The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-17
A DAY FULL OF GRIEF
Cold Wave Just in Time to Avert
Wholesale Disaster.
TRAINS WERE ALL LATE
Many Landslides on the Snake Branch.
The est-Bound Train Delayed
Nine Hours-A Trip in
the Mud.

Missoula. Feb 16.-This has been a
day full of grief for the railroad peo-
pie. The cold wave reached here in
time to avert wholesale disaster to the
roadbed on the Occur d'Aene branch
and in the West. but ii didn't get here
soon enough to save the railroad cir
cles heap of trouble. The west bound
flyer. which was on time at midnight
last night, lost time east of Helena and
did not reach here till after 10 o'clock.
two hours late. and the east bound
train had its wings clipped 10 the ex-
tent that il reached this division an
hour and half behind time. It made
a good run on this division till after
IL left De Smet. seven miles west Of
Missoula. A short distance out Of
there. with but a few miles To run. the
engine broke an eccentric strap and the
train was laid out another hour An
engine was sent out from here To pun
in the train and it reached here about
s o'clock, three hours late
The belated Occur d Alene train, with
the Ole Oleson company aboard, east
bound, was expected here IA few min
utes later. and ii was decided 10 hold
the train on the main line till it ar
rived SO that the company and other
east bound passengers might make the
connection. The Snake train left De
Smet all right, but was laid out by Il
hot pin and was 45 minutes coming the
seven miles. That made the flyer about
four hours late when il left Mis-
soula.
The report for tomorrow is not en-
couraging. as the west-bound train is
now reported nine hours behind time
as result of mix-up with the Da-
kota weather. But the chief trouble
has been on the Snake branch, There
the slides have been SO numerous that
for time yesterday the company had
but little of its right of way in sight
between Rivulet and st. Regis. The
big gang of Italians sent out from here
last night bucked at the land slides
till they had the track this side of Iron
Mountain clear at o'clock this after
noon. but it will probably be late to-
morrow before the track is clear this
side of that station,
Conductor Joe Bradley left Missoula
yesterday morning with his regular
train for Wallace, but was stopped six
miles this side of Iron Mountain, after
having had all sorts of trouble With
slides all day Late last night his pas
sengers got SO hungry that he waded
through seven miles of mud and water
to the hotel at Iron Mountain to get
them some grub and then waded seven
miles back with "A box of food on his
back. The track was cleared to-day
SO that the passengers ON the east
bound train could be transferred to
Bradley's train and he brought them in
tonight including the Disguised mem
beers of the theatrical company. who
played Ole Oleson last night to the
Clearwater and Bitter Root mountains
instead of a Missoula audience. Brad
ley was covered with mud to his neck,
but his disposition was as funny as
ever and he even smiled when his train
was stalled this side of De Smet with
the lights of Missoula in sight and had
To wait nearly an hour TO cool off
pin.
The Bitter Root branch is all right
and so is the east end. Al Garrison
and Lloyd, however, Roadmaster Pal
mer and his men had q hard fight all
day with high water and an ice gorge
Liberal use of dynamite on the ice
cleared the channel this afternoon just
as the water had reached the ties on
the track at Lloyd. The cold weather
tonight is helping things wonderfully
ON this division and the line ought To be
clear to- morrow noon