The herald., 1898-01-28
THE BLOCKADE
Johnston Canyon and Its
Tunnel
THROUGH TRAFFIC CHECKED
HEAVY LOSSES TO THE SANTA
FE PACIFIC
THROUGH TRAFFIC CHECKED
Division superintendent John Denair
and Many Others Injured by
Falling Rock

opGCldl NOIIcSppIlutHCt " hS iiSioAp'
ASH FORK, Ariz., Jan. 25.-One OF
the most annoying and most expensive
incidents ever known to the Santa Fe
system has been the cave in at the tun-
mel east of this point. 1t is known as
the Fairvew tunnel is S2S feet in length
and is the only bore on the line from Ra
ton west. 1t cuts through long tongue
of limestone, lava-capped, that juts far
out into Johnston canyon, up which the
railroad tracks hug the northern slope.
On the west the tunnel is entered direct
ly from a high steel bridge that spans a
chasm of considerable scenic beauty.
On the east is a deep cut several hum
dred feet in length.
The section of road in which the tun-
mel is located is known to railroad msn
as the HILL and is mathematical Is
such. Within it are two long stretches
of three per cent grade. On the lower
stretch, a few miles east of Ashfork. an
oil train broke away and burned up
year ago. On the upper reach only sixty
days ago a heavy train of west-bound
through freight got away from its crew
and piled upon a curve, several of the
tranmen being killed at the crisis or in
cinerated in the fire that destroyed the
wreck.
CAUGHT FROM A SPARK
The latest catastrophe. that which has
tied up for nearly a fortnight through
business of the greatest western rail
roads, began Sunday, Jan. 16. The west
bound through express on that day was
ba 1oc t,,ai tn ENoirx-iaIy II
mel. Sparks from the engine of an east
bound freight had found a crack in the
metal sheathing and the great roof tim
bers were afire. An engine and con-
siderable gang of men were at once sent
to the tunnel from this point
Monday afternoon the fire appeared to
be under control. Foreman Matthews
of the carpenter gang of the railroad di-
vision suddenly discovered the roof
timbers bowling in. A second later the
roof fell, nearly filling the tunnel with
rock and burying a dozen men. Matt
hews and several others were danger
ously crushed and Roadmaster Lyons
was pulled from the debris dead. The
attendant engine was utilized to take
the wounded to Williams for medical
attention. Pumping then had to cease.
When the locomotive returned the tun
mel was a very volcano, the flames
squirting from the eastern end hun
dreds of feet up the steep hillside melt
ing the deep snow in torrents of water.
DENAIR'S PERIL
Nothing could be done but wait for
the fire to exhaust itself. Ten days later
five hundred men, under Division Eu-
perintendent John Denair, We're at work |
on both ends of the blackened and yet |
fiery furnace. But the limestone roof had |
been burned by the fire and was Stacked |
by the water and was falling constant |
ly. Saturday, however, there remained |
only fifty-two feet yet to tmber-166 feet |
had been timbered at one end and 112
the other.
Then came another cave. Two Ger
man carpenters were crushed and three
Indian laborers were killed. Masses of |
rock kept falling till the lava Gaping
of the hill was visible at the center.
In ALL the work of Superintendent |
Denair had been indefatigable. Chang |
ing his gangs every six hours, he was on |
the ground himself at all times, leading |
the workers into every place that was
especially dangerous. Sunday morn
ing he and three carpenters were perched
upon scaffold near the roof. Down |
upon them came the heaviest fall of rock |
hat had been known. The carpenters
were badly cut and bruised, but Denair
was taken out apparently lifeless.
Placed on a special train. he was hur-
ried to Prescott, to the Sisters hospital.
For several days he fingered uncon
scious or delirious. He is a man of the
strongest physique, and was finally
brought to a condition that has allowed
his attendants to express hope, andeven
in his recovery.
WELLS AT THE FRONT
The work continued at the tunnel un
ler the immediate supervision of Cen
sral Superintendent A. G. Wells of the
santa Fe-Pacific, assisted by Superin-
-endent l. L. Hibbard of the Gallup
Winslow division. Coal miners were
brought from Gallup, trainload after
trainload of ties were hurried to the spot.
ard the work was taken up by the
miners in the same way an unsafe stope
would have been handled. The roof
.imbers were securely set and the
space above was filled with
'square-set" ties.
The railway engineers of the system,
at the tunnel, agreed that this
method was the only one to be pursued.
It is impossible to cut roadbed around
he point and the depth of the hillside
200 feet-made unfeasble
the suggestion to blow out the point. 1t
s considered probable that this will be
lone, however, after traffic shall have
)een resumed.
Freight is blocked on every sidetrack
from Albuquerque west, and the coal
mines at Gallup and the sawmills at
Williams and Flagstaff have hundreds
# cars loaded and waiting for an open
way to Los Angeles Freight from west
If this point has been sent east by way
If the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix
the north and south line" as
t is called in Arizona. This road has
superb equipment and is handling the
business without delay or trouble. At
Phoenix the trains are taken by the
Maricopa and Phoenix road, at Mari
,opa by the Southern Pacific, and at
Oeming are switched once more to the
Santa Fes rails. The limited trains
nave utilized the Southern Pacific tracks
or the entire distance through Arizona.
rhe regular daily express trains trans
'er passengers and mail around the tun-
lel a quarter of a mile walk through |
mud and snow that has given the trail
he local designation of "Chilkoot Pass"