The record-union., 1899-02-08
Most Of the Trains in Colorado
Running on Time.
Nothing to Compare With the Great Storm
in Many Years Past.
Estimated That Sixty Thousand
Head Of Sheep In the Southern
Part of the Centennial State
Are Dying Of Cold and Hunger.

DENVER, Feb. THE great snow
blockade on the Denver and Rio
Grande Railroad in the Canon of the
Grand River has been broken. The
company is now accepting freight and
passenger business for Grand Junction
and the West.
The blockade has cost the railway
company tens of thousands of dollars.
but at no time did the fight cease, not
withstanding the great difficulties pre-
sented by mighty winds and great
blankets of snow which filled the air
for nearly a week past. Three rotaries
and nearly LOCO shovelers, assisted by
a dozen powerful steam engines, were
necessary to break through the ava
lanches and clear the tracks. The
|Denver and Rio Grande has known
nothing to compare with this great
storm since President Jeffrey assumed
control of the road The Marshall
Pass route is also open and traffic is
moving on the principal branches or
the Denver and Rio Grande. 1t is the
opinion of the officers that there will
be no danger from future slides this
winter, as the loose snow has come
down and been thrown into the river.
Three special trains were sent East
from Glenwood Springs to-day, bring
ing all the passengers that had been
detained there and they will arrive in
Denver Tonight The passengers
united in a letter of thanks to President
Jeffreys for the kind treatment given
them while snowbound. The West
minstrel troupe, after being detained
a week at Barrett, turned West to Og-
den, and if not again delayed will reach
this city via the Union Pacific TO NOR
row evening.
The Colorado Midland has encoun-
tered fresh difficulties, the wind drift
ing snow and filling cuts that had been
cleared. Besides, the cold is so in
tense that men cannot endure to work
long at time clearing the tracks. I'm
til the Midland is opened its through
trains will run over the Rio Grande
tracks.
After weeks of toll, the Colorado and
Southern has been forced to abandon
the effort to open the high line" be-
tween Como and Leadvile. A high
wind last night filed the cuts with snow
and the rotary was returned to Como
to remain until the weather moderates
and storms cease. The line between
Denver and Como will be kept open.
This company is having no trouble
with the road to the south, trains run
ming practically on schedule time.
1t is estimated that 10000 sheep in
Southern Colorado are dying of cold
and hunger Many flocks have been
abandoned by the herders. Another
twenty-four hours of weather such as
has been sweeping Wyoming since
February 1st and so per cent. of the
cattle of Wyoming will be dead" said
B. Frank Hunter to-day. THE winter
is without exception the worst that
has ever been experienced in that
part of the country. There is not a
shrub or bunch of grass of any kind
visible between this city and Western
Wyoming along the railroad, and it
would be impossible for the cattle to
find anything to eat even if the wea-
ther was warm enough to excite them
to such an attempt. All along the
line of the Union Pacific the great
white stretches of endless prairie can
be seen dotted here and there with the
carcasses of animals. Even should the
weather improve Immediately and the
snow clear off so that the cattle re-
naming can get something to eat, the
loss will be almost incalculable, as
thousands of cattle are in the last
stages of suffering from cold and hun
ger They have reached the semi-con-
scious state when they begin to look
for something as a support. From the
car windows the cattle can be seen
leaning back against the fences. Of
course, Nmy information is only regard
ing the cattle along the railroad line,
but it is highly probable that the same
condition exists all over the State.''
In Eastern Colorado, so far as pos
sible, range cattle are being fed, but
| if the cold weather continues much
longer the supply of feed will be ex-
| hausted.