Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-02-03
sgvERENEss OF WINTER.

The two depots in the city were
centers of a realistic mid-winter
drama; and the train crews, dispatch
er5 and section men those who assist
&c in bringing the two days hercu-
lean production to a close. Belated
representatives of wholesale and re-
tail houses were grouped about the
white-hot iron stoves, and impatient
ly waited advices received from time
to time by the operator in regard to
the arrival of snow-bound trains.
Manchester was brought face to
face with the stern rigor of winter
last Friday and Saturday. The train
men on the Manchester & Oneida
railway played a small part i'll the;
extended scene, and during the night
c. the first day of the storm, the ia
tigue and suffering of the crew was
keen. Orders had been given to keep
the track clear, and at 8 o'clock the
train rolled out of the station in this
City " JUN anu 1dGS u Nllu
carrying with it tiny atoms of sting
ing snow and ice. The first resist
ance was met north of the Sly cross.
ing. There the newly purchased pilot
snow pillow found its task and assisted
in making the progress of the engine
slightly easier. At Oneida, the men
took short rest, and prepared to re-
turn. In crossing switch on the
wye, the wheels of the tender we're
driven from the rails, on account of
the hardness of the snow which had
packed itself almost to a consistency
of stone. An hours time was con-
sumed in replacing that part of the
train.
But the fight experienced in return
ing to Manchester was one which will
not be quickly forgotten. While the
enginemen were forcing the locomo-
tive through piles of snow, and
battling against the drifts which had
deepened in some places to eight and
ten feet, frozen lump of ice and
snow broke through the window glass
of the cab near the engineer, the fly
ing bits of glass cutting MI. Bee
mans face, and the sudden contact
with zero weather making the deck
of the engine almost unbearable. The
men were compelled to abandon the
locomotive and seek the warmth Of
the stove in the passenger coach. Sat
urday morning brought with it colder
weather, and a gang of men with
snow shovels were taken to the
drifts, and the right-of-way was soon
cleared.
But the Illinois Central suffered as
well as other lines, while its tele-
graph poles and wires were broken
and tangled UP into such shape that
dispatchers were helpless in sending
orders. Train schedules were aband'
oned. The west bound trains were
run as far as Waterloo or Iowa Falls
and doubled back. East bound pas
sengers were almost forgotten Ics
a day. Mail was left in postoffices.
The Cedar Rapids branch was one
of hardship for the engineer and con-
ductor. Freight Engine No. A was
used to haul the train to Manches-
ter Saturday morning. Scarcely
hit Of iron work could be seen; ice
and snow covering the mogul so COM
pletely. About $3.50 o'clock that
morning mixed train pulled in from
the east, drawn by two large freight
engines. The st. Paul limited did
not arrive until afternoon, although
being due at 3:42 that morning. The
mail from Chicago arrived at noon.
The train on the Milwaukee were
ordered discontinued from Friday at
ternoon until the following day. The
south-bound passenger did not leave
Calmar Friday night. The Great
Western trains were likewise delayed
and service crippled.
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