Winter scene near Richland in the early 1900s
(Halfshire Historical Society collection)
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Stuck Fast in Snow Drifts - Winter on the Railroad
(From the Oswego Palladium, Monday, Feb. 10, 1902)
Passenger Trains Stalled Since Saturday
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Six of them Between South Richland and Charlotte -
One Contained Members of the Fifteenth Infantry
Bound for the Philippines - Thirty-six Hours from Watertown
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Six passenger trains were stalled in snowdrifts yesterday on the R., W. & O. division of the New York Central railroad, operated from this city, and an army of nearly a thousand men were engaged in shoveling them out.
At Fernwood, the first station south of Pulaski on the Northern division, a special train with about 200 soldiers of the Fifteenth Infantry, from Madison Barracks, bound for the Philippines, was stalled in the snow and remained there up to last evening. The men were supplied with rations, and upon the steampipes they had an arrangement for heating coffee. Passenger Agents Gridley and Hartigan were aboard.
The train due here from Watertown and Utica Saturday at 4:45 p.m. did not arrive until about nine o'clock last night. Conductor Brumfield was in charge. The train had been stalled between Mexico and Sand Hill. The snow there was reported to be fifteen feet deep. Among the passengers on the train was John Hoffman, of Watertown, who came to this city to attend the funeral of his sister, Mrs. Louis Brosener, which occurred today. He had been thirty-six hours on the road and being a man advanced in years had suffered for want of something to eat. A rotary plow from the main line of the New York Central cut the way through the drifts and followed.
The Wabash Flyer, conductor John T. O'Brien, due to arrive here Saturday morning at eleven o'clock, was stalled in the drifts near Red Creek from Saturday afternoon and had not been released at 10 A.M. today.
The passenger train from Rochester, Conductor George Donovan, due to arrive here at 12:45 P.M. Saturday, was stalled behind the flyer and the train that should have reached here Saturday evening at 6:15 o'clock in charge of Conductor Stewart was some place between Wallington and Charlotte.
Conductor Thomas D. Clooney who left here Saturday at 1:05 P.M. with a train made up here bound for Rochester, spent Saturday night, Sunday and part of today at least among the snow drifts of Hannibal. Railroad men said this morning that unless there was a let up in the storm along the western division that the four trains stalled there would not be released before nightfall, if then.
There was no train into this city over the Phoenix line after 2:30 A.M. Sunday. Conductor Daniel R. Ryan left Syracuse Saturday night at eleven o'clock with his train and after a hard run arrived here at the hour above stated.
The D.L.& W. road had two trains in yesterday. The first arrived about 12:30 12:30 o'clock, four hours late. The next train arrived in the evening two hours late. Saturday night Conductor John H. Roche got his train, due to arrive here from Binghamton at 10:15 P.M. as far as the Kingsford farm. The snow in the long cut was solid and deep. Gathering the passengers into the baggage car the train was cut and the locomotives started with the baggage car for this city while trainmen were left behind to guard the front and rear end of the passenger coaches, Roche's forethought the passengers would probably remained in the snow all night. After the way was broken the passenger coaches came easy behind a shifting engine and were put away in the yard.
There was no Wabash train from New York over the O.& W. yesterday. Because of the storm the train was shifted to the Central tracks at Oneida and sent to Suspension Bridge by the main line. The train east took the same route.
Bucking the Drifts
The old wedge-shaped snowplows were of little use in the attempt to get through the drifts of packed snow in the cuts during the past few days. With two or three engines behind one a flying start would be picked up and the plow would be buried in the drifts at the rate of fifty miles an hour and there they would stick, with the chance of jumping and landing crosswise of the tracks. The rotaries or centrifugals do the only effective work in the succession of storms such as we have had during the past ten days, but as there is only on rotary plow on the R.W. & O. division it has been impossible to keep it working on the various divisions of the road. About five such plows for the R.W.& O. system would probably be able to do more effective work.
About Snow Drifts
Persons who have not traveled over the line of the R.W.& O. in winter have no conception of the snowdrifts. At Kane's bridge, just west of the city, the snow in the cut is even with the bridge, which is twenty-six feet above the tracks. The cut was blown full of fine snow and when the plows came along they kept throwing up banks on either side until they were high above the stacks of the locomotives. Wednesday noon last as the westbound passenger train was going between these walls of snow the vibration loosened some at the top and it fell between the train and the wall breaking our four of five windows in the cars.
At Red House cut it is reported that there were drifts twenty feet deep and that the entire cut was filled with packed snow. Some of the men who were taken out Wednesday last to work in the snow complained bitterly. No provision had been made for feeding them and they were kept at work steadily for twenty-six hours. They received regular pay for the number of hours they worked.
Roadmaster Burke was no satisfied the way the men were provided for and he notified Superintendent Moore. The result was that yesterday morning the men went out in cabooses fitted up with stoves and carrying a quantity of provisions, provided by the men themselves. David Marlo had charge of the gag sent east yesterday morning and Roadmaster Burke took charge of the gangs sent west.
Snow in Hunter's Cut
The rotary plow, with Supervisor of Track Burke in charge, went west last night about 9:30 o'clock and at 8:30 o'clock this morning had just reached Hannibal, a distance of twelve miles. There were fifty shovelers in the party and the train was composed of the rotary plow, two cabooses and four engines. Almost from the start trouble was encountered from the great drifts that filled he cuts.
After several hours of continuous work the Kane cut was cleared and the train proceeded. At other points on the drifts were encountered.
Before leaving the city Supervisor Burke had a stock of coffee, bread, bologna and sandwiches put in so that the men might have something with which to regale themselves after their battle with the snow.
From Hannibal, Supervisor Burke and his force will push on to Crockett's and dig out a snowplow crew which has been buried at Hunter;s cut since Saturday night.
The plow was sent out with two engines Saturday afternoon, Conductor Bloomingdale being in charge of the train and Engineers Finn and Van Auken at the throttle.
As many another snow-fighting crew has done, the plow pushed into the cut at Crockett's came to grief. At last reports the plow and engine were buried in twenty-five feet of snow and there was no possible chance of getting them until a shoveling party arrived. The plow is stalled about an eighth of a mile from Crockett's station and from reports received this morning the crew was not suffering from cold or lack of food.
Hunter's cut is or of the most treacherous on the western division. It is about 3,000 feet long and the snow is packed almost solid to a height of twenty to twenty-five feet.
Trains West of Charlotte
This morning Trainmaster Halleran said that he would have the western division open late this afternoon. He was thus sanguine, he said, because there is not a great quantity of snow west of Crockett's. Supervisor Burke would, said in digging out the plow at Crocketts, have the assistance of seventy-five shovelers, as he would pick up twenty at Hannibal and he same number at Crockett's. Mr. Halleran said that passenger trains are now running between Charlotte and Suspension Bridge.
The train from the east into Oswego last night was preceded by the rotary, with Supervisor Philip Kelly and forty and forty shovelers. The men were sent back to Watertown at midnight on a special train.
Besides the rotary there are four other plows at work on the R.W. & O. Each of the trains is drawn by two engines. Mr. Halleran says that the Phoenix line the storm is most felt between Fulton and Woodard. Unless the storm breaks out afresh the company expects to have all trains running by tomorrow.
Movement of Trains Today.
This morning, trains were near east on the R.W. & O. at the usual hours. Trains were also sent out over the Phoenix branch. All trains scheduled for the west were annulled. At 10:30 o'clock today there hadn't been a train over the R.W. & O. lines.
Down the Lackawanna
The trains on the Lackawanna railroad were about on time today. The New York train, due at 8:35 A.M. , was only eleven minutes late, and all the out-going trains left on time. At 12:30 o'clock yesterday, the Lackawanna got the first train into Oswego. Up to that time there was no railroad communication between Oswego and elsewhere. The New York train left at 9:15 last, on time. Very little trouble is being experienced on the Oswego and Syracuse division of the road, and snow being found on the Syracuse and Binghamton division.
Freight Agent Taylor said today that he would have all freight trains in and cut of this city moving today.
Situation This Afternoon
The noon train from Richland arrived about an hour late. Passengers brought news that the main line from Richland to Rome and north to Ogdensburg is open with trains running from thirty minutes to an hour late. The Syracuse Northern road is also open. The special train with the soldiers on board was hauled back from Fernwood to Pulaski yesterday afternoon and last evening a start was again made for Syracuse. The Phoenix and Lackawanna roads are running trains.
There was no train from the west up to 1:30 P.M. today, but it was said that the line would be open by evening and that all passenger trains, due to arrive here Saturday last, will get through by nightfall.
The Street Railroad
All roads leading to this city from the country are badly drifted and only those who found it absolutely necessary were able to get to town. Nothing was done in the city yesterday towards clearing off crosswalks by officials who look after that work. The city snow plow, however, made the usual trips about the parks and citizens generally cleared off their sidewalks, so that by afternoon there was no difficulty for ladies to get about, excepting at crosswalks, where drifts had formed.
By hard work the street railway company kept its tracks open Saturday night. The snow plow was kept moving over them constantly. Today Manager Arnold has a gang of men engaged in opening up the Minetto branch of the street car line.
