The evening world., 1889-05-21
RAILR0ADING In CANADA.
Interesting Experience ef "a Conductor In
Running His Train Over tho snow.
I From the Dsnrsr Neies.

Running His Train Over the snow.
fFrom the Deno,r Nersl
I'll tell you q yarn, " said a Canadian con-
ductor, b you mustn't use my NAME, or
the people down there would have my scalp,
for it's pretty tough on their climate. 1t was
Town on the Grand Trunk, Just outside of
Montreal. There came a fearful fall of snow
there never WINS such a storm before nor
since-and then there was a rain-storm, fol-
lowed by a drop of about GO degrees in the
temperature. Talk about trains running
why. trains couldn't walk, they couldn't stir,
they were rooted. So 342 and 4Ol were or
dered out with one of those big rain ploughs
10 tear all before them on the seven-mile
branch running to Lachine, SO that the sub
urban trains could be got out, any way, and
bring in the fat old ankers and such who
live there. The branch parallels the main
line for a couple of miles after leaving the
junction, and that is where the funny bust
ness comes in.
out much trouble till we got at the junction,
which is right Mt the city limits. We got our
order for Lachine, though IN order was very
badly wanted, as there wasn't q wheel turn
ing on the line. The night was as dark as
pitch, and ~freezing--well. we could hear it
freeze. The trees and the ponds of water,
and everything were cracking from the frost.
We got the switch pried open with a pinch
bar, after thawing it out with hot water from
the boiler. and 1t was no sooner over than
the water froze it solid again. Out we started
with u rush, and had no sooner got going
than we brought up with a smash in q big
drift. The snow unde the crust was thin
and powdery like -four. | suppose there was
like Niagara going upward. We hauled
back and socked it to the two old wood
burners again.
We'll we got through that SPOT, but soon
found that we were in for it. The whole line
was buried and we had to. keep up a con-
tinuRl slamming. The flying snow from the
plough was binding. When we stuck our
heads out they nearly froze and snapped of,
stuck them out no more. We were braccd in
the caboose holding on tothe bunksforanother
whack at a drift. Little by little we got up
speed, bang, we struck, stopped for a second
and then the whole affair gave a jump and
tore ahead at fifty miles an hour.
" Hooray,' we yelled, bully for u.s.
Then there was a sort of jar and we tore
ahead through q foot or two of light snow.
1t was only a joke after all to clear that
thrown up that nothing could be seen. Then
we slowed up at IA station and tumbled out.
'LAchine, beloved Dick Hayes. who was on
40l, the old girl is immense on snow In
We galloped to the operators. A new man
was in the office.
Hello said he, where in blazes have
you come from?'
- What's the matter with you p we said,
ain you heard from the dispatcher? The
wire must be down. Let's go and have q
drink at Jim's.'
'"Jim's, said he, you must be crazy,
there's no Jim's here. Do You know where
you are 2"
Where we are; Lachine, of course
You should have seen that fellows face.
This is VRndreuil, you fools
I'VE collapsed. Do you know what we
had done? We had jumped the rails at that
drift, run on the crust of the snow for 100
yards and struck ON the main line. That's
the sort of fun we used TO have in the sixties"