The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-12
Trains Tied Up at Terminals
When Storm Breaks.
ENGINES ARE BURIED
Only SmOkestacks and Head
lights Are Visible.
Appeals for Aid I'm Kansas City
and Chicago.

Santa Fe this afternoon. way has
been found to handle all delayed traf-
fic to California through southwestern
Kansas and before Sunday the trains
will be running only a few hours be-
hind schedule-many Of them will be
right on the dot
The Santa F'e is detourine all Of the
California trains around through Ok
lahoma, up by way of Wellington and
Wichita and through to Kansas City
by way of Topeka and Emporia- Hun
dreds of men are at work today in the
snowbound district between Dodge
City and Kinsley and with several
wedge and rotary snowplows they are
eating through the drifts. The Santa
F'e expects to have the road open by
tonight. Tomorrow morning their
trains should be running as usual
through this district.
The Rock Island is waging a similar
battle on it's southwestern lines near
Bucklin. By tomorrow noon they hope
to have the snow thrown out of the
way and they will bring their south
west trains back to the original main
line The weather forecast points to a
warmer temperature and little wind.
This means that the snow Will pack
down hard enough to hold along the
sides of the tracks and will not be
blown back in the cuts.
On the Santa Fe at terminal points
where many trains are standing wait
ing for a chance to move the officials
will double them up and send them
through as one train. Both east bound
and west bound trains will be treated in
this manner This means that a num-
Der of the trains will enter Topeka to-
morrow combined. On the Rock Island
the California trains will be doubled
and sent around by Caldwell and will
enter Topeka several hours late.
No predictions on the number Of
hours trains will be late are given out
by the railroads. In many cases they
do not know. The traveller must keep
in touch with the ticket offices by
telephone until he can get a positive
answer.
The railroads have been doing a
wonderful work in working their way
through the southwestern Kansas
snowdrifts. The storm was one Of
the most terrific in years and every
thing was filled to the level. Engines
and cars caught in the cuts were bur
led and nothing but rotary plow
could work through the snow. Wedge
plows in the big cuts were useless.
With a few days of mild weather
the railroads will be able to bring
back their trains on running Sched-
ules. With a clear track and no snow
trouble, in cold weather it is a hard
matter for a lOcom Otive to keep up
time. But with snow drifts higher
than the headlights, passengers are
asked to keep their seats and make
themselves comfortable.
Steaming, sputtering. coughing en-
gines behind massive rotary and push
snow plows and one thousand bundled
up, snow covered men are fighting the
snow drifts on the railroads in south
western Kansas today. And here and
there an observer would detect a di-
vision superintendent, roadmaster,
gang foreman and even a general su-
perintendent-au taking and giving
orders and praying for the end of the
sparkling drift in front of them. This
is the situation that confronts the Off
cials of the Santa Fe and Rock Island
today.
And seated restlessly in 20 passenger
trains at terminals, behind snow drifts
and in front of eating houses. hundreds
of passengers are killing time and
wondering if the flowers will be bloom
their destination. Not since noon Thurs
day has a train on the Rock Island or
Santa Fe been able to shove through
the snow in the southwestern part of
the state. And not until the powerful
rotaries throw their snow off from the
right of way will the trains make the
Send Coal to Suffering.
The railroads have thousands Of tons
of freight to push through their snow
drift openings but no one can blame
them of being cold blooded and heart
less. Instead of sending their valuable I
freight directly after the passenger I
trains the roads are rushing fast coal
trains in the paths of the passenger /
ira fife In the southwestern part of the /
state scores of towns are pleading for
fuel They have been cut off from the |
world so long that they have nothing
left with which to keep their bodies |
warm. The Santa Fe, the Rock Island /
the Union Pacific and other roads are /
using their own coal to deliver to these /
freezing towns. They are making spe- |
cial time with the deliveries from the /
mines to these towns and villages.
Even in Topeka where there is natur- /
al gas-at times-where. in many |
homes. crude oil is burned and |
where scores of fuel dealers are rush |
ing their deliveries. the Santa Fe has /
turned over a dozen cars of coal to r,e- /
lieve the impending famine of fuel.
Six ENGINES Are Buried.
An illUstrs ton of the seriousness of /
the storm Thursday is given by gen /
aral officers of the Santa Fe in Topeka /
Near klngTnan, Kan. on the Panhan- /
lie division of the road a freight train /
was stalled in a snowdrift A hurry |
call was sent for another locomotive /
70 help out the freight. The second en-
gine failed even to back out the train. (
4 third was sent for. For an hour the
10 no avail. It was decided that the
ontinuec or Page Two)