The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-12

day east Of the range. Grave anxiety IS
expressed for the towns and camps on the
high line of the South Park. This division.
of the road has been abandoned since early
in the week, when a supply train, after
days of work behind a rotary snow plow,
managed to take food to Breckinridge,
Dickey and other points between Breckin-
ridge and Kokomo. This supply was too little
to last and the situation is growing desper-
ate No attempt will be made to open the
high line until the storm clears and a crust
forms on the immense banks sufficient to
hold them from sliding down and burying
the track perchance with death and de-
struction following in their wake.
In the meantime the provisions obtainable
have rapidly disappeared. Again, dispatches
say, breakfast food is being fed to horses
and stock. Another week and the snow
walled camps and towns will be on the verge
of starvation. If nothing is done on the rail-
roads-for, in addition to the South Park,
the Blue River branch of the Rio Grande,
running from Leadville to Dillon, is COM
paratively blocked-snow-shOe relief parties
will start out from Leadville, the nearest
large point, hauling toboggans loaded with
provisions. Appeals for help from the towns
have already been sent out.
Reports received by the railroads indi-
cate more snow for the mountains and more
snow slides. a peculiar situation over the
State was made apparent to-day when it
was seen the conditions had been reversed,
and the plains from The Wyoming boundary
line to Trinidad were suffering from cold
wave, while in the greater number of rail-
road points in the mountains the tempera-
ture had climbed up materially. This
means the conditions are ripe for a heavy
fall Of snow. Notwithstanding that both
the Rio Grande and Midland were getting
coal into Leadville to-day, the coal famine
is not entirely ayerted, as there is scarcely
more than a forty-eigEt hours supply OF
coal in camp. The railroad officials and the
mine owners appreciate the fact that every
thing else viii have to be sidetracked in an
effort to supply coal.
No passenger trains were run to-day by
the Denver &, Rio Grande west of Salida.
General Superintendent Sample and Assis-
tant General Manager Schlaks are at Lead
vile experimenting the work of clearing the
main line west of that city. Contrary to the
report of yesterday. the company is having
no trouble with its snow snovelers, who
are paid $1.75 a day. More slides have oc-
Cured in the canyon of the Grand river, but
ing the road. Tremendous efforts are being
made to open the line between Glenwood
Springs and Aspen and as soon as it is done
coal will be rushed to Aspen where the sup
ply is short The Denver & Rio Grande
narrow gauge line is again blockaded on
Marshall pass where the storm was very
severe President Risline is experimenting
operations on the Colorado Midland from
Colorado Springs and hopes to have the road
open tomorrow as far as Leadvlle, at least.
A dispatch from LeadviIle says: Through
the efforts of the volunteer snow shovelers
furnished by the mines and smelters, the
Denver & Rio Grahde Railroad has been,
kept open east of this city. in spite of the
blizzard which has piled snow at many
places over this district in drifts ten to fifty
feet high, and trains are moving between
Denver and Leadville. Col George w.
Cook, who superintended the work OF the
shovel and pick brigade, said to-day that
at no time since the big storm began, over
a fortnight ago, have the tracks been as
free from obstruction as they are now. The
Colorado Midland people expect to open
their line east without the assistance Of vol
unteers Even should the railroads remain
open from now on there will not be sufl-
cient coal for ten days to warrant re-
sumption of work at the mines in the gold
belt, which are now closed down. All avail
able coal will be devoted to pumping tn
deep mines and other absolutely necessary
work
From Cheyenne comes the statement
that, with eighteen inches of snow covering
the earth and a temperature of 20 degrees
below zero, stockmen are greatly worried
over the fate of all unfed stock. Cheyenne
is threatened with coal famine