Show Blockade on the Pacific Railroad. Why the English Mail Was Delayed.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 195, 19 March 1887, Page 2

Show Blockade on the Pacific Railroad. Why the English Mail Was Delayed.

A San Francisco paper thus descries the pnow?torm which delayed the arrival of the New Zealand mails in transit across the American continent : — The rainstorm, which was deflected from it? course and turned back northward alon£ the Siena Nevada Mountains, was changed by the -lower temperature of the higher atmosphere into a heavy fall of enow, resulting in the most seri jus blockade the Central Pacific road hds expe-ienctid in several years. The long lines of anowahedd from Blue Canyon to near TrutUt-e have so protected the tracks iv the most troublesome plac s that the sno\vploughr», assisted by gangs of shoveller?, have been able during past eeasons to keep the line open, so that no actual blockade ha« occurred this aide ot Reno. The unprecedented snowfall of Saturday, Sunday and Monday, however, proved too much for tho enowploughf, and the enow has drifted across the mouths of the sheds and filled the cuts, packing so that the ploughs were anablo to get through it. The enow fell to quite a depth at a point lower down on the mountains than it has ever been before since tho road was opened, and the east-bound train on Monday wag stopped at Colfax and returned to this city on the xegular overland time, leaving the mails and such passengers as desired it at that place. Engineers have been at work trying to raise the blockade between the Colfax and Cifco, but up to last evening had not succeeded in accomplishing much, as the enow drifted back as fast as the ploughs could throw it aside. A force of 200 men was sent up from SacramentoyerterJay, and it was hoped that the road would be opened come time during the night, co thbt the de layed trains might proceed. Over 100 sacks of English mail destined for Australia left New York a wetk ago Wednesday to co out on the steamer Maripo?a, which was to have sailed Saturday. The train was delayed on the Union Pacific road by enow, and on arriving at Cieo, yesterday morning, it was found impossible to go any further, and the conductor laid up at that point to await the opening of tho block ade. The passengers went on board tho Mariposa yesterday afternoon, and if the delayed train gets through to day tho mails will be transferred at once and she will go to eoa. The conductor of tha train followins the one carrying the delayed mails heard at lieno of the blockade at Cisco and stopped there and returned to Ogden, leaving his passengers and mail to take the next westbound train. The snow is six feet deep at Towles, and the came depth was reported at Cieco, with drifts estimated at fifteen feet in depth. One engine which went out from Colfax to help raise the blockade was derailed, and when found was completely buried in the enow. On the southern division of the system the state of affairs ie not

much better, the combined effects of snows and heavy rains having placed an effectual embargo on through traffic. Four feet of snow ie reported as having fallen in the Tehachipi Pass, and one bent of the bridge east of Los Angeles was carried away by the floods caused by the heavy rains of the preceding twenty-four hours. The same flood took out two bents of the bridge on the weet of the city, and the approaches are washed away at both ends. A large, force* of men was put to work repairing the bridges and approaches, and it is thought that the interruption to travel will not last more than two or three days. On the Canadian Pacific road, even a worse state of affairs is said to exist, and some portions of the road are reported as having disappeared altogether, even the telegraph poles have gone out of sight, By the terms of the contract with the Government of New Zealand, the mail agent is authorised to order any steamer delayed for seven days in case of the non-ar-rival of the Australian mail. For the first 36 hours the contractors get no rebate, but for each hour's delay afterwards the New Zealand Government pays £5, But this sum will be of moderate service, aa they have kept the ship under steam and sailing orders since Saturday. Besides, they will be under the necessity of crowding the good ship during the whole trip to make up for lost time. About one year ago the steamer Mararoa was detained here seven days and ten hours.