Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-01-17


Trip-That Wonderful Snow and Ice
Shoyeler-E
The train which left Shoshone at
8 o'clock last Friday morning reached
here about hall. past 10 o'clock last
night, bringing rs passengers, but
only few letters and no newspapers.
The locomotives having unsuccess
fully battled with the snow in the
cuts for days, the railway managers
finally brought up one Of their three
rotary plows. This pillow, propelled
by locomotive, left Tikura about
noon yesterday, the train following
behind. At Picabo, eight miles from
Tikura, a stop was made for coal and
water, and the passengers ard train
crews were dined and warmed
with a cup of hot coffee at tie
section. house. All hands then got
aboard for the final run. The rotary
started ahead, and attacked cut after
cut, and drift after drift, going
through slowly, but without scarcely
any detention. Occasionally the plow
would "stick," when the engineer
would back her with his locomotive,
turn on full head of steam, and she
would 60 through a-whzzing until
SIZE "bucked" again, when the same
I tactics would be repeated. This
style of pillow can 90 through anything
that offers sufficient pressure or re-
sistance. 1t could cut through
plate Of boiler iron much easier than
it could through soft, yielding snow.
Bat when attacking snow-drift a
foot or more tli3k it " ou'd go through
even if the whole obstruction were
solid ice and 20 feet high.
Bellevue was reached about Z
o'clock, but there new and unfore-
seen mishap befeil the train. No coal
was to be had, and the water was
frozen. The locomotives managed to
pull the train through, however, al
though it was evident that they could
hardly make HALEY. Then, too, the
street crossings could hardly be guess
I'd AT. The rotary might have steamed
through regardless of consequences;
but the planks would have been
picked up like chaff, and the track
torn up. Besides, the pIanks would
have caught in the flanges and, pos
sibly broken the SAUCER" or most
effective working parts Of tie pillow
Progress was therefore exceedingly
slow until the Half way House was
reached, and all danger from cross
ings was over for a few miles. But
the delay had been fatal, and one
locomotive went "dead,'' for the lack
of coal. The pillow, however, kept on
to Haley and was left at the Bullion
street crossing, while the locomotive
returned to the relief of the "dead"
train, and succeeded in bringing it to
HALEY, the train having been 3!
hours making four miles. But both
locomotives were now out of coal and
water. OF the latter an abundance
could be got here, but no coal was to
be had, the town being fully rs cars
short in its supply--including 10 cars
ordered early last October. The
passengers for ketchum were there
fore landed, and the train laid up for
the night.
This morning enough coal was got
to send locomotive after supply,
and by noon the train started for
ketchum, preceded by the pillow. A
lot of schoolboys assembled to see it
pass and got near enough to be bur.
led in snow; but they were extracted
without accident. Before it got TO
the old smelter the rotary bucked.
was backed, sent on under full head
Of steam, and continued OH its way.
AT this writing the train has probably
reached ketchum.
NOTES.
Tho ,,ncconno.c An Abo holoa