're disabled. Un-
5il the weather shall change and these
storms cease, it is our expectation to
run trains over the road by preceding
them with snow train and plow, and
sIsO with a train of provisions and
,osl sufficient for q thirty days sup
Div, BY this means we expect to get /
rains through in from ten TO fifteen
laws, depending, of course, on the fre-
Iuency and viOie nee Of the storms.
No trains will be seet out without
his supply, and although passengers
will necessarily experience the annoy
ance of detention, 1t is intended that
these supplies of fuel and provisions
,hall be ample for any emergency.
There has been no suffering for want |
)f provisions, nor will there be any |
" the passengers on this road. The
cad is now open from Omaha TO |
Laran1ie, q distance Of five hundred
md seventy-two miles, and from
to Ogden, distance Of two
lundred and twenty eight miles. The
are between Laramie and |
embracing the divide OF
he continent, being only one hundred
md seyenty-nine miles There are
low seven West-bo0nd passenger |
rains detained near Separation which |
3 tWenty-nine miles distant from the
western boundary of the blockade, |
and there are two east-bOund passen-
ger trains at Green river, waiting unth
he West-bOund trains shall pass tne
blockade. At various points aloDg
the road there are about eight hundred
cars Of freight, and ABOUT
two hundred cars of freight east-bound' |
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY.
A dispatch from Salt Lake says that |
lhe Japanese Embassy express their
4 a