The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-02-24
Winter on the Plains,
Trials Of a Railroad Company-Nine Pas.
se'ger Trains and One thousand Ffeight
Cars Snoio BIockaded.

Trials Of a Railroad Company-Nine Pas.
seager 7Fdins and One thousand Freight
Cars Snoto Blockaded.
OMAHA, February l4.-The Union Paci.
fic Railroad Company makes the following
statement Of its snow blockade The first
blockade occurred October 18th; since
which date there has been a succession Of
driving snow storms. The direct snow fall
has not caused the blockade; this is due to
the drifting. The company had erected
snow fences to guard against this on the
northwest side of their line-the storm
quarter-but this year the storms came
fiom the opposite side, where there was no
protection. The company at once con.
Structed many lengths Of fencing at ON aha
and sent il forward for the protection Of
the road.
On November I'd serious blockade oc.
Cured, the fences having been found insult
fcient TO arrest the drifting snow. An effort
was then made to open the road and keep
it open by the use of snow plows, Of which
the company had thirteen, and as the result
Of this attempt twenty locomotives were
disabled within one week by being thrown
from the track and materially injured.
The drifted snow proved so dense that it
was impossible to force the plow through
or into it until after cut was trenched, at
intervals, or 10 feet down, TO the rails.
II then became evident that manual labor
must be provided to clear the track.
Seven trains were then fitted out, with
accommodation on each for sleeping and
feeding seventy y-fye laborers, and with two
weeks supplies Of provisions. This force
was set at work, in addition TO the ordinary
number Of employees, and il has been by
the aid of these snow trains, follow ed by
plows, that we have been able TO send
trains over the road. Ranchmen who have
lived in the mountains for years pronounce
this winter severe beyond precedent.
When these distractions occurred, both
labor and supplies were required TO be
transported over long distances by long.
continued working, extra hours. and during
intense cold. The men in some cases
became disheartened and refused to work,
and in numerous cases they had frozen
limbs and were disabled. Until the weather
shall change and these storms cease, it is our
expectation TO run trains over the road, q
snow train ahead, and also with train Of
provisions and coal sufficient for thirty
days supply. BY this means we expect
TO get trains through in from ten to fifteen
days.
There has been no suffering for want of
provisions, nor will there be any by passen-
gers. The road is now open from Omaha
TO Laramie, 572 miles, aud from washaki to
Ogden, 22S miles. The distractions are
between Laramie and Washaki, embracing
the divide Of the continent, and being only
l79 miles. There are now seven west.
bound passenger trains detsined near Sep.
aration, which is 20 miles distant from the
western boundary Of the blockade, and
there are two east bound passenger trains
at Green river, waiting until the west
bound trains shall pass the blockade. At
various points along the road there are
about 800 west bound cars of freight, and
200 cars Of east bound freight