FEBRUARY 11- Weather clearing, wind ceased blowing. Temperature 15 degrees
below zero. During the night of February 10 and the early morning of
February ll, three trips were made between Fraser and Log Cabin with the
D-4 tractor and sled hauling coal, handling 5 tons the first trip, 6 tons
the second trip and 7 tons the third trip. At 12:45 PM the rotary with
engine 62 only left Fraser to plow snow as far as possible with a tank and
then returned to Fraser for water and put on the balance of the coal that
had been sledded from Log Cabin.
At 6:25 PM, on the 11th we left Fraser with the rotary fleet fully watered
and every available pound of coal aboard. We bucked snow from 6 to 16 feet
deep practically all the way, arriving at the Canadian Shed at 12:40 AM,
Feb. 12th. There was very heavy snow between the Canadian Shed and the
Boundary Shed. The rotary and engine 62 were out of water and it was
necessary to syphon water from an adjoining lake. We arrived at the water
tank at White Pass at 8:00 AM, February l2th, completely out of water and
it was necessary to pack coal with section-men from the north end of the
Boundary Shed to the south end of the Canadian Shed to keep engines alive
and working.
At about 9:00 AM we were advised that the barge carrying engine 253 and
several hundred tons of rail broke loose at Haines and went on the rocks
and was entirely submerged.
Extra 66 was out of Glacier at 7:00 AM Feb. 11th with men to shovel snow
and attempt to move engine 256 from M.P. 16.5. Engines 250 and 69 were
called to leave the Shops at 4:00 AM and departed 7:01 AM, arriving Glacier
7:55 AM with four cars of tools, rations and equipment.
At 7:00 PM engine 66 returned to Glacier and reported having pulled engine
256 down grade about 1000 feet but snow piling up behind plow stalled
further progress. Engine 66 returned to shops, arriving there at 9:00 PM.
Engines 250 and 69 then left Glacier to bring back the 256. They returned
with engine 256 in tow arriving Glacier 9:00 PM. All three engines, 250, 69
and 256, arrived at the Shops 11:25 PM.
Summary of situation night of February 11: Southbound Rotary working
between Fraser and White Pass. Northbound Rotary still alive with draw bar
out 500 feet south of American Shed. Engines 71 and 10 dead at north end of
steel bridge. New engine 253 in the Bay at Haines. Weather moderating with
wind down and temperature 6 degrees below zero.
