The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-03-10
Thrilling Scenes ON the Northern fn-
ciac Railroad-Ploushing Throusn
tkc Cats,

ciac Rallroad-Ploushing Through
Ike Cats.
rEsaincyd correspondence of the Minneapolis ift-
hunc.
Tuesday afternoon last In Brainerd was
warm, beautiful day, inviting III the eNfetiie
in this latitude at this season OF the year, ana
the denizens Of the City Of Pines were iuX-
uriatips in aud approaching the really en-
ioyable day. The dense pine forests sur
rounding the city exclude the wind entirely.
and Willie we we enjoying with zest the
change in the temperature Of the day, the
neop!e from out in the open country west of
here were being visited by ole Of those tor.
naio-likc winds SO frequent on the plains OF
the far west, accompanied with falling snow.
1t was the everlasting report from the front
on such occasions, q wind bowling, fierce
snow.storm, drifting badly, cuts filed and
Bling up, trains cannot move" etc.
From certain movements near the DEPOT
] "guessed" the trouble. and made ny way
toward that quarter, and soon asceftainS"
that had judged Alright. Arriving at me
depos found the two work.Grs" OF thc
Northern Pacific Railroad Company being
prepared for trip west and fight with the
clements, These work-cars are models IN
their way, and n brief description OF them
will be OF interest to many. Both arc OF the
same size rs a coach-c,r, having underneath
the door large tool-hoXes built. access to
which is gained from the outside. One o.
them is cited up after the manner of Pull
man slecping~coach. finished much palmer,
of course. having lower and upper
berths running the whole length OF
the car, each berth being provided
With mattresses and II good supply
of blankets. The Other car is used as 4
Ginipg-clr, having a kitchen partltioncd OIL
also a small room with two bcrthS within IT,
In the dinin. are stationary tables set,
over which on one side of the car are three
upper berths for the use Of officers OF the
road and conductors. These cars are com.
pleie in every particular, built strong ana
warm, providing warm, comfortable sleeping
and eating quarters for officers ana men, 4
great Improvement over the trials ana expo
sures of last winter, us experienced IN snow
bucking.
Through the courtesy OF Superintendent!
Hobart, / was rendered the Inequalities OF
the trip. which | accepted with plea u:e
Getting aboard the train found Supeiin'
tendent Hobart, Roadmaster h. W. weed.
the champion trark-layer Of the world, rs
the record shows. Il thoroush-goinS railroad
man in every particular, OF board the tram,
which was under the charge OF Conductor
Sargent, one 81 those "broad" gauge sort OF
men railway traveller likes to meet.
Soon snow-plougiI engine No. 33: with ell
CINE No. 2S is pu>hcr,' handled 10y TWO
rs brave engineers as ever pulled Il throttle,
were coupled on to Our work cars, and
away we went. kattling along rapidly, ere
long we were "out OF the wilderness " and
in more open country, where we soon dis
covered severe change IN the atmosphere.
No snow Of any amount was met With Tor
the first sixty miIcS. at which distance we
reached Traces mills at about dark. After
some tclcgranbing. asccrtaining the situation
west, Superintendent Hobart deemed it best
to 20 no further that night, give the men a
nights rest, and start at dayAreak i'll the
morning SO We al! partookbf hearty
meal that would do credit to many hotels OF
the country. had social smoke, and retired
to our bcitiiS. After Il night Of refreshing
sleep, VIC were awakened at early morn, ale
breakfast, and then again away we went.
From tHi. point TO Oak lake 10 trouble
was found. but at The first "cut" west OF
Oak like the real work commenced. AT
Hobart The train WAS made up i'll three Sec
lions, the snow-plougb. with "pusher' at
tached, comprising the I'll st section. An en-
gine bauiug way-car," in which were
styled tho "shovel brigade" being TIC
second section, and the work-cars making
the third section. IN this order the train
proceeded. AS | have before said, the frs
"stop" we had was in cut west of Gal
lake. Into this cut the snow-ploush plunged
ut the tate of 80 or 40 miles per hour. On
they went. out Of sight in II moment ; thel
came to cur cars one whistle, indicatin:
"stuck." Then clinc in the system 0
the officers Of the road. The work
ing trains containing the men wcr
run rapidly toward the submerged SNOW
plough, and in IN incredibly short space o
time forty men We're clearing the track. Lik
molcs i'll the ground, they dug from undo
and around the two eng ines the hart-puckct
snow, very soon releasing them, when the.
backed up, took another "run" at the cul
and through il, out on the open track a9ail
they sped onward like the wind till the
again met like Invitation to take a rut,
followed by the other trains as before.
It was my good fortune TO sit in the cal
OF the snow-plougs, behind Mike Grace, TT;
yelling engineer Of the roaQ--a snai-buil
quiet, transformations man, slsh as no on
would suppose, from his appearance, wa
holding siich an Important position; Il tho
Toughbrcd, however, in whom the compan
nhC StLlNuSutc' lucic lulcll
LOCKING GhcGd. saying hut little, we 500
came in sight Of 4 cut that looked like bus
ness. Nearer and ncaicr we approached il
foot, loot" from the engine ahead, signi
flying more speed; "toUt, lout." from TN
rear engine, and then "Wiue open" the
were thrown. \ quiet voice, coming from
Grace, says: "Giyc it to her, AIeck," al
dressing The engineer. Give it to her j
was, forty miles OF more, into the flaws 0
hell, ~ as 1t were. into the hard-packrd snow
whose heart the SnoW-plough was pcne
tlating and scattering 10 the four wind
Of heaven, its particles enveIoping us to th'
exclusion 0; any sight whatever of Surround
ing objects; into the cab, the zinc, llour-likc
snowy particles came in such quantities rs tt
blind us and create a sort of sufucation fol
the time being. 1t is fight OF man asaius
nature, struggle of art, OF invention, OF
pluck, energy, and nerve, for 1t requires
great nerve and pluck to sit there on those
engines as they plunge into-what? None
eau tell. 1t seems like Drawing death
Ahead, nothing can he seen-nothing i
known. BlindfoiGed, as it We're, on
we go, struggling like demons, those two Gu
gines seem. A little clearing, Grace says
Mind the rough track, Aleck.' Quickly
"Aieck" acts. Again, whistle him down, y
siss uface. IOOt! goes NO. ~, ana loot
responds No. %. Again speaks that quiet
voice. "Givc her the goose. Aeck." Two
whistles again, n response, and on we fly
through this cut, on short distance, and
into another we 20, for we arc in the rolling
country now, where the cuts are frequent
and where the wind had done its worst
Into, through, and out OF another cut W,
go. Grace opens a side window, looks
aheal. and SrnS a lnnn 1lnrn Ont lhnt l.,,,l,,