The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-12-23
PUSHING To
THE PACIFIC.
Activity in The Cascades,
Graphic Story of Winter RailrOadins
on the Great Northern
Commerce Expected for the Continental
Line When 1t is Com
pleted.

cascade DIVISION, Dec. H.
Here are in progress the most mo-
memtous activities of the state of Wash
ington or the entire northwest. The
Great Northern track laying outfit is to-
day 5000 feet up on the Cascades and
within two miles of the summit and
pushing forward at the rate Of 1000 to
1000 feet a day through over three feet
Of snow.
THE TRIBUNE correspondent stood on
the grade above the busy work train. II
is a mighty machine Of men and
mechanism, and yet 50 simple and Of.
fective. 1t is a train Of f~latcars loaded
with ties and rails with two heavy
nngines at the lower end. The engines
have tank cars attached. for there is no
going back for water when the day
work is begun: it Is then steady pushing
to the front through all the short Gay
light hours.
On either side Of the train, projecting
outward a foot and a half. are roller
slides on such AN incline as to be high
above the car platforms at the rear end
Of the train, and to reach down close to
the grade at the front end. Ties on the
right side and rails IN the EFT put on the
slides by workmen on the train run down
ia a steady procession to the front end.
There are files Of men who take each tie
a. it ome TO hand. carry it a few PAGES
TO the front. and lay it in position; then
return for another with the regularity Of
troop OF soldiers making cvulutiOns for
ward and back.
As the rails come from Tie Slides IN
double rows, with rlrets and connecting
bars abreast already set. trained men
seize and drop them, with a clan2. acct
rately in position on the neW.laid ties
gust in front Of the wheels of the car: a
crew is turned. a few spikes are driven
simultaneously. Up goes the red flag on
i long pole held by the signal man stand
ing on an elevated platform at the front
end Of the train; the huge engines down
the grade puff convulsively, the train
moves the space Of two rails. the track
men pick up their tools and march ahead
IN single file. All the while the ties are
running out with the regularity Of a saw
mil S log feeder. and the tie men are bur
wing to and fro like dock hands unload
mo a shin. The red FLAG drops. the train
-tops with n Jerk. Two mar, rails are
already beiny nulIed off and carried for.
ward.
So it goes all day long.
ahead of the ticmpn' stcuuiro SLOWLY
backward and viewing with eagle eye
every movement Of the operation, Is
Foreman Brennan. who has laid more track
than rny man in \mcriru and nn Iool;e
Ike a veteran
The panr of 100 snow aLnyrlers' TbrIr .
dark movino farms can bo Iimly srpr
through the etcaJy r,iling erow Tb,sn O.
varied FORCES ,1oving uit7 thn uronis,nr 81
uf an army RECALL WLitman's lime. 3
+
w ietschnentS .tt5l} l~hr"Yint Z
monntain siorm' '' Z
W" today procession heading. W, the route for C.
travel clearing }
The dense forcp, of Washington tirs
stands like "A barricading wall fifty fact "
on either side of the grade above anG be- t.
low, to penetrate fifty feet within which !
is to become immurcd IN a dark. damp II
solitude 80 complete that not a bird. a
beast or inse t would take fibitatiOn or ~
shelter therein. III
Eice-President Cl0ugh. who bad Just Pl
come to the front on an inspection tour, al
up the grade a-foot, accompanied Gu
by your correspondent. The dark hill y'
sides rose on either side Of the dctiie. g"
while directly ahead seemed H. ur an
opening in the range. la
That must be stevens Pass, eaid II
,ol Cinugb ms he halted rautinr in the ";
Iarrov snow patti. though have w
ever been up here before. It was Pa
amed after AN rnrirrrr nhu discovered on
II
wo ,,,sbed half nail. nm fine Grade in ne
vance Of the snow shotrlrr7. ha
Less than three mile o. tine top. on ar,