Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1890-02-04
THE RAILWAYS

SNOW 0iOCR0QeS anu W feckA On Every
Hapd-Etc.
The fall of snow 90 far this winter has
been phenomenally heavy. On the
Pacific coast at least. In the Sierra
Nevada mountains, on the line Of the
Central Pacific Railway. it exceeds 80
feet on level The railway company
never had so much to contend with
before. Although it had four rotary
snow-plows, 10 of the ordinary plows,
and over IL 900 shovelers at work on
the track in Blue Canyon, and be-
tween Truckee and Colfax, it was
blockadrd Is days. The first San
Francisco train since the blockade
began only reached Green River,
Wyoming, the junction where the
Short Line trains are made up for
Idaho, last Sunday night.
The Oregon Railway and Naviga-
ton aud the Idaho Divisions of the
Union Pacific company have also
been blockaded. That is, there have
been blockades in the Blue and Gas.
cade ranges OF mountains, IN Oregon,
and daily and even semi. daily wrecks
and olockades on the Idaho divisions.
The Utah and Northern was block.
AIDED at some point during the most
Of the month Of January, as i. was no
sooner opened than it would be again
closed ny snow and ice. 1t is now
closed, and all trains to and from
Ogden 90 via Granger and Green
River, instead Of by Logan and
Brigham.
The Oregon Short Line has Jared
peculiarly i'll. There has been a wreck
or other casualty at some point every
day for ten days, and one train even
met with two accidents the same day.
This was Utah and Northern train
sent around via Green River. When
betwe Montpelier, Idaho, and
Fossil, Wyoming, broken rail was
encountered. The train was in two
sections, and the FIRST section passed
unframed. The conductor and porter
of the rear Pullman coach say that
they felt the "bump" OF the rail, OK
claimed that there must be a broken
rail, and thought OF stopping the train
to warn the approaching second sec
ton. But as the storm was at its
heaviest, the train had made very slow
time, was having q rough trip, was
several hours behind time, and they
were not sure that rail was broken
or that anything vas wrong, they
did not pull the engineers bell.
Ten minutes later the second
section OF the train, con-
sisting Of eleven coaches, came
laundering. down the grade. The
engine, tender and express car passed
over safely; but the baggage, car, a
colenist sleeper containing seven pas
sengers, an empty colonist sleeper and
a first class coach were thrown from
the track. Four persons were bruised,
and all in the car were badly
shaken; but no one was fatally hunt,
the cars sticking in the mud. The
empty colonist sleeper was thrown
across the tract and totally wrecked,
the roof actually falling in and one of
the axles swapping in twain. But for
the presence OF mind of the conductor,
who turned on the air at the first
jump of the locomotive and thus
locked the wheels of the seven rear
coaches the cars would undoubtedly
have telescoped the derailed coaches
and made horrible wreck. A wreck
ing crew was at once sent to the scene
from Pocatello, to build a track
around the obstruction. The rail
was broken into five pieces.
On reaching Green River a train
vas made up for Ogden, with the
same passengers. When this train
reached billiard the track suddenly
sagged on one side and the locomo.
tive, tender and FIVE coaches were
thrown from tho track down an en-
bankment about 10 feet high. The
engineer and fireman jumped as they
went over, the engineer being after
ward found insensible in . snowbank
about SO feet away. The fireman,
baggageman, and all the passengers