Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-03-30

of the grandest scenes in the
ISierras. A station restaurant by
the side of the track was made
acceptable when a dozen snow
Ishoyels were brought into requi-
Isition, and in this apology for a
human habitation the passen-
gers hovered, and demarded
whisky and information.
| THE BIG SNOW PLOUGH.
The station master said that
Ithe "big plough" was returning
ito Alta, and would be there in a
few hours. Meantime the snow
continued to increase, and the
passengers impatiently waited.
At length the whistling of what
seemed to arise from a village
full of locomotives told that the
"monster snow plough of the
ISierras" was coming, and when
at length the big plough with
mine locomotives behind it came
|storming along On a side track
the passengers on the snow
bound train inveluntarily cheer
led and waved their bats to Nate
| Webb, the veteran snow fighter
tof the mountains. In the win
ter Webb is the Director-Gen-
eral of the trains through the
ISierras and has the power to
check and detain all trains, or to
make demands for locomotives,
so that he may force the big.
plough through solid masses of
snow. Webb believes in doing
Everything with q rush, and
when he gets the engines in line
and surveys the plough, which
resembles two-story house
shaped in the front like a cow
catcher, and displaying large
bands Of iron and unnumbere
heavy bolts, he pulls his caps
visor to the level with his eye
lashcs, and gives the command
to go ahead. The bell of each
engine is rung, and each whis-
tie emits a mighty screech, and
the driving wheels begin to re-
volye simultaneously.
! The engineers gradually force
on all the steam the engines can
carry, and sometimes going at the
rate Of from sixty 10 eighty miles
an hour, the plough str kes the
drifts aud the air is one binding
sheet of snow. Well, Webb star
ted with his advance guard = the
snow plough and nine engines i
and the passenger train drawn by |
three locomotives followed. This
was at noon and the traiu sped |
on its seemingly angry haste to.
keep up with Nate Webb's team
Of engines and the plough. j
Through the long snow sheds, a
round dangerous curves, and o.
cross great trestle, work, went the
train, and late in the afternoon it
was working slowly through Blue I
Canon and Emigrant Gap. Here
the sRow was from fifteen to !
twenty feet deep on the level. and
there was danger of 's'id g.
Only the day before a snow slide /
from the mountain side complete
ly buried a train, and a large force |
of men had been sent to the res
cue. An emigraut train contain
ingsufferiDgmen and women was on
a side track. 1t remained there
at that ominouSly designated
place = Emigrant Gap-ior hours
awaiting the passing of the frs,
class train. The poor, half starv-
ed and nearly frozen mortals hail.
ed with delight the coming of the
"irst-class." At this point car
filed with labOrers, snow shovels,
and blankets was attached to the
East bound train, and once more
the engines began to snort.
IN TUT WAKE OF THE PLOUGH.
The snow plough was far in the
bearing down upon
Truckee, at which place its hasty
entry few days before was still
fresh in the minds of the Truck
eeites. The plough became nn-
manageable on the down grade, {
and jumping the track, pouneed {
into sash and blind factory and
crushed the establishment. From !
Truckee on through Battle Noun /
tain, Palisade, Elko, Wells, Toa n
no, and Corinne to Ogden the
snow was easily overcome. At
Ogden the train was over twenty.
four hours behind time. Only ]
833 miles had been accomplished,
and nearly $500 remained yet to .
be travelled before the nearly worn .
out passengers could feast their i
eyes upon the North river.- AT 5
Ogden the passengers we're trans
ferred to Union Pacific railroad
cars, and the impression that
trim without further interrnntion