Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-31
GIGANTIC WORK.
Some of The Difficulties Encountered in
Raising the Blockade.

Raising the Blockade.
[REcoRD MONS Special Correspondent
TRUcKEE, January 30th.-W. G. Curtis,
Poetic system, gives the following state
ment concerning the blockade on the road
The snow-storm on the Sierra Nevadas,
blockading the Central Pacific line, was, on
the higher portion of the mountains, as
heavy as during the season when the road
was under construction, and on the lower
mountain TANKS heavier than ever before
known in the history of California.
Superintendent Wright is at the Summit
directing the trains from that point, while
Curtis is here in Truckee.
Superintendent Whitehead. of the
Truckee division, is also here, directing the
movements of his trains betH cen here and
Reno. No railroad officials ever worked
harder or with more determination than
they have.
The efforts of the railroad managers TO
reopen the line of traffic have been inces-
SAINT and untiring.
Every suggestion born of previous expe-
rience and every expedient suggested by
the existing emergency, have been used.
At the commencement OF the storm the
were stationed along the line and other
extraordinary precautions taken, in view
of the heavy snowfall in the early past tf
the winter.
Through misrepresentation of the facts
the Division Superintendent of the COM
pany at Sacramento and the general officers
at San Francisco have been more or less
unjustly criticised by passengers, delayed
and greatly inconvenienced by the inter-
ruption of traffic, and by some newspaper
correspondents, and the suspicion was Gre
ated that while the railway management,
regardless of the expense involved in send
ing large forces of men into the snow belt,
these forces were not well organized and
directed.
A special correspondent of the RECORD
UNION having been on the ground since
the commencement of the blockade and
having thoroughly investigated into these
questions finds that the extra snow shov-
elers were merely reinforcements to the
regular forces, and Immediately on their
arrival at the scence of action came under
the direction of the Company experienced
roadmasters and superintendent of snow
sheds.
Those division officers stationed at differ
ent points within the snow line, extending
from Colfsx eastward over the mountains
miles, were in constant Geographic COM
munication with the general officers of the
company, through the Division Superin-
tendent at Sacramento. and the work of
raising the blockade was directed from and
through the Division Office at Sacramento.
According to the various reports received
from subordinate officers on the ground,
and while some of the work done may
have appeared incomprehensible to the de-
layed passengers and others imprisoned in
the snow and consequently not fully in
formed, every order given was thoroughly
and wisely considered.
Considering the great extent of track OBJ
structed by snow, the work could not at the
beginning have been directed in any other
way.
The moment the blockaded section was
narrowed down so as to permit the concen-
tration of forces, the Division Superintend-
ent and some of the general officers of the
company appeared on the ground to sup
port and encourage the officers and men
who were nearly worn out by their long
and energetic battle with the snow.