The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1905-05-06

ally a new railroad over the noun
tains, but the expense. more thar
s30,000,000, according to estimates
was enough to stagger even the
most progressive railroad management
six years ago. Both Mr.. Burt ant
his chief engineer, however, knew thai
Edward H. Hartman would not stop al
expense provided the ultimate and com
mensurate good of the property could
be foret sid with reasonable certainty.
When The matter was wavering in the
balance along came the awful night OF
December 23, when the storm giants OF
the Rockies seemed to have united tc
produce widespread and tremendous
chaos. Such night the Oldest noun
tain railroader had never before expe-
rienced and for As hours trains crept
along at a snail's pace, bereft of the
friendly aid of the dispatcher. 1t was
when the chaos-producing revel of the
elements was at its height that the
Overland limited" ran sheer to the
bri ak of the Dale creek chasm and then
sto ID tbsre as If uncertain whether. II
wese best to take the plunge of more
than 1000 feet to the swollen river and
the serrated rocks below.
The next day President Burt de-
elared that the Dale creek trestle must
go, whatever the cost, and go it did, de-
pite the fact that it took more than
S3,00O,000 of the company's surplus rev.
enues to construct the new line around
1t. The story of that night and of the al
most miraculous escape of the limited
has few parallels even in the history OF
hazardous mountain railroading. Dale
creek, usually an inoffensive streamlet,
wends its way through the Lone Tree
gulch, which is at the very summit of
Sherman pass, more than s 600 feet above
sea level 1t was almost impossible to
I'll it, so the company constructed .
wooden, and later steel, trestle, span
ming it's yawning depths. The trestle
was within few hundred feel of the
Natural Fort near the summit of the
pass. This fort was well named, for it
resembleSthe miniature crater of an ex-
tinct volcano. Here and there its sides
are perforated with natural portfolios,
and around about it is sheer descent
of anywhere between 100 and 1000 feet.
Well provisioned, within its walls few
could easily defend themselves against
nm army. And this is just what a band
Of noted bandits once did in tn Natural
Fort. Driven to bay by q Wyoming
posse, four bandits held this fort for
nearly a month. until starved into sur
render.
Picturesque in its surroundings, Dale
creek trestle was also in the midst of
lore and of early frontier his
tory. Less than half-mile west was Tie
Siding, with the reputation of being the
toughest town in Wyoming, which was
The end of the limit as to reputation in
hose days. Tie Siding was just what
It's name implied-the place where the
ties and other railroad supplies for con-
struction and renewal were dumped for
ne Nesting in the side of the noun
lain pass, Tie Siding was as forlorn-
looking a collection of board shanties as
Die would care to see. 1t had its attrac-
ions, however, for those excommuni-
Gated by the law and hunted by the au-
.horities.
This fact undoubtedly accounted for
he presence of RED" Mccain, who had
wung himself from the front end of the
lind baggage the day previous to the
.ig storm. The less one said about
Red" Mccain when he was alive the
etter it was for his anatomy. His rec
.rd was called bad" in a territory
ehere ordinary compound cussedness
vent unchallenged. The afternoon of
IicCann's arrival it began to rain gem
ly, then to the south appeared minia-
ure thunderstorm which sailed along
,rettily between heaven and earth and
,elow the level of the summit 1t was
Don followed by others in other quar-
ers, until the denizens of Tie Siding
Witnessed the phenomena of eight sep
rate and distinct thunderstorms rag
lg about them, while they themselves
emained rainless
Those who have had the pleasure of
such magnificent display of
ature's forces from the top of noun
ain can never forget the awe which 1t
Inspires and the sentiment II creates.
Perhaps it was this that may have
ouched the good and noble which must
ave lain dormant deep in the heart of
Red" Mccain. Wyoming's noted out
aw Perhaps it was the tear-stained
stter which they found in his pocket the
ext day. written by heart-broken
lother in the east. At any rate. there
ras something which moved Red" Nc
ann to save the Overland Limited" at
he cost of his own worthless life. and
hereby expiate so far as possible his
lany crimes.
BY sunset the storm had reached the
rmmit of the pass and was raging with
fury almost Uncomfortable in strength |
nd grandeur Dale creek had become a
wolleD. roaring. swirling, maddened
orrent during the few short afternoon
ours and the risen waters were under |
mining The trestle ahutments and beat
ne with tremendous force upon the un-
erframing. The east-bound through |
reight was stopped at Tie Siding by the |
rackwalker, who declared that the tres
lie was unsafe and that it would not |
tand the hurricane of wind and water |
lore than an hour.
How about the liuited?" asked the