The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-10
Citizens of LeadvilIe, Volunteer
Their Service
To Help the Railroads Uncover
Their Tracks.
1000 SNOW SHOVELS
Are Today Piled by Men With
Desperation
Born of Impending Disaster to
the City.

LeadviIle, Colo, Feb. 10.-Two feet of
fresh snow has fallen in this vicinity
yesterday and today. The people realize
that the camp is facing a desperate sit
uation. The ordinary consumption of
coal in the camp is six hundred tons a
day. There were today but few car
loads left and the railroads were block
AIDED on both sides of the city The
big rotary snow plow on the Denver q
Rio Grande was out of service, being
caught between two trains, surrounded
by snow slides, mean Red Cliffe. 1t was
evident that unless the Rio Grande or
the Midland road could be quickly
opened not only must the sme1ters and
mines be closed down but the pumps
at the down town mines must stop work,
causing irreparable loss.
A meeting of mine and smelter man
ayers was hastily called yesterday to
consider measures of relief. Colonel
George w. Cook, appealed to the man
ayers to come to the aid of the railroads,
not for the purpose of enabling passen-
ger trains to move, but in order to bring
an supplies of coal. He said II the
smelterS closed down and the water
flooded the downtown mines it meant
years work would be lost to Leadville.
The response was prompt. In less than
ten minutes 900 men had been furnished.
This morning Colonel Cook will go out
at the head of 1000 shovelers to clear
the Rio Grande tracks to Malta where
train of loaded cars is stalled. 1t
will probably take two days to clear
the tracks to Malta, a distance of five
miles. When that is finished the ser
vices of the shOvelerS will be rendered
to the Midland
Tlse little coal on hand will be dis
trlbuted sparingly among the properties
working pumps. 1t is realized that if
fuel be not secured much suffering and
possibly loss of life will result. On this
the sixteenth day of the snow storm the
air was so dense that it was impossible
to distinguish objects at a distance of
fa,Ir feet. -
GOAL FOR BUT ONE DAY.
Leadville, Feb.10.-One thousand men
with picks and shovels, started out this
morningnto clear the snow and ice off
from the Denver ~6s Rio Grande tracks
below this city, so that coal may be
brought in TO enable the smelters and
mines to continue work, or at least to
keep the mine pumps in operation The
LeadviHe pumping association which is
unwatering the down town mines that
have been flooded since the big strike
has only enough coal to last "a hours.
The stoppage of the pumps just on the
eve of completing the important work
which has been in progress for the past
six months would be a serious blow to
Leadville mining interests. So the mine
and Smelter managers decided to aid
the railway companies in opening up
their lines and the shOvelers sent up by
them today will receive the same wages
as when working in the mines and
smelters. Many business men have also
gone out as volunteers to shovel snow.
Col. George w. Cook is in command of
the shoveling brigade and among his
assistants, who are experimenting op-
erations are eX-Mayor Samuel D. Mich
olson, G. b. Lee, superintendent of the
Arkansas Valley smelter; w. H Nut
ting, superintendent of the BimetalIic
smelter; James w. Newell, manager of
the Northern Mining company; E. J.
McCarty, one of the owners of the Ex-
celsior iron works, and other mine man
ayers. After the Rio Grande tracks
are cleared the snow shovelers will go
way.
The snow storm which has been con-
tinuous with brief intermission for 16
daYS StOpped last night and the tenn