Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-02

w pi'h'g VI NVrh hnu Woff. lpT iuH
Dispatcher from stalled trains,
dead" engines and a general disar
rangomcnt Of tho regular schedule.
Engine o, with tho pay car, had or
ders TO run Wild TO Minoola aud n.
port" Mineola is junction and
busy place, even In winter. A branch
railroad running througha farming dis.
trict terminates there, and some fifteen
or twenty Trains day run over It.
making connection with the trains on
the main line, most Of which stop.
ono ordinarily finds there two or
three freight crews, who lie over wait
ing for connections
When John Swinton, after hard
struggle with the elements, pulled up
alongside thc station aud ordered his
fireman to give Engine drink from
tho water tank, there was n scene Of
great confusion. Passenger train 10.
going east, was snow bound West
bound freight No, 2 was In drift two
miles east OF tho station, and there was
report that the branch road was
filed in full Of snow where the cuts
were the deepest.
Four or five extra engines, steamlng
and blowing, were awaiting orders on
tho siding, and the platform and sta.
ton were crowded with passengers aud
train mon waiting for something TO he
done.
A report came after time that
nowplow was working west, down the
branch, aud that tho road was likely
to be- clear by afternoon.
II was tho custom TO pay of employ
ecs engaged on that division first before
going east over tho main line, SO the
pay car stood awaiting orders to pro
coed
a gang Of men were buslly at work
digging out freight train No. 9, and
II was expected that tho main line
would also be clear before evening
Snow was NO longer falling, but the
wind blew with much force. The win.
Try sky foreboded continued cold
weather and a clustering night
Tho day worc on. Tho snow bound
passengers had grown tired Of asking
questions "a 10 what were tho prospects
Of raising Tho blockade and had dis
tributod themselves among tho neigh
boring restaurants In quest Of some
thing 10 cnt The ncwsboys had Ions
since sold out their supply OF peanut
aud candies, so that cdiblcs from that
source werc no longer 60 be obtained.
Engines were blowing OIL stoSm, IN,
chill winter wind whistlcd about N,
cars, and the weird gloom O; shor
day drawing 10 n close had settled
down.
AZ last a report came over the wirt
that a snowplow from up the brauel
had succeeded In working H. way
through the huge drifts, 0ud was near
ing tho Junction. Soon thorc was {
shrili whistle, and tho great plow
forced along by six powerful engine
covered with leo aud tnow, came dash
Ing by tho station. Every one know
that tho track was clear.
10 railroad men long IN tho seryic
the sight was not unusual; but 10 on,
unaccustomod 10 such scenes thcrc ar
few things erandor Tho bolatod passcn
gers set up n shout, glad that relief hat
como and impressed with tho mag
nilecnt sight.
Then eamc orders for Engine ., Will
pay car, TO proceed NJ the branch.
Everything was Nstir. John ha'
lighted uie headlight and had thor
oughly oiled his engine Il was grow
ing dark, tho rear signal lamps on IN
pay ear woro displayed, aud ovory prcp
arntion made TO get over tho road in
hurry, 10 that tho regular trains SHOULD
not be interfcrcd with, and In ordc
that an early start might be made Z
the morning TO pay oil the men on III
branch, coming back.
~ can't pull out tn the roliof trail
following the mowplow comes up,
John sald 10 his conductor.
"Thorc arc no orders about relic
train" was tho reply.
perhaps not, John answered; "bu
do you suppose tho boys have bee
aboard that snowplow all these hour
without bite or two to keep them up
I tell you thero must be a relief trail
following thom down tho branch, an
We can't so ahead till II comes in"
BY the light oi his lantern John rea
tho order over agaia.
"Engino with pay ear will run {
o. u, regardless and report
That was plain enough. IL gave hii
right of way over everything on III
road; but for further assurance, bot
men repaired TO the telegraph Ollie
There the order was confirmed.
John was half doubtful still, br
there was nothing to do but obey.
lie mounted hi engine. There WI
stroke OF the boil, sharp blast OF III
whistle and they were OIL, with III
, red tail lamps on the pay car disal
pcaring around the curve la the dri'
Ing snow. John was evidently "lettin
her OUT little, for tho bystanders I
the station could hear old Engine 0 @
haust as though she would blow out
cylinder head, In spite Of the shrl
wind and escaping steam from tho 81
gines on tho side track.
Hardly had tho sound died ava
before over the wires clicked an ordel
"Hold pay car at Mineola Junotlc
/ AZ 4 l..