The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-04
RAIN ON THE SNOW.
The Big Storm Breaking and
Chinook Flood Feared.
ALL CAR LINES SUFFER HEAVILY.
Five Inches Fall Ycsterday-Coal Fam
tue Averted-Overloaded Roofs Cave
In Today's Predictions.

Thursday night, continued all night and
Yesterday morning until five inches more
was added to what had previously fallen.
making the total amount of snowfall for
the past week about three feet, but the
temperature kept rising until it went up to
20 deg, and about noon light rain set in.
From that until night it was altern ately
raining and showing. and the high tenn.
persture last evening gave evidence of the
approach Of a chinook" which may take
the heavy snow of SO rapidly as to caGse
terrible foods. The snow which fell yes.
terday was so wet that IL could not be re-
moved from the street car tracks with
snowplows, and all the lines were blocked
again with the exception of three or four.
The trains were more or less behind time
on nearly all the railroads. but the threat
ened coal famine was prevented by the ar
rival OF about thirty cars of coal.
1t was with the greatest difficulty that
the Oregon Improvement Company got
the Columbia d Puget Sound road open
and twenty cars of house coal in. A large
force OF men was kept at work and snow
pows run over the line. The snow had
drifted some and was packed in the cuts.
II took a double header" to bring in
train of seven or eight cars. A portion of
what was brought in was for the Black
Diamond Company. The Seattle Coal and
Iron Company a so got in 100 tons. But
the whole supply was nearly exhausted
again last night, though another train
load was expected in for each company
before morning.
The overland train was from seven to
eight hours late coming in, the Portland
trains three TO four hours, the Great
Northern about half an hour and the
trains on the Lake Shore from one to three
hours late. The Oregon improvement
Company is now directing its attention
toward opening the branch from Renton
down to the Lake Washington bunkers 10
get coal down for the city pumping sta
ton.
The Seattle &'Montana passenger train,
due here at o'clock last evening, was
abandoned for want of motive power to
bring il down. There are only i've loco
motives on the line with which to haul
four trains. One of the engines is in the
shops at Fairhaven, and the other tum-
bled into the Sound Thursday at Rich
mond beach. The train it was pulling
was the down freight, and at the time of
the accident was going along very slow,
when all at once it ran into q small mud
slide, the locomotive and two cars leaving
the track and running on TO the bulkhead
and tumbiing over into the Sound, a dis
lance of about ten feet. The accident was
20 sudden that Engineer James Gander
AID Fireman James Riley had no time to
saye themselves and went over with the
engine. Fortunately they sustained no
more serious injury than a severe shaking
mp. and the only damage done was the
smashing OF the cab. Until the locomo-
tive now IN the shop is repaired one of the
trains will be laid OF.
Most of the street car lines had to give
up trying TO run cars yesterday even some
of those which had been kept open right
along previously. But yesterdays snow
was too wet and heavy to be removed with
pows. Then the snow and ice on the troll
ley wires interfered with the current on
the electric wires. The Front street cable
arc had TO shut down on account Of the
breaking of the cable, but it was expected
tina, t:is will be repaired this morning, and
q big gang of men will be put to work to
get the snow off the track. so the cars will
probably be running by noon at the farth-
est. The West street electric line, which
was kept open between the power house
and Ballard the day before was closed
down all day. This was chiefly due to the
fact that the supply of coal for the power
house gave ont. ff coal can be gotten to-
day and it does not begin showing too
heavily again, the line will probably be
opened clean through this forenoon.
All the Consolidated company's lines
| closed down with the exception of the Free
mont line. This company kept nearly all
| Its lines open right along. but the wet
snow being crowded in on the tracks by.
| teams yesterday was too much for it, and
/ the most 1t could do was TO keep one line
/ open. 1t expected to have them all ready
/ Evaporation today, however. The Rainier
| Power Il Railway Company took advan-
/ fage OF the situation to move its generator
into the new poyer-house. Work was
kept up on this all night, and it was ex-
| reeted that everything would be ready for
Starting The cars this morning.
| The Madison street cable line was kept
open between the power house and the
/ city. The other end will be opened up
some time today. The James street cable,
the Walla Walla and Broadway lines OF
TIE Union Trunk Company were kept
open, but last night ali the cars on the
caoie line were about used up and there
we're only two lit TO run at all. The Walla
Naia cars ran only 10 the top OF the hill
1 iust this side OF the lake and those on the
/ Broadway line only ran 10 Sixth street
/ Preparations were being made last night
to have the Beacon hill line opened up
this morning. The Rainier avenue line 10
Columbia was kept open ~ far Jackson
street from Columbia. The whole line
will be opened up today if il does not snow
any more. The Grant street line was shut
Gown Yesterday, bat will be opened NJ
thi> morning, large gang of men having
been gotten ready last night TO clear the
track early this morning. The Yesler
avenue cable line seems 10 be the only one
tha' has been kept open clear through all
inc tine But this has only been possible
oy Keeping snow plow running all night
after the ears stop.
4 The root Of the Seattle Transfer Com
panys barn broke in about O'Clock las,
evening. The break was due to the giving
away OF bolt in Z truss supporting the
1901 There was heavy weight Of snow
on The roof ana guy line from one of the
Peies o. the Gran; street electric car line
vas attached TO the building. The con-
/ Hsctlon o. this wire by the cold drew IL
very tight, ana with the vibration of the
| eui'dlng when train went by IN the
evening, bolt in the truss opposite where
me wire was attached gave way and two
Gents o. the roof tumbed in
Il =