New-York tribune., 1896-01-12
IN CALIFORNIA SNOWDRItTS.
BUILDINGS BURIED FOR WEEKS IN THE
SIERRAS.
PREPARATIONS MADE FOR THE sIEGE-TRAv-
FI.LING OK sNOWSHOEs.

PREPARATIONS MADE FOR THE sIEGE-TRAv'
FILrNG on sNOwsHOEs.
San Francisco Jan II (Spec!aD-Being stirfeited
with winter rose carnvals and lily tournaments
California is now ndugng in genuine ice-skat.ns
se!ghng and toboggan festival on the eastern s'ope
of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Truckee Is
villa 20 on the lire OF the Central Pacific Railroad
a few miles cast of the divide, the business OF
which Is mainly urbcrng in the summer ana
hibernatng in the winter. OF course tns Is con-
trary to Eastern fashions, but California mas its
own customs and the story hereinafter told OF the
snowstorms I'm these regions will account for lum-
ber.ng being confined 10 warmer seasons, "heh
logs can be hauled on wagons or tramway roads or
slid down the mountains on losways.
Truckee River ice is shipped from artificial ponds
in this vicinity all portions Of the state Iurhish-
Ing In fact the entire supply. excepting a smaii
amount produced by ice-msch.nes. Truckee Is not
lacking IN essential elements for this festival, and
TO avoid being overwhelmed by snowfall while
skating the people Of the town have erected r'nK
The framework is Of wood, covered with ice ana
iciclcs by spraying water over the edihce, whch
quickly produces gl.ttering mass OF ice Inc
/ conception is Singular a State distinguished for
its semi-iropical climate and Will attract native
sons and dauehtc.s who never stood on an ice
floor or rode in a s,egh. Besides skating on ice
ponds while the snow will permit and 'oDoggan'
sliding or skating N this ample ice cave. sparkling
Ni lights
sleigh rides to Lakes Bonner and Tahoe. Roads
VIII be kept broken through the snow for tht
first time ia Tho history Of the upper S!erras, ana
the merry jingle of sle.ghbells ana the laugh OF
happy people will resound along the shores OF the
little lake
The quantity o. SNOW which falls on the Serras
along the northernmost 100 miles of the chain great
lv exceeds that eyer known in the Northeastern
states The depth ranges from twenty to thirty.
forty or nifty feet. according to location and
attitude not measured in DRIFTS. but over vast areas
covered with heavy forest growth. The deepest
SHOWS are on the western face OF the range, LOOK
ing out toward the Pacific Not only Isolated min
ing huts and lumber camps. but farmhouses. VIII
lagos and even two three county seats are
sometimes completely buried beneath the snow so
that from surrounding tree tops the only sign or
human habitation is the smoke which has mere
and there kept passage cleared FOR tseii through
| this shroud of white
\ snowstOrm in a valley of the Sierras Is one o:
the most interesting experiences of varegated
California life. Instead OF Eastern snowstorm
IL is Eastern spring shower, the drops being
crystallized into variegated form in the upper cold
air but the earth the atmosphere Is still and
almost balmy, being several degrees above the
freezing point When clouds overcast the sky they
prevent rapid evaporation from the eartE COM
mon those high attitudes. and are as blanket TO
all beneath. \ cold rain or snowstorm is there
unknown for this reason. and neither while snow
ally wind 10 drive It into drifts In one OF the
eastern Sierra valleys 400 feet above the ocean.
one may tiny ridges OF snow one or TWO inches
high lie many days they fell. on apple tree
limbs whose thickness is considerably less than
the height cf the ridge. There is not wind enough
TO move the limbs to blow off the snow In that
valley the total snowfall OF one winter was twelve
feet and the greatest depth at any one time was
four feet. while twenty miles eastward these figures
reduced to inches
Twenty or thirty miles back in the mountains,
and at an altitude OF about 5000 feet the houses and
harms were literally buried in snow. Such storms
begin after Christmas. and people make every
preparation beforehand to be buried few weeks,
although this does not occur every year. ROOD
and nrewood stored in cellar and shed' ana
the large barns are filed with hay ana gram
for domestic animals. Here an old-fasnioned fan-
kee or n PENNSYLVANIA Dutchman would see MS
b,IInon frames are not designed to sustain such
weights of snow. As buildings are covered tun. h
houses shops stores barns. AMI an outlet up
through the snow is provided at the door u eae''
Distant travelling is done snowshoei ssS ,n nGS Noris 5as
American Indians but STRIPS of wood, turned up az
one end. three or four inches wide ana Ironn s'a
little forward Of the centre Of gravity ana the W9oa
is kept well creased. or course the user rns smns
streams or chasms. The United states mail \, Is
regularly carried in this WY aeT ,brv or more
provided win snOWSnoes pcHi,
/ wooden rings, covered with strong leather or raw
hide and projecting about three inches beyond S ,ss
hoof ali around The animals soon learn 10 use
these aivantageoEsiy. but. or course. tney cannot
be handled in deep light snow. -.
IL seems singular that men VIII come across tIe
/ continent oceans TO i've IN sum!
California and finally or perhaps Immediately 10
cate where such conditions these exist. but Ibis
is the case In several counties in this state. Inc
first induce ment this life was gold mining, anu
this continues to be the chief business but LUMBER
ing stock growing and dairying give employment 70
many the mines furnishing a nearby market Tor an
] lurt These
| creasing In output and the people are recovering
slowly from the effects of the stoppage OF hydraulc
| mining An output of s5,eD0Ol or S2oNoOCo annu-
aIy was instantly stopped by the decision that the
washings must not be sent down Into the valleys
to overflow and ruin good lands and close rivers 10
navigation and capital has slowly turned itself 70
! quartz mining. These mountain homes attract
many on account OF the game and trout that are al
most right by the door, there the best OF water
YEAR and excellent grass vegetables and all the small
and most OF the larger fruits These people are NOT
| troubled by tramps strikes. and there Is some
compensat ion for the enforced idleness OF two or
! three months In books and social gatherings.
As the faithful mail-carrer glides down the noun
! tain his path becomes obstructed by small trees
/ ana brush rising above the snow. the way become
/ ING more and more difficult until he reaches a
/ travelled road Leaving here his snowsnoes nc
/ Through mud or snowdrifts. but all the time e the
| air growing warmer. and the roads better UNI. @
/ he reaches "A railroad station. Labor being w oNet
/ FOR the dav he can now recline beneath rose-
rovernl treilis and suck the juice of navel orahseS
growing in abundance and perfection close AT ha''u