The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-21
IN THE RAILWAYWORLD
CREST OF THE FLOOD
HAS PASSED
NORTHERN PACIFIC OFFICIALS
BELIEVE THAT DANGER is
NOW OVER.

NOW OVER.
while the troubles of the Rocky |
Mountain division are not yet over by |
any means, the indications are that |
the crisis has passed" said a railroad |
, man, prominently connected with the |
| Northern Pacific, yesterday. The |
Jocko river bridge, which gave so much |
cause for fear on Tuesday night and |
early yesterday morning. is now as
safe as any pile bridge on the divis- |
ion The structure has been rein |
forced with heavy piling and work |
train load after train load of rocks |
train load after TRAIN load of rocks |
and gravel where the material will do |
the greatest amount of good. Every |
one of the little washouts reported |
have been repaired and the track at |
these places is now in good condition.
There are no reports of higher water
on the west end than we had on Tues
day; in fact, I am Of the opinion tina,
the flood crest has been reached. The
| dump at no place Is in particular
danger as it is frozen solid nearly |
everywhere. The only trouble we an
ticipate will come from water washing |
over the tracks and bringing with it |
rocks and rubbish from the top of the |
cuts. There are several places on |
both the main line and branches where |
the flood has covered the rails and a |
mud slide did some damage at a point !
| on the Occur d'Alene line, while |
large rock rolled down on the track !,
near Woodsde yesterday morning"
Water Floods Track.
These are few of the troubles en- |
countered on the division yesterday, |
but no serious damage was reported |
Early yesterday morning water a foot |
deep was reported rushing over the |
track at FrenchtoWn gang of men |
was hurried to that place and the
course of the flood was diverted so
that the dump was saved. Water was
also said to be pouring over the track
west of Nimrod, carrying with it huge
| masses Of debris. From Weeksville,
| too, the same sort of report came
while at bridge No. ST. near Garrison,
the water was reported to be rising
rapidly. The bridge, however, was
reported safe unless an ice jam formed
against it.
Scheme to right Flood.
The Northern Pacific officials spent
most Of Tuesday night and yesterday
morning scheming to battle with the
impending trouble and dispatched
working forces to a number of pla,c
on the line. where disaster seemed
most imminent At Garrison pile
driver, fully equipped and ready for
immediate action, was held in readt.
ness, while another such outfit was in
waiting at Bearmouth.
The watchers at the Marshall grade
bridge reported that structure in good
condition and although the water had
risen considerably and much rubbish
and Ice floes were passing, the bridge
withstood the strain without any APP
parent weakening.
Traffic Held.
The freight business of the division
was considerably curtailed on account
of the flood conditions, while passen-
ger business was "all shot to pieces"
No. 3, which arrived here at o'clock
yesterday afternoon, came by way of
Butte instead of Helena. This diver
sion was made on account of the de-
railment of Is cars in the Iron Ridge
tunnel two miles west of Austin
These cars were picked up at about
1920 yesterday afternoon and at
o'clock the track was reported clear
for business.
Washout in Washington.
There was no passenger service from
the west on account of big washouts
on the Pasco division between Pasco
and Lind This damage is said t.
have extended over several hundred
yards of track, several bridges also
being reported in trouble On this
account no passenger trains came
through from the coast yesterday. No.
4, which will probably reach here on
time today, is Wednesdays No. 3
turned at Spokane. Nos. 16 and 2,
which are expected here at noon to-
day, will be coast trains, which have
been held at Pasco awaiting a chance
to get through.
Tracks Reported Safe.
Last night the tracks east and west
of Missoula were reported safe for
traffic, both freight and passenger, and
a general cleaning up of the division
was inaugurated. All freights which
have been held at the terminals were
moved and sent over the division as
rapidly as the observance of slow or
ders would permit.
On the Milwaukee.
The local officials of the Puget Sound
line said yesterday that there had
been no reports of any serious damage
to their tracks, although there was
plenty Of high water reported.
AT Garrison the Milwaukee COM
papys gravel pit is flooded and con-
GREETING work on the tunnel is tied up
At Nimrod two footbridges have been
washed out and a number of other
temporary structures are said to be In
danger from the flood. Every effort Is
being made to get a sufficient amount
of work done on the Milwaukee COM
pany's ST Regis bridge over the Mis-
soula river to insure its safety. This
is four-span structure of $50 feet
to the span and only one of them
is complete. A start has been made on
the second one and it is hoped that
this can be finished before there is
serious danger of flood.