Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-23

population is dense, the towns in close
proximity, the tracks double, treble and
quadruple the financial strength of the
companies incalculable, the agencies for
clearing the way countless, the grades in
considerable and the mountain passes few
In March, 1888, occurred great storm
in the East that may serve to compare
| with that which the California railroads
now encounter in two distinct and widely
separated sections, thus dividing the ener-
gies and capacity of the railroad men be-
tween gigantic struggles on the Sierras and
in the far distant and precipitous Shasta
mountains. On the 11th of March, 1888, q
| snow-storm set in in New York that
within twelve hours
STOPPED ALL TRAFFIC.
About New York City and even passage
ways across Brooklyn bridge could not be
kept open by the two millions of
people of the two great cities. All
trains ceased running. all the ferries were
tied up. In all directions the wires were
prostrated and all the great railroads of the
East, with all possible facilities at hand,
could not keep traffic moving. People liv-
ing in the suburban towns, but doing busi-
ness in the cities, were completely isolated
from their shops and offices, and the rail-
roads upon the level and in the midst of
dense population were
UNABLE TO MOVE TRAINS.
| -, al, a.. Ill
the railroads were completely paralyzed
The Chicago and Northwestern was brought
to dead stand-still, with its trains showed
in and utterly unable to move. In Michi-
gan, on line of that road, trains were
| abandoned after being shoveled out two or
three times. They lacked in that two days
the pluck that has not deserted the South
ern Pacific Company during weeks Of the
severest battle with the elements ever
known to railroading experience. On the
Duluth, and South Shore and Atlantic, the
Mackinaw Division absolutely ceased busi-
ness and waited for the fair-sky days. On
the west end of that division the snow
plows stuck and the management aban-
| bonded them and retired to comfortable
quarters.
But IN NEW YORK
| The situation was most peculiar. That
great center of population, railroad rela-
ton and wealth was absolutely cut off from
the rest of the world. That storm in no
| wise compared with the intensity of this !;
| the blockades of snow-drifts and ava
| lanches almost glacial in character are to-
routes, immensely greater and more dan
gerous and more difficult to do battle with,
in the lofty attitudes, than any impedi-
ment. the storm king placed in the path of
railroading in the Eastern States in 1888,
where the facilities for fighting the storm
were hundredfold greater and better than
in California Nevada and Oregon.
EVEN CHICAGO,
That enterprising center of enterprising
railway business, was cut off and isolated,
and her hundreds of thousands gave up
the task of conquering the storm king.
SOME IDEA
OF how completely Albany, n. Y, was cut
of, and how impotent were the efforts to
open roads, may be gained from the fact
that when the Legislature met on the
morning of March 18th, only "a out of 260
members could reach the city.
The Pennsylvania Railroad tried TO clear
its tracks out from Jersey City, made half
mile and gave it up. At Schenectady
five trains were stalled, and one was
blocked only four miles from town and the
passengers were without food an entire
day. Yet the snow at Troy, Schenectady,
Utica and similar points was only from
-FOUR TO FIVE FEET
In depth, while on the mountain divisions
of the California roads the past few days it
has been from fifteen to thirty feet in
depth, and packed into gorges and canyons
in an almost solid mass, through which
the railroad company's armies of work
ers have tunnelled. Between Pittsburg
and Philadelphia business on the great
Pennsylvania railroad was paralyzed, and
every train on the road was tied up. 1t is
said that ON that division there were no
less than
TWENTY.sIX MILES
OF freight trains snowbound by only six
feet of snow. Washington was completely
cut off, and all attempts to reestablish
communication were abandoned until the
temperature should become less severe, for
it was bitter cold spell, and the winds
blew with biting force and great velocity.
But so, too, this year the thermometer has
registered even 200 and 800 below zero at
Truckee, while the wind has hour after
hour undone the work of the hardy toilers,
but only spiriting them to orenewed exertions.
Camden, New Jersey, was cut off on all
sides. Not wheel moved in central New
York. A provision famine set in, and yet
the
SNOW WAS But SIX FEET DEEP
And served to check all railroad movement,
for while there were drifts of twenty feet
here and there, these did not more impede
than the lesser depths, which were more
widespread. Several hundred passengers
were showed in only few miles from New
York City and were unable to get out, and
the railroad people appear 10 have been
unable to reach them. No such spectacle
has been witnessed on the
STORMY ATTITUDES
OF this State, for by almost superhuman
exertion and the grit and will-power char
acteristic of Californians, the railroad men
| have reached all their s.orr2- -beleagured
passengers ard fed them well and bounti-
fully, and made them almost as comfort
able as if the trains were moving under
normal conditions. It is related that on
some of the New York snow bound traias
PIES SOLD FOR 81 EACH,
sandwiches at so cents, hard-boiled eggs al
two bits piece and liquor was worth $50 a
bottle. On the Siersas, in the grip Of the
snow tyrant, the Southern Pacific Com
pany's storm-bound passengers have beer
plentifully furnished with food and medi