The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-20
VOL. XLlII.-N0. lS9.
TIE SNOW OF TIE SlERRAS.
CROgsrNG THE CONTINENT IN THE
SEiSON or iYALfNCHES.


The Central Pacific Railway Company
announce IN san Francisco drily that the snow
biockaGe ia ruiscd," and thus cnc0ur &c travel
lcrs TO undc.tnhe the ride across the Sierras.
Yet tho same time, on the bulletin boards III
abe hotels and at the ferry It Il cay to decpher
such notices as this, "Ihe overland train (WesD
twenty hours behind time" his certainly
means that snow has had something to DO with
siIe detention II the train. But these bulletins
sre not intended for the INSPECTION OF stern
bound passengers, and aro not exhibited to pup
nc view until after the morning train dhers Is
only one train daily h started on its way.
ASA. NJ, on March when tho Oakland Terry
bot steamed out frcm the San Francisco pier
tne metropolis OF the Pacific const was partially
phscured ty fog. Telegraph Ilil looned barren
and cold. yet the grass was green and the how
srs fragrant on Goat Island. The atmosphere OF
the bay was balmy and s?ring-like. and over
coats were tossed on tho hand-satchels and
Innch-brskeis. At the Oakland wharf the over
land train was In readiness, and no time WAS
wasted In gathering passengers and baggage
into the cars. Soon the train speeded through
Rookyn, Alameda, san Leandfo, Lathrop and
cp It's way to Sacramento-the city Of mud and
tss tomr orary stopping place OF the law makers
ct California. At $50 the passengers waved an
sdieu to the rapidly rising and threatening Sac
famento river, aud rum bled elong until 4.l5 +. NJ.
cut from San Francisco, In a green covered and
beautiful farming country, the train w.s
checked, and the astonishing inform alton that
the previous days train was snow bound at
Clipper Gap, twenty miles away was impaired
to the passengers. At140 A. VI. the train started.
snd. after a ride OF fourteen miles. the passen-
GERS saw by the light Of the moon the nrst snow
The air became crisper and nercer as the train
advanced into the Slerras, and at Colfax heavy
encountered.
DIZZY height and narrow ROADWAY known as
Ospe Horn, near the summit Of one of the high
est oi tho mountains. was vet to be reached,
End the passengers iolt the great train swaylnG
from tho velocity OF the Winds. and peered
throuch tho car windows as though anxious
TO know the exact oepth th'J must iall
sracE. "Cspe Horn" shouted a brakeman, and
the afiighted passengers rubbed their noses
Sgainst the window panes rnd stared Tor dear
life. Ihe lights from tie locomotives and the
oars threw a weird. uncertain brightness over
the awful depths at the trains Side, and the
snow.hurdened trees stood like so many artistic
monuments in cemetery uf tho future. The
storm was raging at It's height, and sleep was
Crut OF the question. The winds smothersd the
sbS car Windows drowned the voices OF the pas
soneers y ho wished tile train contained none
bat Central Pacific Railroad directors. The
sHorn" W 5 passed and the passengers breathed
Ieer; yet the storm was not stayed, and at
snow At All 2Os miles from san Francisco The
day dawned upon a train half buried In the
snow. The mountain peaks at the left seemed
10 reach to tho skies, and Oh the right the great
can seemed hottcmless. The picture WAS
dazzling In brightness End whteness. ard it wns
one OF the grandest scenes In the Sierras. A sta
Non restaurant by the SIDE Of the track was
made accessible when dozen snow shoyels
we're brought into rearisition, and IN this apo-
sred, aud demanded whiskey and Information.
TINE mo sNow PLOUGH.
The station keeper said that the - big plough Z"
was returning to Aua. and would be the In q
few hours Meantime tie snow continued -
inereas, and rhe ra.senSer- impitienti waited.
4 IA "a q Locomotives told
~mOnstrr snow plough OF the Sierras was COM
ing, nnd when at leneta tne ble plonsa Tith !,
on Il le track the passengers On the snow,
bound thin invoiuntbrily chcered and waved
their mats TO Nate Webb, the veteran snow
is tSe Difector.CeneIal of the trims through
tue Sicfr +. and has tEe power 10 check and de-
tiyes so that he may force the big plough
through the soliJihed masses OF snow
Webb believes in doing everything with a
iine and suryo5s the plough. which resembles
htwo-storv hu,ise shnped In the front like a
COW ostohet and dispiaSinG large bands s. oi iron
visor to the level with his eye.lasnes, and gives
the command to co ehesd me ,t peii OF each ,,
screech, and the driving wheels begin to evolve
Tue engineers gradually force on all the
steam that the eng mes can carry, and some times
going at the rate OF fiom sixty TO eighty miles
an hour. the plough attacks the drifts and the
air Is binding mass OF snow. Well, Webb
started vita his advance RuaId-tne snow
rain drawn by three locomotives followed
1his was at noon; and the train sped on In
Wobos team Of engines and the plough
Through the long snow-sheds, around danger
the train. and late In the afternoon IL was work
ing slowly through Blue Canon and Emit
s@S sso9es Of Of slides" Only the day rreySn.
snow slide from the mountain side had com
pletely buried a train and large force OF mel
had been sent u the rescue. An emigrant trail
sou Site larck, 1t hsd rornalned there .
that 0n,n0d-ly designated piace-Euiigan
uap-for hours awaiting the passing Of th'
neSrly frozen IN mof,as halle hailed vii With delight W IN
eomirR ofthe first class" At this point ca
Vas attached III, hSst 6oGnd tram an md one
more The engines beg II 10 snort.
IN TIE WAKE OF THE PLOUGH
The snow Ilou.h was far 10 the advance. bear
ing down upon IT. chee, at which place 1t
b sty entry q few d,y, hoipre WAS SUI fresh IL
she minds Of tue True. eeites., The plough be
came unmanagea'ie on the down grade, an
jumping The track, pouured into a sash and hlin'
factory and cTused the esthblishment. From
Truchce on through u tue Mountain, falisdde
Eko, Wells, Ioano, ana Corlnne TO OgCen IN
snow WAS easily overcome, AZ Osdcn the tfai
MAS over twonty y-iour hours behind time Oni
ESj mill had been accomplished, and nearl
$500 miles were yet to 10 travelled before th
airea - almost wOrn-out passengers could Teas
Lher e. ,es uuon The North river At Ogden Tn
passengers were transferred u the Union facin
iltuAd cars, and the impression that tri
without further interruption would be bad Wa
general, hut la this all were disappointed ID
lays seemed the order uf the das and althoug
Ihs snow not near heavy as on the Cen
aral Pacific, yet tie rain reached Omaha tween
ty four hours late from ogden, making fuiti
eight hours Lenind time from san FrincIsct
Tue passengers had travelled l50, miles, an
some Of them, TO use their own language, WeT
ready 10 D" lie down and die" Those who wer
fpTtunnte enough to secure sleeping berths, an
who suffered no lack Of "coln," were the inye
crate Crowlors. They were displeased at every
ahlne and everybody. But 1t was the lily clad an
half ftnished beings who could not aspire % tn
dignity Of " first lass passengers, who sunere
a. patience IA the cold aud insecure cars, an
WithstoOd the impudence and insolence Of raj
road employees. Poor, frondless women wit
Httls chiiuren on their way to the old home I
She Eat, broken down milionaires who ha
,Rrested with the San Francisco mining stoc
market ana be u " cinched," and cOnsumptty
miners who never struck lead that pan
med out" anything worth cartlng away wer
among the " second class passengers houn
for what they called COOS country" A
Omaha tho pass engers took different roads, an
those LOund fpr New York were aroused at
o'clock on saturday morning Ia the jersey CIT
depot. Wearlei In mind and body they crosse
tho terry, nd their nine days TIP across III
continent was ended
OMAHA. NeD. March i9-Pdsserger trains du
Aer fruul Az a4u