The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-01-18
MILWAUKEE, TELLS
Of DIFFICULTIES
On BRANCH LINES
Division %Superintend-
ent Writes Railroad
Commissioner
BIC ROTARY USED
Believed With its Help Faith
and Isabel Can be
Reached

MI. .ANA
Aberdeen, s. n.-The Milwaukee
railroad is making a herculean ef-
fort to clear the branch lines lead
Ing TO Isabel and Faith OF snow in
order to bring about the resumption
OF train service On these lines. From
the beginning OF severe winter
weather in the middle of December,
tie road has bee. l.ampered in its
operation OF trains By the aigh winds
and heavy enoEs. As fast IS the re-
tary snow Flows cut their way
through a drift, the winds would fill
in the cut again, and the lobar Of
the railroad mon would go for
raught. Vt several places along the
branch lines the reservoirs upon
which the road depends for its va
Ter supply became exhausted, and
nov had TO be melted to ill the bell
e.s Of The locomotives. Dr. ". G,
Smith, state railroad commissioner,
has spent considerable time al Mo
bridge and Aberdeen, trying to Sc
cure & resumption OF serytce. and
yesterday he received the following
letter from J. F. Richards Of Mo
bridge. superintendent ri the divts-
ion west Of Mobrldge, t~elling Of the
efforts OF the railroad 10 restore nor
mal conditions. The ietter is az fol-
lows, under date OF Jan. Is
Troubles Of Enmnany,
The rotary pillow arrived in Mo
bridge from Butte, Mont. We had
q blizzard most Eli Gay yesterday up
lntil midnight, I no trains could
get through on the main line, thus
preventing the rotary from getting
to Nobridge as soon as wc expected
Tho weather was Very cold, when it
changed ard commenced raining un-
til about . o'clock, whcn it changed
10 a enowatornl. The United States
mail was started cut BY team, but
on account of the severity OF the
weather, was stalled about half way
out ito Isabel). We started the ro-
tary out ct I O'Clock this morning
fcr Isabel, well supplied with water
for the trip, which w have TO take
along as there is no supply en- the
road except from melted lisa
bel phoned us they were almost out
OF hay and at 10 O'Clock we started
IL q train with ten cars CT hay to
follow Up the rotary. As soon as
the rotary catches UP with the mail,
it VII take it aboard and proceed
10 Isabel Just as fast as it possibly
can, and as soon as the label line
is open will come back TO the juno
tion and go to Faith, opening W
those lines. The weather Is go un-
certain that 1t is hard to tell what
conditions we will have to deal with
for this snoWstorm may turn into
another blizzard, but we assure you
We ere making and will make every
effort possible to open these lines as
speedily as possible, and believe
row, as we have this large rotary
that We can get through in the mex
two or three days. We are anxious
to get through before this snow
that has been wet by rain, freezes
and makes it harder to penetrate
than 1t is at the present time. W.
will use every effort 10 keep town:
along those Lines supplied with fue
and food, nc mater what the cost
! will keep you posted at Hettingel
OF our progress and notify you whe1
we get through"
Three carpenters az Timber Lake
Departing OF getting out by train
recently walked the forty miles be
tween Timber Lake and Mobridge
a m has ached here that tw'
men who attempted 10 WALK from
Isabel, were yesterday found froze,
10 death. The residents of the town
and those who are still on thei
honesteads are reported not to b
suffering for the necessities of life
sufficient provisions and fuel hav
ing been laid in before cold weathe
10 run them through the winter. Un
der ordinary conditions, the peopl
OF the newly settled region would nc
have been disconnected in the leasi
but the present winter is the seve.
est in years, and the railroad ha
found itself unable to cope with tn
situation since December %. whe
Inc branch lines to Faith and Isabs
we're first closed to traffic.