Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-09

SIsKIYOU, FeDruaTy otA. - Early TINS
morning the RECORD UNION correspondent
left Hcrnbrook on foot and set out for
Coles station, nine miles distant. The lat
ter place was reached by noon, and after
eating hasty dinner the reporter started
for Siskiyou, ten miles above Coles, by rail.
The walking from Coles had to be done
over snow between the rails, and when a
mile above the station your correspondent
crossed the division line and walked into
the State of Oregon.
On either side of the track the banks of
snow are from five to six feet deep, and in
many places the cuts that have sunk have
been filed in, and a number of trestles
have been cribbed so as to insure safety in
passing over them. Slides have also had
to be removed all along the road, and, con-
sidering the amount of work that had to
be done, Mr.. Pratt has made rapid progress.
The reporter reached here at 4 o'clock
this afternoon, and on the north end of
Tunnel Is, which is three-quarters of a
mile in length, and the longest tunnel in
the State, found FIVE sections of Mr.. Pratt's
outfit train standing on the track, together
with eight engines.
The gang of workmen with Mr.. Pratt
and Mr.. Wallace were two miles beyond
here when your correspondent arrived, and
were endeavoring to replace the snow. pillow
on the track.
II had run into bank of snow IN cut
and was derailed by rocks, which had slid
down into the snow.
Mr. Pratt is Assistant General Superin-
tendent of the Southern Pacific Company,
and the clearing of the road throughout
the north is under his entire supervision.
Those who know the condition of the road
before he started out say that he has
pushed on with remarkable rapidIty, and it
is owing to his excellent management that
the road is now open to Siskiyou, on the
summit of the Siskiyou Mountains.
He is a man of but few words, but of
great executive ability, and is almost con-
stantly with the workmen, directing their
movements, so as to clear the track in the
speediest possible manner.
Mr.. Wallace is Assistant Superintendent
of Track and is, with Mr.. Pratt, assist
ing in the work of experimenting.
In Mr.. Pratts car are Mr.. Wallace
Roadmaster; NJ. H. Burkhalter, operator;
G. Ambrose, and Conductor George Nor
gan. The men in the outfit trains are all
quartered comfortably and have plenty of
food. There are some 200 of them.
On January 10Th Mr.. Pratt, accompanied
by Mr. Wallace. left San Francisco and
came TO Sacramento where gang of 100
men was gathered, and train of three out
fit cars taken to accommodate them. They
then pushed on up the Oregon road with
out delay until Sims was reached.
Above them about two miles was the pas
] niger train on board of which Colonel
Crocker was blockaded in the snow, and
the men Immediately set to work to clear
the track from Sims to the point where the
rain was blockaded. The passenger train
was released1 after hard work, on the night
of the Dist.
Mr.. Pratt's outfit train then started to
clear the road to Dunsmuir. Numerous
slides were encountered, some of them
taking the men over a day to remove
the trees that have fallen across the
track, and those had to be pulled out OF the
way.
All this work consumed several days and
Dunsmuir was reached on the night Of the
6 L. TO oh
was Mott. Before reaching that place
many slides had to be shoyeled out of the
cuts. Snow, dirt and rock had drifted and
slid in so badly that five and six tiers of
men were required to shovel the matter
out of the way.
Mott was reached on the last day of
January, and from there up the snow sew
eral feet in depth had to be plowed through.
The road was cleared to sisson on the
night of February ID. On the Sd Edge
wood was reached. Beyond Edgewood the
main difficulties encountered were wash
outs. Bridges and trestles had to be braced
and cribbed, but this work was quickly
done and Montague gained on the 4th.
The outfit reached Hornbrook on the 5th,
Coles on the 9Th and Siskiyou on the It'll.
Very few slides were encountered be-
tween Coles and here and most of the work
done was by the pillow, which cleaned the
track of what snow there was on it.
During the tip of the outfit train to this
place the men we're gathered from places
along the road until the number reached
200. The train had in all, u engines, when
this place was reached. Three of them,
however, went back to-day and one more
will leave for the south tonight.
Mr.. Pratt and Mr.. Wallace returned this
evening from the cut about two miles
above here, where the snow pillow was de-
rallied. 1t is expected that she will be
placed on the track by or o'clock, and
will then work on ahead so as to clear the
track of snow as far as the next side-track,
which is Steinman.
1t is thought that the outfit trains will
move north some time tonight, so as to
pass landslide above here before the dirt
and rock have an opportunity to slide back
again.
In conversation with RECORD UNION re-
porter Mr. Pratt said he would push on to
Ashland, and probably further north than
that point. I'VE have had rain or snow,
said he, every day since we left until we
reached here, with the exception of the LIST,
I'd and Sd of February, and the men have
done well considering the disadvantages
they were laboring uuder.
1--WE have done good deal of hard work
to reach this point and we propose to keep
it up until we are through"
Mr.. Burkhalter bss direct charge of the
working crews and both Mr.. Pratt and Mr..
Wallace are experimenting and giving
orders.
A number of carpenters were employed
tonight. They will work on the bridges
and trestles that need repairing. More ties
are needed, and it is thought that in the
morning an engine will be sent south to
get a number Of carloads of ties. They are
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