Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-31
THE sH0VSHEDS.
THEY WILL NOT BE DISPENSED WITH
FOR THE PRESENT.
Eventually They May Give Way to Snow
Plsws, If the Latter Prove
Equal to Emergencies.

Rumors have been afloat from time to
time during the past summer to the effect
that the Southern Pacific Company in
tended abandoning the snowshed system
along the Sierra Nevada line of railroad.
and using new style of rotary snow-plow
instead. This pillow is constructed some
what on the plan of a mammoth augur,
boring into the snow, which is carried back
ward into an automatic hopper, which
throws it out to one side of the track. But
it does not appear to be the companys
purpose to dispense with the snowsheds-
at least for the present, judging from a re-
cent article in the RailWay Gasette. con-
tributed by w. G. Curtis, Assistant General
Manager, in which he says:
The maximum annual aggregate snowfall
las measured from time to time during
storms) on record since the year 1870 along
the line of the Central Pacific Railroad over
the Sierra Nevada Mountains, is sixty three
feet. After thoroughly experimenting with
various forms, sizes and weights Of the or
binary type of pushing snow.plow, it was
found impracticable to keep the road clear
tons OF the Central Pacific line (viz: from
a point near Shady Run Station, 4. 160 feet
above sea level, eastward over the summit
at an elevation of 7,017 feet, to near
Truckee, an elevation of 5,S19 feet was
protected by snowsheds constructed during
the years 1868 and 1869. The total length
of sheds built was about thirty-seven miles,
thirty miles of this distance being practi-
cally continuous shedding
The sheds are protected against disasters
by fire by watchmen patrolling through
them on short beats day and night, by
special watchmen stationed on high
mountain top overlooking some twenty-five
miles of the road and by fire trains Ia loco
motive with steam fire pump and water
tank cars attached) stationed at different
points at all times ready for service. A dis.
trict telegraph and telephone system for
controlling watchmen, and Gamewell
fire. alarm telegraph system are also used in
connection with the fire protection service.
As often as twice a week during the sum-
mer season one or more fire trains are sent
out to thoroughly wet down the upper por
ton of the shed most exposed TO danger
from fire by sparks issuing from locomotive
smokestacks, and the losses resulting from
this particular source of danger have been
very small; the greatest danger, and the
one most dlfncult 10 guard against, Delng
forest fires originating at distance from
the line of the railroad. From this cause
during the present season a little over a
mile of sheds was destroyed near Cascade
station, G, 800 feet above sea level, at q Sec
ton of the road not endangered by snow
slides.
We intend, merely as an experiment, to
leave this mile section of the road open I'M
til the next severe winter, using steam
pillow to keep the track clear of snow.
Should we find it possible to handle the
snow successfully at the point in question
in the heaviest storms with the modern
machine plows, we may take down about
twenty miles of the shedding, leaving only
that portion of the road exposed to ava
lanches protected by snow-sheds and