New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-05
THE NORTHERN PICIIIC RIILBOID AND
THE SNOW DIGESTION.


Nh W Minor Roberts. the dstiuc UiShcd Clcf
Engineer of the Northern Pacific Railroad, has made
statement regarding the SNOW problem on the
Northern route which has special interest just now
Nh. Roberts spent the Winter Of lsi0-1l along the
western section Of the Northern Pacific line in Ore
con and Washington Territory. the early part Of the
present Winter in Western Montana, near the high
est elevation of the roue, and has since been on the
eastern portion of the road. through Minnesota Be
sides this personal inspection hs has been III con
slant communication with surveying and cOnstruc-
ton parties and with Government officials on the
various parts Of the line His statement, which was
made in answer to certain definite questions, II as
follows:
100 BROADWAY, NEW-YORR, March .. 1872.
Tho only points the Northern Pacific route where in
the absence Of ordinary precautions there would be rea-
son 10 anticipate occasional difficulty from snow, are at
and near the Pass in Montana, and toward the
western Part Of Minnesota. A. TO rho necessity FOR u-
u,unl III, cautions against the route Via the
Yellowstone Va,y, Deer Lodge Pass Cl4rk's Fork and
Columbia River be adopted, do not aIprehcnd that any
would be needed.
The present Winter il q remarkable one almost every
where hut it &, my opinion that. with wellconstruccd
fence, the most exposed points, the northern forc
p,,r,1d r1n ur0pesonaJly be Eept OpeB FOR regildr
,0ttc is entire length across the continent thorough SHHr
Winters bcrcaftcr sh0ah they occur Our road from Du-
th 10 Oak Lake about niles has been free most OF
The WAY this Winter lcbOu fences, and the Lake
superior and Mississippi and the ST. Paul and Pacific
Roads in Minnesota, have bad comparatively little
trouble from -now this Winter. A few miles Of snow
fences viii render line from Lke superior TO TIC
Missouri River free distinctions a. the line
from Chca 20 TO Omaha. Even in the Rocky Mountains,
In Montana the thermometer from Jan. the 18th in
the middle OF the day ranged FROM 81 above zero to is
above except the 18th, when 1t was go above From
Ian Is 10 the els the range from - 10 81 ABOVE;
from jan % 10 Feb Il the range from above to
A. above-average &c above Feb u TO 18th from 20
above TO "a abOyeayeTage, 42j above The fret snow
storms o: the present Winter came in the Rocky Noun
tain region Of Montana unusually early dn November
and December, were accompanied by unusually cold
weather and were regarded by the Oldest settlers as
very remarkable Most Winters cattle range through
the valleys OF this region without difficulty, and are
usually fator Spring than when turned out on the a
proach OF Winter-feeding the nutritious bunch
rass: aud the editor Of The Helena HeraH estimates
the loss Of cattle in Montana tho past Winter. at less
than one per cent. At Helena, IN the mountains during
the sevtrest weather referred TO- the lowest Thermometer
was about 30 below and from 20 to 80 below III the
vicinity OF the Bozeman summit But such low tenn er-
allure only occurred for Few days, as witness the hg
range OF the Thermometer from Jan to trp Is. NY
latest Information from the mountain 7 , 0i our
Line f. report iron. Assistant llSIleeI - W,
dated at Helena, Feb. T. and fully eorToporated ~ t
tiers from residents Of othor portions oi 80
! tract:
have serob SHOWS % anv o. our mes Inc
Jefferson la tu yer, ,e on Major Pesse Who Just arrived here
from tie sa that hegecn the Agency and The dhe Ne'r
+ bu, Ee srs Between Forts SHAW ami Benton It las disappeared
aoee.h, L. s Bitter root Mus valleys there Las been houe
Of any account 80 far TIE snoN would NOT
train, more than day they been running A p'ol VI '
DANCE Of deep frequent dnts is hai Al no n7 "
Northern Plcfc Railroad encounter anything resembling "
troae AID ,eIton hat the Pacific sahenn lie wagon @
between here aud Deer L highest elevation on our me na'
open and 10 good condition ever it first BROKEN M
S-r.s jus, returned Muscle shell alley Nleie LIS %
been daring he Winter has been very hsh' 'ni VIC
have bad dfcuy getting plenty Of grAss The eftre ne
These very favorable reports, during Winter Vi VII
preedented severity cover most elevated ana noun
famous portions OF our line where distractions IRON
snow would occur II anywhere on the route ana "nel
IL il remembered that the distractions on the Chol
Pacific have been virtually confined to section OF 10
niles every part of which Is at least 1000 teet hsA
than the highest summit the Northern route a,'
most OF which f. 500 10 5000 feet higher thtn te %
rain section Of equal length on the Northern IheiV I'm
II becomes perfectly to predict for tue
ulee EXEMPTION from Winter blockade Us Is TiyoJU
railroads In NpwYork and New-Englahd lug D.
route and sheltered position OF the Northern In On
through Montana prevents. to great ehIen H. ye
slant drifting OF what there Is, Nhlcn M.
| more elevated routes, and when mas Oec'' ''io ~
| source Of difficulty on the Union Paclnc' r..,-s
f1ef engineer. Northern Paclnc tallIoau'