Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-03-04
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.
What Is Being Done 10 Keep the Road
Open-A Talk with Manager Sargent.


Open-A Talk with Manager Sargent.
A special telegram to the GLOBE from Bis
marck, in yesterdays issue, animadverted in
severe terms upon the management of the
Northern Pacific railroad with reference to the
| blockades upon the Dakota Division of the line
during the winter. Yesterday GLOBE reporter
| called upon General Manager Sargent for the
purpose of getting his explanation of the
| trouble and placing the company in right
| light before the public. That the reader may
| the better understand the explanation Of Man
| ager Sargent we reproduce the allegations of
the correspondent as follows:
although the winter has been exceedingly
bizzardly, yet the blockade is the result of bad
| management. If the company would raise
their track above the level of the prairie SO the
wind could sweep over it, keep snow fences in
repair instead of allowing them to burn, no
serious blockade would occur. Fifty thousand
dollars would make the Northern Pacific the
best winter route to the Hills and Northwest"
Commencing with the first charge, the low
track, Mr.. Sargent said the Dakota division
was completed in 1872. 1t was tied with
pine and tamarac, laid on the surface
soil and without ballast, Previous to
the chargs in management and during the
financial depression under which the company
lsbossd before 1ss the ,n new ellen, Element as
done toward keeping up repairs. As
consequence rank growths of grass grew up
between the ties each season. At the same
time the ties gradually settled into the earth
and rotted away, so that when thorough sys-
tenn of repairs was inaugurated two years ago,
it was found that not enough subsistence was
left in the ties to allow of their being raised
and surfaced up. The company then COM
menced putting down new ties, putting in 9S,-
900 in 1878, 12O, 900 last year, and have con-
tracted for the putting in of l50, 900 this year.
As the ties are renewed the track is raised and
properly surfaced, thus preventing the rank
growth of grass, and making an elevated and
smooth surface, which, it is believed, would
prevent the Judgement of snow upon the
track.
As to the allegation in reference to the snow
fences, Manager Sargent said good and sub
stantial fences wers to be found at all
cuts on the line. When the cuts
were bsd three separate fences were built,
extending back from the cut from $50 to
800 feet, with open spaces between them of SO
to 100 feet, and feet high. That these fences
should be destroyed by prairie fires and other
wise get out of repair was not the fault of the
railroad company. Last fall prairie fires swept
over the entire country as far as the eye could
see, from Jamestown to Valley City, 140 miles,
burning off the grass smooth to the ground
and injuring their fences at different points.
The fences were promptly repaired, and they
are in good condition to day. But this has
been very unusual winter, in fact one Of the
worst winters ever known in that section. The
snowfall has been unusually heavy, while there
has bosn an almost constant su ccession of high
winds since the 10th of DeceEabaI The ground
being denuded Of the grass BY the fall fires,
there vas nothing to hold the snow, SO that
each recurring wind storm has picked it
up and carried it back and forth
across the prairie, the very efforts Of the COM
pany to keep the road adding to their diff
culties, as the ridges made on either sido of
the track by lie snow plows formed about the
only obstruction the snow met with as blown
to and fro by tho wind.
In conclusion, Manager sargent said he ap-
preciated tho inconvenience that had resulted
to the people of Bismarck and that section
through the blockade, but, in their disappOint-
ment, they ought not to blame the present
management for not being entirely prepared
for the exigencies of q winter unexampled in
the history of the country. 1t was the policy
of the present management to put the line in
first class order, and it was being done as rapid
ly as possible.
Manager Sargent also called attention to the
fact that large force of men with q complete
outfit of engines, snow plows. etc., had been
kept continually employed during the winter
in keeping the road open, and that now they
had over three hundred men and seventeen en-
gines engaged in the work. The larger part of
this force is working west toward Bismarck and
last night had passed Alsop, Is miles from
Jamestown, The force working east of Bismarck
was near Sixteenth siding, and it is expected
that the two parties will be within about
twenty miles of each other between Fourteenth
and Fifteenth sidings aud that the road will be
fully opened by tomorrow, or Saturday night
at the latest.
Yesterday the weather was cold in that sec
tion, the thermometer standing only a few de-
grees above zero, with the wind blowing from
the West and snow drifting, though not badly.
Trains were run through from Fargo to James
town, yesterday and no further
serious trouble is expected on that
portion of the line. Between st. Paul and
Fargo there has been no trouble of serious
character during the entire winter, regular
trains being run daily.