File:How we built the Union Pacific railway, and other railway papers and addresses (1910) (14779571953).jpg

Identifier: howwebuiltunionp00dodg (find matches)
Title: How we built the Union Pacific railway, and other railway papers and addresses
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Dodge, Grenville Mellen, 1831-1916
Subjects: Union Pacific Railroad Company Railroads
Publisher: (New York?
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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of going east of the Cali-fornia State line until after the laws of 1865 and 1866 hadbeen enacted, which gave them the right to come east of theState line of California and made them a part of the trans-continental line. The operation of tlie road the first winter, 1869-70, gaveus a test of whal we might expect from the snow. In buildingthe road, we studied the mountains to get our lines upon theslopes that were the least exposed to heavy snows and slides,but we had no means of fighting the snows in the LaramiePlains except l)y fences and sheds, and none were put up untilthe year 1870. so that when the heavy snows fell in the winterof 1869-70. it caught six of our trains west of Laramie thatwere snowed in there some weeks. As a precaution in startingour trains from Omaha, we put on a box car with a stove init and loaded with provisions, so as to meet any emergency.These six trains that were caught in the snow between Laramieand the divide of the continent, had these supplies, and also
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HOW WE BUILT THE UNION PACIFIC 4 7 were supplied with sledges and snow-shoes from Laramie.They had with them, in charge of the six trains, Mr. H. M.Hoxie, the Assistant Superintendent, who managed to getthe trains together, but the blizzards were so many and sofierce that it was impossible for men to work out in the open,and even when they cleared the cuts ahead, they would fillup before they could get the trains through them. Probablythat winters experience with snoAv was the worst the UnionPacific has ever experienced, but Mr. Hoxie handled his forceswith great abilitj and fed and entertained his passengers ingood shape. In one train was an opera company bound forCalifornia, that Mr. Hoxie used to entertain the passengerswith, so that when the trains reached Salt Lake City, thepassengers held a meeting and passed resolutions complimen-tary to Mr. Hoxie and the Union Pacific in bringing themsafely through. A photograph of the trains was taken at thetime they were snowed in near Coope

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