, 1896-04-10
J OF A LOST CAR.
nds a Little Fishy But a
Fact Nevertheless.
IN c. E. TIME
How IA Car Was snapped or Into .
Guich aud Found q Long Time
ACterward by q
Cowboy.

st. Joseph, Mo-, April 3.--The Bur-
closed up a voluminous correspond
ence and effected a settlement OF all
claims growing out Of one Of the most
remarkable incidents in the history Of
ra%ilroading. This was an incident on
the mountain division of the Union
Pacific in the year Of 1887. when a car
loaded with merchandise. Of the value
Of over $50. 900, was lost between Green
River and Laramie, Wyo., and its
whereabouts for over Il year was a
mystery that baffled trainmen, officials
and directors until they were ct their
wits end.
The lost car" as it came to lie call.
ed, was one Of the old box cars of about
ten IONS capacity. belonging to the
Burlington road, such a one as was in
use on that line 25 years ago, and al
ready out Of date at the time this ad-
home. 1t was painted "A dull slate
color and numbered 907. 1t lad In
some manner found its way to the Pa
ciic coast, and on Its return trip was
utilized to carry east a portion Of the
cargo of a steamship just arrived from
the Orient, consisting of silks. together
with a lot Of California wine. these
two commodities being commonly
shipped together SO as to secure to the
shipper the advantage of both bulk
and weight. for rates were very high.
even as late as 10 years ago.
1t was customary on the arrival Of
one of the Pacific Coast Steamship
company's big vessels from China to
make up a whole train, and sometimes
two or three. from the silks included
In her cargo. with wine for ballast. and
send them through from San Francisco
to Omaha as silk specials which
were scheduled on passenger time, and
not infrequently made better speed
than the express trains. A sixty mile
order" was often given the engineer
and conductor of a silk special on
leaving Ogden or Green River, where
time had been lost on the Central Pa
cifc through a snow blockade. which
means they were allowed to make that
speed within the limits designated by
the order, say from one division ter
minus to the next. and they laade 1t,
t11 o-l t1olr ~rflo t. hox,t~~ e. slrln
time" besides.
Now the steamship which brought
the cargo, Of which the 907 received a
portion, was Ave days overdue when
she made port, and the silk special
lost 48 hours up among the SHOWS of
the Sierra Nevadas. 81 that, the cons
signees being in a particular hurry for
their freight, orders were sent owe
from Omaha to Ogden and intermedi-
ate division termini to expedite that
cargo by sending it over the the line on
a so mile schedule. A train order con-
forming to these instructions was is-
sued at Ogden, and the special made
hurried time in safety to Evanston and
thence to Green River. Here every
train that passes through is thorough.
ly inspected. the car numbers entered
in a book kept for that purpose. the
seals examined and every precaution
taken to insure safety to both train
and cargo on its long run through the
Red Desert and through the whole dess
olate mountain country encountered
before the Laramie plains are reached
The next checking up and inspection
is done at Laramie. and US each O
these trains is made up with but II
cars. 1t is not much Of a job to Civ,
them the closest attention as 70 ever!
detail.
SCENE OF THE DISAPPEARANCE
From Green River to Bitter Creel
station, a mere sidetrack and waite
tank, stopping about 100 miles east o
the former place. the main line Of tn
Union Pacific follows the serpentin'
course Of that famous and most fear