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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 1890)
WEST SHORE. "BUCKING SNOW " IN THE MOUNTAINS. HE first railroad to make any systematic effort to fight snow and keep its tracks open was the CVn tral Pacific. When that route across Uic Ficrra Nevada mountains waa proposed, it was declared impracticable by many because of the great depth of f now that falls near the summit and remains from No vember till far into the succeeding summer. How ever, the company's engineers provided against the blocking of the track by avalanches in the most ex poped places by building long and costly snow shed. These sheds are constructed of heavy timbers and iron, and are so made that their slanting roof is a con tinuation of the sloe of the steep mountain side along which the road is built. An avalanche of snow that would otherwise bury the track from ton to forty feet deep, is continued on its course by the roof of the shed, and glides on further down the mountain. Their great strength enables them to suport an enormous weight of " white drajx'ry." The deep snow Ml ex tends for ninety miles on the Central Pacific, and for half that distance the track is protected by sheds, at an original cost of $10,000 vr mile. One stretch of one and one-half miles near Dormer lake cost 170,000. While the train glides securely through these long wooden tunnels the comfortable passengers can scarcely realize that over their heads may 1? a solid bank of snow, thirty feet deep, bearing down ujwm the roof with a weight that would crush any ordinary structure. Themj shls have to be constantly guarded and watched, as fires in them are frequent, and storms sometimes render them dangerous. Watchmen con stantly patrol them, and engines equipped for fighting fire are kept at several stations, ready to hapten to any oint upon being sum moms 1 by telegraph. Snow sheds, however, are not enough to keep the track ojH-n, for during storms snow arcumulat's on the exjoed section with astonishing rapidity. Fnow plows were introduced for this jur?. Thcue were first rather diminutive affairs, resembling somewhat an ordinary plow with a double share and mold board, fur turning a furrow in both dim tions. (Jradu ally the size was increased, until now an immense plow is used that stands as high as th smoke-stark of an engine. Thew plows are uwtl in a way that rails for great nerve and good judgment on the part of the dariig men who handle them. Five or six powerful engines are put Uhind a plow, and when a snow Unk' is encountered they Uke a run of about a quarUr of a mile, at forty or more miln an hour, and plung full tilt Into tl great white wall in their front Th snow is sent flying in great ma- on either side of the track, and the plow and engines are brought to a full stop in from fifty to two hundred fttt, sometime completely buried In the snow. A large gang of men then shovel out the rear engine, which is uncoupled and run back, followed in the same way by all the others and the plow. Then follow a second run and a second headlong plunge into the snow. This method of fighting snow has hern denominated "bucking" by the hardy men who engage in it, and many a man ha loot his life while doing this work. Engines are often derailed and collisions occur. Scarcely a storm In the mountains is successfully fought without injury to some of the combatants, and this bran h of railroad service is not very eagerly sought after, rxrrpt by a few daring spirits, who love the exhilaration of the sport and the spice of danger that attends it Since the Central Pacific inaugurated and tlerrl oped this method of keeping its track son, a number of other lines have Imtii built in our Win tern mo'in tains, where the snows fall deep and often. The Nor thern Pacific crosses the llorkies, Cour d' Alenen am) Cascades. The Oregon Short Mne em the, Itorky and Iilue mountains and comes down the gorge of the Columbia, where snowslidc are constantly bilking the track and calling for the servin-a of the plow. Far to the north the Canadian Pacific en In rapid succession the Umky, Selkirk and Oold rang. On the south the Hotithern Pacific's Oregon line has, perhaps the nxwt troublesome route of all, in Northern California. The Sacramento mountain, lying Ix tween Shasta) and Hacramento valleys, have always U-en noted for their excessive depth of snow, and the next range to the north the Siskiyou dons its share to give the snow plow employment Of lhe new lines, the Canadian I the only one that ha followed the example of the Central In nmstrueting long Hum of snow shed, though a few rxpow-d plarm on other lines have Uen thu protected. It I now considered cheajrr to fight the snow with the improved mrlhod than to build and maintain tlx- expensive barrier Thi position I strengthened by thu Invention two years ago of a new maline, known a the "rotary" snow plow. The rotary plow Is known tn-hnl ally a the " ro tary steam snow shovel," and rniU of a double sH of steel blade in the (rm of a wheel, reermhlinf much the fan wheel of a windmill. This wheel re. volvea at a rapid rate, the jwer Mo uppll-d by an engine In the tar to widen it i atta ld. Park of the wheel, aiwJ in a inrwure ln loin it, I a trJ hood, narrowing toward the Uk, from h rear and tpof which project a ibute. The Mary puild by on or more engine, aycordirig to the work to U r formed. The Wl blades rut th snw and prm it bork Into the conductor Uhind it, whr It U illJ through the thote with su'h f;fr a to throw it aWve a high bank and fiAy ft or iiro from the track, 5