Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-24
THE BATTLE WITH THE STORM.

The battle with the elements still goes
on in the upper Sierras and in the Siski-
you mountains. Literally in the clouds,
the heroic railroad men wage war upon
the snow king and dispute territory with
him inch by inch. In the entire history
of railroading there has been no such
mighty struggle. no such indomitable
perseverance to keep roads open in the
face Of the greatest storms known to the
coast since its occupation by the white
man.
While the railroad men do not enter
tain for a moment the thought of yield
ing and abandoning their lines to the de-
FAINT elements, it may be that human
powers viii be overmatched, and that for
time the roads will be closed by snow
even to the gallant advance of the armies
of workers under the leadership of the
trained railroad men who are marshaling
them along the narrow pathway of the
roads across the mountains. But should
the storms increase in intensity to degree
that will render futile for time the
effort to clear the way, it will be for but
very short time.
1t will require no very vigorous exercise
of the fancy for each reader to picture to
himself the scenes of the contest, and the
enormous difficulties which face the rail
road management. It has now to meet
what is practically new and still more
difficult problem-that is to keep clear the
narrow channels the plows nave carved
through the snow. The walls of these
channels rise from five to twenty feet in
hight, and become frozen until they are
like giant walls of rock, erected close to
the track on either side As new snow
falls the winds sweep it over and into these
cuts, which thus may speedily fill, with
the consequent necessity of excavating UNI
der the disheartening disadvantage of hav-
ing to throw these new deposits upon and
over these frozen walls. In some cases
even a greater danger meets the railroad
managers, to wit: The caving down of the
lofty banks of snow from the mountain
sides, and their descent upon the tracks in
ayalanches that wreck everything in their
path. Against these two great dangers it
is simply impossible to advance preventive
measures. All that can be done is to pa
tiently, tirelessly undo, as best may be
done, the damage resulting in each case,
and over and over again dig out the line of
the roads and push on the trains from
point to point as opportunity affords.
1t is mighty task that lies before these
heroic people, and it is a source of pride
to all Californians that they have shown
themselves to be of such mettle as does
not cover before the storm, but is stimu-
lated to still more of exertion the greater
the difficulties that confront them. 1t
will 60 down in the annals of railroading
that the California railroad men in this
year Of grace worked armies of thousands
of men upon the higher attitudes of the
Sierras and in the gorges of the Siskiyou
mountains in the midst of the greatest of
storms, fed and housed them in comfort,
and protected and kept in sa tety from the
storms, and in health and comparative
ease, several hundred passengers in lofty
attitudes and far removed from settle
ments and the bases of usual supply of the
neeessaries of life. No one in California
feels the slightest doubt about the passen-
gers being extrieated from their snowy
prisons and transported in safety to the
green plains of the smiling valley. They
may be yet some days detained, but the
skill and viii power that has brought them
thus far and kept them from the discom-
forts of Arctic rigors and the recourse to
short rations, viii bring them in safety to
their destination. 1t is a gigantic task to
Gear the way, but 1t will certainly be ac-
eomplished.