The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-02-04
LOSS TO RAILWAYS
VERY HEAVY.
Not in Years Have Roads Had Such
Conditions to Contend With
As Those Now Prevailing In the Mountain
Regions Of Colorado.

Many Trains Snowbound, in Spite
Of the Efforts Of Railway Off,
Gals to Clear the Tracks Of
Snow = Thousands of Cattle
Freezing and Starving to Death,
While Nothing Can be Done to
Save Them.
DENVER, Feb. BIT has been many
years since the Colorado railways have
had to contend with such conditions as
those now prevailing in the mountain
regions. The loss to the railways in
this State, taking into consideration
the business which is not moving and
the outlay of cash to pay the armies of
snow shovelers, is estimated at $4,000
a day. Not less than 900 men have
been shoveling snow for several days.
Over 800 miles of road in the noun
tains have been at times shut off from
communication with the main lines.
Snowbound passengers are fed and
cared for by the railway companies.
The Denver and Rio Grande Railway
has a large force of men at work to-
day clearing the tracks near Shoshone,
in the canyon of the Grand River,
where snowslide occurred yesterday,
killing three men and injuring six
others of a wrecking crew.
On the mountains thousands of cattle
are freezing and starving to death, and
nothing can be done to save them. In
Eastern Colorado hay is being hauled
long distances over the prairies to feed
cattle, and it is expected to avoid heavy
losses of livestock. However, there
will be some losses of stock that is not
closely herded.
The Weather Bureau predicts con-
tinued cold weather and another snow
fall tonight. The minimum tempera-
ture at Denver during the past twenty
four hours was II degrees below zero.
While no snow fell in Denver to-day,
snow storms and cold waves are re-
ported by the Weather Bureau TO be
bearing down upon this city from every
direction A blizzard is predicted at
Leadville. where snow has fallen for
ten days in succession. Leadvil1e is the
western terminus of the Denver and
Rio Grande and the Colorado Midland
Railroads, though neither is sparing ex-
pense in it's efforts to clear the tracks
west of that city. Trains over the Rio
Grande began running to-day on regu-
lar schedule between Denver and Lead
vile, and from Denver. to Durango over
the narrow gauge Trains are also run
ming east from Grand Junction to Gun
nd the
gauge The Midland terminal is block
AIDED, but communication with Cripple
Creek is still maintained over the Flor
ence and Cripple Creek line.
The first train from Como over the
South Park road since the beginning of
the; big storm three weeks ago arrived
in Denver tonight. rotary, followed
by a train load of provisions, is cut
ting its way to Kokomo, and the inten-
ton is, if the train is not buried by
sncwslides, to enter Leadville to-mor-
row.
A dispatch from Silverton says Ed
ward Rogers, miner, was killed by
q snowslide near town to-day.
The officials of the Denver and Rio
Grande Railway Company say that
system has not had such an experience
since the winter of 1880.
At Glenwood Springs are three Rio
Grande and two Midland trains snow
bound, each road has train at Lead
vile, and the Rio Grande two at Grand
Junction and one at Minturn. No road
except the Union Pacific is accepting
through westbound passengers.
Snow is reported on the Rio Grande
lines all the way from three feet on the
level at Glenwood Springs to six feet
at Crested Butte.
At 5 o'clock this evening the mercury
stood at % below at Marshall Pass.
A train started from Minturn with
a gang of shovelers to open the line
through the Grand Canyon. At 6
O'Clock this evening the train had not
even reached the canyon. The Denver
and Rio Grande Company expects to
have it's main line open by next Sun
day The West Minstrels the Gay
Coney Island Company and Shaft No.
10 Company are all b1ockaded at diff
ferent points in the mountains.
SHOWING AT LEADvILLE.
LEADVILLE, Feb. 3.-Another Sc
we're snow storm with high winds pre-
vailed in this vicinity to-day. A sup
ply of coal was received here to-day
sufficient for immediate demands, and
the Rio Grande railway officials are
struggling to keep the Crested Butte
branch open so that there shall be no
coal famine in Leadville. The lines
west of this city are constantly be-
coming worse, though the railway COM
panies are employing all the men avail
able to clear the tracks.
SALT LAKE, Feb. 3-The snowfall
in this valley during yesterday and to-
day was the heaviest known for many
years. Railroad traffic has not been
seriously interrupted, and all local
trains arrived on time to-day.
COLD WAVE IN NEBRASKA.
OMAHA, Feb. 3.-Another cold wave
struck Nebraska last night, accom-
panied by light SHOWS and fierce north
winds This afternoon the mercury
crawled UP to degrees above zero, but
INN, ediately took fall, registering 5
below at midnight, with indications
that tomorrow morning would be the
coolest of the winter. Culbertson, in
Southwestern Nebraska, reports sub
zero temperature existing for the past
five days, and several other points
nearly as bad. The price of coal has
gone up, and cattle on the big Western
ranges are suffering.