The record-union., 1895-01-23
BATTLING WITH TEE STORM KING.
Rotary PIows Keep the Central Pacific
Road Open.
1t is a Battle of Giants-Oregon Road
Temporarily Blockaded = Floods
in the Low Lands.
"Did anyone ever see it rain like that !n

you're porn =
"Don't you believe it! We won't get
much of a change till the moon changes
on Thursday. Then look for good
weatherw
Such were the expressions one might
hear anywhere on the street about 4
O'Clock yesterday afternoon from persons
gathered in groups under awnings or
crowded IN doorways while the rain came
down almost in sheets.
1t came down SO heavily that one could
scarcely discern large objects two or
three blocks away. The cutters became
good-sized brooks while the shower
lasted, and the electric cars threw up
"combers" as they dashed through the
flooded thoroughfares like SO many new
steel cruisers on trial trips.
The heavy doWnpour did not last over
halt-hour, but the man who declared it
10 be the wlnd-up of the storm was as
much out of the way in his reck oning as
Forecaster Hammond Of San Francisco,
who guesses at the weather thirty-six
hours in advance and tries to tell how
the river will rise in given time, and
all that sort of thing.
The ''clearing-up'' shower kept right
on in its old, and now familiar, sizZle-
sOZZle style, not even stopping TO catch
distressed in that particular. 1t let up
lew hours afterward, however, and at II
O'Clock last night the stars were out in
all their glory.
BARWICK'S CONTRIBUTION.
The Weather Bureau reports show the
highest and lowest temperatures yester-
day to have been so and AS. with brisk to
high SOutherly winds and stormy
weather prevailing.
The barometrical readings at A. NJ.
and P. NJ. were Z9.99 and Z9.SS inches
respectively.
The highest and lowest temperatures
one year ago yesterday were 90 and 430,
with IA Of an inch of rain, and one year
ago to-day 56o and 3S'. with no precipita-
ton.
The rainfall yesterday was 80 of an
inch, making 1880 inches for this season,
as against 9.l9 inches to a corresponding
date last year, and l6.35 inches tor the
whole OF last season.
The wind reached maximum velocities
on numerous occasions yesterday Of from
50 to 40 miles per hour.
The river at noon yesterday stood at a
feet inches, but at P. NJ. it had fallen TO
a feet inches.
BATTLING THE STORM KING.
The storm in the Sierra Nevada and
along the Oregon line through the Shasta
Mountains still continues and with appa-
rently no sign of cessation in its yio-
lence
Despite the enormous snowfall and the
drifts caused by the heavy winds, the
railroad officials have been enabled to
keep the road through the Sierra Nevada
entirely clear, and passenger trains are
moving nearly on time.
Not only is there 40 stoppage of travel
on account of the heavy snowfall, but
freight TO the amount of over 100 carloads
IS being forwarded daily to Eastern
points.
Freight trains, to be sure, are not run
ming on time, but advantage is being
taken OF every lull in the storm to push
them onward to some point where they
can be temporarily side-tracked until
the condition of the road to the next
available point can be ascertained. No
chances are taken IN the moving of traffic
and the road must be absolutely clear be-
tore trains are moved.
Never have the railroad officials been
so perfectly supplied with the means of
meeting the assaults of the Storm King
as they are at the present period, and
they assert that they will be able to keep
the track clear without difficulty unless
some unforeseen accident occurs.
WORK OF THE RoTARIEs.
Three rotary now-plows are kept con-
stantiy moving on the exposed portion
OF the track, and gangs of experienced
snow shovelers are scattered along at all
Teyed to any place on the road on short
notice.
AT a few points on the line it has been
found necessary to broaden the SPACE be-
tween the snow banks by shoveling, but
in the main the rotaries have been all
suthclenL to remove the snow deposits as
last as they fall
POWERFUL MACHINES.
Working in three feet of snow. these
VIII throw n Il : .l,,n
feet; or, to give clearer idea of their
power If one was run through the straets
of Sacramento with that depth of snow
10 battle with, it would throw the snow
over two-story buildings and deposit it
IN the back alleys.
In heavy drifts of eight feet and up
ward the machines throw to distance of
hlty leet, and possibly little farther.
ON THE SHASTA DIVISION
Travel is temporarily stopped on account
OF the enormous avalanche that occurred
on Monday III the canyon near Castle
Crag.
The railroad company has larpe rorca
OF men engaged in clearing the track
and the officials hope to be able to for.
ward trains to-day.
Local trains between this CITY and Rad
Bluff are ranning by way of MarysviIIe
without hindrance.
a heavy washout in the vicinity of
doned temporarily
At present the track where the wasbout
occurred near Dunnlgan is entirely COW
cred with water, and it is simpIv I'M
possible 10 ascertain the amount of dar1
age incurred or the necessary time tha+
will be required TO make needed renairs
LIKE THE STORM OF 1890.
There is remarkable similarity ba.
tween the present storm and the one that
occurred in January, 1890 Both haaoo
on the same date, the 10TH and stati.Iirs
show that nearly the same amount of
snow fell on similar dates
The storm of 1880, which caused sucb
an absolute blockade in the Sierra Me-
Yada, lasted ntteen days, and by present
appearances 1t VIII be equaled, If u ot sur-
passed by the one now raging.
DEPTH OF SNOW.
The official reports for the last TWENTY
four hours show the snowfall to have
been:
Truckee, inches; on the ground g fae,
Summit, 10 inches; on the ground. 20
feet.
Cascade, 20 inches; on the ground. II
feet l inch.
Emigrant Gap. 15inches; on the ground.
IA feet inches.
I Blue Canyon, inches; on the ground
8 feet.
To HYDRAULIC SNOW AND LANDsLIDEs.
Last evening dispatches received from
the snow belt stated that the storm was
then raging with unabated severity from
Gold Run to Truckee.
Rotary plow No. IA arrived here about
p NJ. for some slight repairs necessitated
by the heavy work required of it during
the past seven days of incessant storm.
l'l,1 -, ,l,,, a.,