Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-03-10

The Storm on the Central Pacific.

lhuiouuy Cfu outCtc gives uuuItlOildl
particulars of the tremendous snow
storm in the Sierra, as follows:
From Blue Canon, Emigrant Gap
and other points in the Sierra Nevada
there came the news that the most
violent snow-storm which has visited
that section this season was then rag
ing. The drifts were enormous in
hight and the wind was blowing a
tempest. The snow-plows were sent
out, with the force of dozen engines
behind them to drive them through
the immense drifts; but the snow was
so hard and the banks SO thick that
the plows were hopelessly wedged in
and had to be eXtricated with shovels
and picks.
Yesterday morning, while the storm
was raging at its highest in the neigh
borhood OF Blue Canon, huge snow
pillow, with eleven immense engines,
started out to clear the way for the
Eastward bound train which left here
on Tuesday. The drifts were enormous
in hight, exceeding the hight of the
engines smokestacks and top of the
pillow itself. Notwithstanding the fact
that the eleven engines furnished a
power almost incalculable, it was with
the greatest difficulty that the pillow
was driven through the snow. Indeed
it was impossible to do so at all in
many places until much of the
drifts had been shoveled away by the
large force of laborers accompanying
the snow-train.
All this time the storm was raging,
the win whistling through the pines
and the wea Their the coolest that has
ever been known for many years. AT
Carlin on Sunday the thermometer
stood at 35 degrees below zero, which
| intense degree of cold is supposed to
have been the precursor of the present
great storm.
The train which got through on
Tuesday by the tremendous exertions
of the whole laboring force of the Sac
ramento division arrived here yester-
day afternoon, nearly twenty-four
hours late. The passengers report
that it was with the utmost difficulty
that they got through. The storm at
| that particular point, viz: near the
Summit, had ceased, but the wind was
| blowing and the cuts were filling up
| again as fast as the great plows could
force through them. Later dispatches,
however, received yesterday after
noon, state that the road in the Sierra
Nevada was open, or rather trains
could pass through in the rear of
snowplOws. The time is slow though.
The train which arrived yesterday was
ten hours running from Truckee to
Blue Ca1on-forty-one miles-not-
| withstanding it was preceded by a
hugh snOwplOw propelled by eleven
large freight engines. The storm has
been the worst of any that has occur
red for four years in these mountains.
The scene of the terrific storm near
Toano is about 800 miles east of Blue
Caiion, in the Pequop mountains. The
range in which the storm is now in
| full force is about 5000 feet above the
level of the sea. There are numerous
cuts and ravines all along the line that
fill in rapidly, and the work of clear
| ing the road must take all the lab0rers
that can be gathered far and near.
II MA large gang of men, with an
enormous snOwplOw and ten engines
working from ToanO, and large force
from Wells with another snowplOw
and engines, met about six miles west
of here this morning at 8 O'Clock, hav-
ing opened road through. In back
ing up to Toano the rear snowplow
got off the track, which caused some
little detention. More men were sent
from Toano, and it is believed they
will be able to get the road clear in
two or three hours. The snow is drift
ing fearfully, and the wind is blowing
a tremendous gale-and has been ever
since Sunday. By the time the snow
pillow and gang of workmen get through
it is drifted in again behind them.
The snowdrifts are so hard that the
engine and pillow often leave the rails
and run upon the snow. The Division
Superintendent is hopeful that the
road will now be kept clear, although
it is difficult to make any calculation.
The working force is nearly exhaust
ed, very few having slept any since
Monday night. The snow in the cuts
is even with the smOkestacks of the
engines.