The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-25
GREAT FIGHTS WITH SNOW.
MILLIONS SPENT IN KEEPING WEST
FRN RAILROADS OPEN.
snowsheds Valued mt slO.ooo.ooo on One
Lino-Power of the Rotary PlouEh-Loss

1
| price one transcontinental railway had to pay
| before II could run its trains over the
| Rocky Mountain division OF us roau'
| That was merely the first cost: since that out
lay fully 81. 900 600 has been spent annually IN
| keeping the sheds In repair and the eSposeu
| tracks free from snow.
The various roads crossing the hocRies nave
their seasons OF play and their seasons OF
| work. During the summer months, whon oven
in the higher passes the sun and warm wlhus
| serve to keep the permanent way clear ana
free. there is little to do save the ordinary run
| of repairs and reconstruction, but along about
| the first OF October all this Is changed.
Little furries OF snow on the level ana
gradual but continuous spreading OF White On
tho tops and In the upper crevices OF the
mountains give warning that the haru.
| desperate battles OF the winter months are at
hand. Tho superintendent takes trip
over tho road with his assistants ana
u careful inspection OF the sheds and
tunnels ia mndo. In divisional headquarters
the rotaries and the old time "buckers' arc
oyerhauled and prepared for use. and ms tho
middle OF the month approaches the watchmch
who patrol the tracks are doubled.
There IL no installing the signs. Even
novice could see that something Important ID
pending. In the divisional shops. In the OFFICES
and even at the smaller stations along the inc
there are evidences that tho period OF work Is
soon to supcrsode tho ease OF the summer
days.
In the various baggage cars are placed great
wooden safes packed with condensed ioods'
Beef in the form OF extract canned soups.
condiments and hard bread. enough to feed
one hundred persons for ten days. are carefully
deposited In these moving storehouses, and
from then until the coming OF spring they are
inspected and overhauled onco each week by
men detailed for tho purpose.
At the isolated stations and guarded sidings
reserve supplies OF provisions. coal. wood and
water are laid In. Then finally arrives the day
when everything Ia reported in readiness for
the descent OF winter.
The frat call for the fighting contingent OF
the vast railway army Is always attended by
scenes OF excitement Lowering skies and
chill winds have foretold the fall OF snow. and
when the various crews arise some morning
they find the earth covered with q mantle OF
white.
It is then the work gang boss overhauls his
men and sees that each unit In the force Ia
provided with the necessary shovel and spade.
II Is then. too. that the crewof each snow plough
and each reserve engine go over the last time
tho various bits OF machinery and the divers
couplings upon which their lives are soon to
depend.
Nltnln Twelve HOuTs. II INC II COHlluuuuS,
the plouahs 20 out Each Is accountant ed by a
| gang OF shovelers. and straight drive Ia made
has r foresod the greatest depth. II the snow
banks. but il cold weather has really set in and
| the snow has been frozen into rounded gran
ules. the proposition is entirely different
In the first case the damp masses remain
under the latter conditions IL is Impossible
without the most strenuous efforts 70 keep the
| the tracks, Cases have been known when a
oomraraively light fall OF snow has blocked a
u tSo oa as The 20ses
q The ca and he npCs had to be
OF plough used was home AIDE affalr-a pro.
duet. OF the railway shops. II, consisted OF
base. upon one end Of which was built an from
tipped plow-shaped something Ike "A lofty
arranged that the snow masses we're directed
into the air at an angle
drift was 10 be tackled II was the custom to
place one OF these crude affairs 10 front otfrom
s1 aS 70 ten s engines ana fe"r S tHS dr Win
drift consisted OF granulated snow frozen
@ss separate Son p vent shros s
heated knife through butter. In the wake OF
the plough came an army OF .hoyellers whose
Gna baSR s en asG T Snd
Sometimes it happened that the drii, in the
cut was COMPOSED Of damp snow and had had
psa 81 snd Tssn the
5Sn Ta aso By with .s, OS Ssema
suits followed. Either the drIft was broker or
the 6ucker crampled up Ike toy, OF card;
upon what Artemus Ward called their natral
Stories are still told OF tho c.,os.
trophies occurring during one hard win
ter many years ago; OF how In one Instance
BURIED III OF snow now for Sns,y hours
and that when the rescuing party finally
hs as% hs h q
, ysnsG s., q the rotary plough has %ado
appearance The rotary plough as IKE
Is square and open. and within can
similar 'S he o ~nssa w wnS
qoS The n@ s ~Pss WA
axle. and az the plough Is forced against the
DRIFT the snow is eaten away and blown through
machine. It is seldom tha, more than two emo en-"
gnes are required to push the rotary. as it
the old-time bucker. Railroad men are great
admirers Of the new order Of machine. and
"Bsors our people bought one We used to
winter sald u division superintendent
Of, tho Denver and Rio Grande hallway.
We lost eight In one smash-up the Sea.
son before the first rotary came on the road
Since then we hayen't had a man Killed in thai
particular line OF work. And they cost ri"
company less, too q course the first price is
amount IL made up in no time. you might sav
Now II takes only couple OF engines to each
plough where II used to require at least sevcn
In those days the coal and salaries, moi u r.
mention the wear ,gand tear on the engines
meant great deal
The new rotary poughs are also reputed
to have been the means OF saving lives
IN quite another way. Since their in.
especially In the West, there are ""iH n.
and even snow bound villages have been saved
rotary poughs. " WV
During the winter of 1S01-9S. which WINS pnr-
tlcu arly severe. n gang OF truck ceaners which
had been sent out 70 bank tho snow near Hec
tor. q station on the Canadian Pacific Rail
way. BECAME hemmed in by two enormous
mountain peaks near by descend"d'o va come umo
pletely blocking all egress from the
a Aoo , trnGkwakeGG t.. who had .soen III" the
station. and rotary backed by number OF