Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-19
a Snow Blockade ON tue Central
Pacific Railroad.

The overland train ca the Central pa..T.
Taiiruah, which encountered tae sn0g died
cut west OF SOano station yesterday, Gun
sl>lod OF baggage car. express car aaB mall
car four sleeping coaches and two ordinary
cars. One of The large snogplOughs on the
road preceded the train, driven oy twelve
powerful engines. The wind was bowling
piteously as the great iron monsters, wi IA
snort and shrek OF defiance, started out from
the station. When the snow was first en-
countered the immense train was dashing
aiOrg At fOTty-mile rate. Gradually the
obstructive element deepened, aud the white
clouds that enyeloped the moving mass on
car windows.
Then the speed began % decrease sensibly
and rapidly. Firemen hosped Goals into toe
furnaces, engineers called loudly 10 one an
other, and made desperate efforts 20 increase
The power OF machines, but ali TO no purpose.
The middle OF the cut was reached, aud the
snow was found packed solidly 10 the very
top. and high up and above snow plough,
engines and all 10 was impossible Tor any
power L. force way through, save a power
sufficient Ia push The whole mass before "a.
The last point was reached. The great driv-
ing wheels slipped and hummed, as tue
power applied compelled them 10 revolve
bat without impaTting any motion 20 the
train. IL was an enforced stOppage Fur
iher progress was utterly impossible, aud
AFTER brief conference ali efforts were
abandoned. Then the effort was made 10 re-
turn, but it was found that the driving wind
had nliTd in the track behind the train near
- o. NAlcNAlGlls ah u was closed Ia front.
The power OF the engines was applied. bot
ouly 70 eEdanger piliBg the cOmparat vely
fragile cars IN ruin. And So the whole -raIn
was blOckaded aud more Than half buried in
the SrOw, where IL reTnaiuei until relief was
sent from the station 10 dig them out and
open a track back TO the station, where they
arrived b. fore dark.
The snow p oughs are a curiosity, both in
their construction and the manner in which
they DO tEcir work. They are immense
structures-I say structures. Tor they are as
big as n two story house, and weigh from
forty I'VE thouSsnd To nfty-fiye thousand
POUNDS. In front they are shaped like the
iron Prov Of an iron clad frigate, only the
sharp, vertical portion OF this prov changes
Into a flat surface where 10 approaches Tue
ground. Attached 10 this Hat or horizontal
prov i what j. called an apron. This apron
II attached TO the Prov by means OF hinges.
II lifts mp and lets down directly on the track
At pleasure, and when down IL ~ held there
by large steel springs. When in motion this
apron slides right on the rails pressing harI
On them; but from the rounded surface which
IL presents 10 them it glides over the toints
and any other little irregularities with ease
The long prov is pushed under the SNOW the
apron scfaptng ~ clear from the rails and
hitting 10 up bOtily, II meets the vertical Sec
ton OF the prov, which divide it aud huris N
of Oh either side. When running a. a hfgh
rate OF speed, as Il often the case. tines.
Iloughs sometimes hurl the snow Into the
air fifty feet and plunge IL IN huge masses In
the deep chssms aud c&noLs.-lS dn FrQaciscO-
Chronicle, Fec. I.