Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-02-23
From the St. Louis Intelligencsr of Feb. 8.

The Frozen Trains on the
We conversed this morning with gentleman
citizen of St. Louis, who came down last night from
Springfield and who gave some information OF the
condition of affairs on the railroads.
Our informant left Bloomington last Sunday, and,
by dnt of severe labor, in which all the passengers
toiled heartily and laboousy the train succeeded in
making its way through. At one drift the snow was
so deep that it overstopped the cars, and the train
had to root its way through, completely hid from
view, and enveloped in the bleak shroud To aid the
en- CINE the passengers turned out, and, having lot
of sboyels prepared for an emergency, worked sew
eral hours in throwing the snow off the track. The
intensity of the cold may be imagined when 1T is stat
ed that the thermometer indicated thirty degrees be
low
Twenty.seven miles beyond Bloomington a train Of
cars was frozen up in drift not able either 10 pro
coed or retreat consequence of lack OF fuel Inc
cars were filled with passengers, many OF them women
and children and their sufferngs may be conceived
when we state that they had torn three cars to pieces
for fuel While informant was at Bloomington an
effort was made to reach the sufferers. Seighs were
started off TO The spot but, after day of weary la
lor, in which horses were broken down and exhaust
ed they returned to Bloomington, having gone only
twelve miles The great depth of the snow, the din
Guilty of getting through the huge drifts lying at ire
quent intervals along the prarles, the erhc force o.
the wind. which filled the air with whirng snow aDC
almost insuefabe severity of the cold, made The at
tempt to reach the with sleighs hopeless anc
futile task.
So much for the suffering on the Chicago and Mis-
sissipp road. On the IlIinoes Central affairs are
worse still train is frozen up near Decatur, ano
the wreched passengers suffer, not only for lack o.
fuel but for want of food and compelle by the
bitter necessities of their condition to eat dogs to keeI
from starving.
A like condition of things prevailed on the Rock
| Island Railroad, though detailed accounts from
there have reached US. Governor Matteson had sen
dispatches Bloomington to have the track cleared
so that the trains might come through, at any ex
pense.
cleared for several days longer yet unless human ef
forts aided by The melting influence of the sun.
From the Chicago Journal of Feb. 3.
| The Rock Island train which left hee yesterday
morning stuck fast in snowdrift about eight miles
from the city, and laslnigh had made progress
There were five engines and nearly one hundred anC
| fifty passengers. The machines were frozen up or
out of water. and in the intense cold the passengers
who could not return 10 the city must have passed
comfortess night
The Michigan Southern train did not leave 1h
morning. owing to distractions between here and tn
junction.
On the Michigan Central the train East last even
ing met the day train from Detroit. hour behnt
the time of the latter the opposite side of biz
drift, some miles below the city, and ran back upol
side track, when unfortunately one of the cars wa
thrown Oft. Both trains passed the night there, ans
were probably liberated early this forenoon.
On the Rock Island there three trains showed
under eight and twelve miles distant from this city
passengers from which have reached the city by pri
vate conveyance.
The Lake shore train which left here yesterda
morning for Waukegan returned this morning wit
the passengers, of whom have suffered consider
bly, from the exposure.
The storm king seems to have it all his own wa
again with the railroads.