Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-03-15
AFEARFUL RIDE.
From the Truckee Republican

Iar;na feat was performed on Sun
:. niqht between Enigrant Gap and
Inc ,'anyon by Thomas Forsyth, en-
rnar on the snow-plow locomotive,
:, II seems that the -plow
pd five engines left Enlgrant Gap III
= eveuinr to c,elr away the snow to
line Canyon so that the up bound pas
snaer train could get through. When
ibin two and three-quarters of Il
Iile of Blue Canyon the four rear
Icomo,ivc, ran Oft the track. also the
nJer of the forward locomotive, No.
II was Stormlng at fearful rate.
nj The snow lay on the track to the
cntb Of from two to three feet. No
ain could be expec.ed from the pas
pnaer engines at Blue Canyon to pull
be ,iitrhed engines on the track again
Mess the snow-plow could be forced
bro,pb first and clear the track. The
,ly raw of hope to speedily raise the
lorkade was in getting the tender Of
eomo,iyc No. IS on the rails again,
nd using the full power of the single
nrjne in making an opening through
Blue Canyon and getting the as
Stance of the three passenger engines.
IL dipt of almost superhunan eXer
ons and a crew of nearly one hundred
hen. Nate Webb, Superintendent of
he snow-plow department, soon had
he unlncky tender on the rails again.
cam on the engine had been nur>cd
n in the meantime until the pres
urc indicated l'0 pounds tothe square
nrh. When all as ready for Il trial,
Nebb told engineer Forsyth that he
hl>t make Blue Canyon or land his
nov -plow. engine and tenderat the bot
om of the American River Canyon.
Fbe throt.le-valve was thrown wide
bpen, the engine and the fortv-ton
Blow in front started forward on the
eep down gal as if impellcd by
le force of 2unpowdcr. Fortuna ely,
Immediately in front of the pOw for Il
hundred yards or SO. the track was
comparatively free from snow, and the
locomotive was under headway when
n struck the first drift. On it flew,
with irresistible force, at the rate of
Ehearly a mile a minute, dashing the
5Enow fifty feet in the air, As it had been
but the lightest spray. Around the
|sfeep curves ii circled and swept with
|Iuli bead of steam, and crowded to its
utmost speed. Superintendent Webb
|had telegraphed to Blue Canyon in ad-
Vance 70 have the switch turned so rs
H. throw the ,low on side track, and
|thHS avoid collision with the pas
|senGer tran. The result of the trial
was watched with "bated breath" by
th. men who We're with the ditchcl ell
|gine>, and by parties at Blue Canyon,
|who We're told what WAS going on. All
seemed to understand the extreme
peril of the ride, and that if
4 le engine or snow-p!ow jumped
|the track certain death at the bot
|lom Of the canyon awaited tho uar-
|ing men on board. In just three min
|ilieS from the time Forsyth received
|the command to 500" dispatch
|clme back to Webb" No. - has ar
|rlvei-all right" The distance, it will
be remembered, was two and three
|fourthS miles. Webb communicated
|the glad tidingS To his men, and all
|uniei i'll three rollsiny cheers for For
syth and the daring feat he had accom-
,illShci. The enthusiasm Of the mo-
lh1n was SO catching that even the
seven y-iivc Sto!id Mongolian laborer>
present mingled their shrill yells in
The general chorus of cheers. 1t would
be MUST for us to omit to mention
taat Walter Robb, during that light
hlng ride Of three minutes, was at his
post on the Snow-plOw in front; but
II made little difference where man
rode ON that train. 1t was certain
death i'll front or rear in case OF acci-
dent.