Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-09-16
GUARDING AGAINST sNowsuoss.
Miles of Cedar Tunnels Built Aioag tho
seIkfrk Mountain Sldes-

Selkirk Mountain Sldes
The Canadian Pacific railroad has spent
over 81, 0OO, 900 In the protection Of its line
against snowslides. The greatest danger
OF delays from this source Is found among
the Selkirk mountains, through which the
railroad runs for scores OF miles, with
mountains on either side towering thou
sands Of feet above the track. IL Is now
known where the dangers OF snowslides
are likely TO occur, and such ample provi-
sion has been made that trains are not at
oil delayed
There are miles Of sheds, or. more prop
srly. tunnels made of massive timbers-
These sheds are built OF heavy. squared
cedar logs. dovetailed and bolted together.
backed vii b rock and fitted into the noun
tain side Ia such manner as To bid deli
ance TO the most terrific avalanche. Some
times the SHOW slips down the mountain
sides 10 enormous quantities aud shoots
right over the top Of these sheds, lodging
farther down the valley. Al some places,
where the view Is particularly hne, track
has been built outside the sheds for sum
mer use, so that tourists during this sea.
son need not lose the grandear Of the
scenery while passing through these long
cedar tunnels.
Il IL very interesting also to observe here
and there the bulwarks that have been
built on the mountains for the purpose Of
diverting the course of snow avalanche.
which would otherwise reach the track.
These bulwarka are also massive construc-
tions OF solid timber, with "A Hat, smooth
top, slanted IN one direction or another,
and having the effect when snow
slide strikes IL TO turn IL aside, probably
down an adjacent valley. Otherwise IL
would precipitate itself upon the track.
The railroad has never been embarrassed
by serious landsiides, although some years
ago there was an enormous slide which
nearly damned the Thompson river for
forty-eight hours. Trackwaikers always
10 over the route after every train passes
20 see that all Is right for the next train
In addition TO the snowsheds aud the bull
warks built on the Selkirk mountain sides,
the bridges In that region are of peculiar
interest.
The principal difficulty IN building this
part OF the line WAS occ3siuDed Us the tor
rents pouring for thousand OF feet down
the mountain sides, which add wonder
full charm TO the Landscapes, but were a
bard nut for the railroad engineers 10
crack. There Is cascad. near Glazier
House which for q long tim deiied all the
the efforts OF the engineers To control II.
When the engineers tried L. coax it in one
direction it obst.uately persisted in going
In another. This cascade Is in harness
now AID Is behaving itself very well.
A number OF these cascades necessitated
the building OF bridges very high above the
gorge below. and magnificent sight is al.
ways 10 be- seen from the observation car
as n train Is crossing bridge. for the
great gorge through which the cascade
flows Is always grand aud impressive. The
bridge across Stony creek is one of the
loftiest bridges in the world As the rain
1 glides swiftly over II the passengers are
almost exactly 10 feet above the noisy tor
rent that dashes along in ii~ narrow chan.
mel. The bridging OF these Scikirk Gus.
cades cost the railroad company many
I hundreds of thousands OF dollars.-Chicago
/ Tribune