Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-02-09
The Snow at the West.

az cOmOdd, ny utlnI inTONn IiOnl Nnc uach
down an cmbankinent, its smoke stack
smashed, one passenger car demolished mo
body in it, and another one considerably
damaged. The train consisted Of three
locomotives, their tenders, and two passen-
ger cars, all Of which escaped injury except
those mentioned
The Mississippi road continues to be OBJ
structed by an impcnetrabe snowdrit be-
twe' Jolc, and Bloomington, between 60
AMI 20 miles from here. The drift fills a
cut Of about siren miles in length, and from
five to eight feet in depth, completely TO the
level of the banks.
On Friday, there were two trains with
three hundred passengers aground in this
monster snow drift. Among them were the
members of the Legislature who visited this
city The trains had been frozen in, and
unable TO move either way for twenty-four
hours. All the seats OF the second hand
cars were used for fuel. Not one of the
three hundred passengers bad a mouthiul Of
food during the whole time.
On thursday evening a train left Aurora
with five locomotives, and when within six
miles Of the city encountered snow bank,
where, at noon on Friday, it still remained,
with all the locomotives completely frozen
up. Engines were despatched from this
city, which succeeded in returning with the
passengers, Of whom there was a large mum
Der.
gentleman who left Grand Detuur on
Monday morning last fer Chicago, via the
Dixon road, arrived here on Saturday noon
by the train from Rockford on the Gnlena
road, having been the entire week on the
way. lie started from Dixon on the air
line train, and when about twenty miles this
side encountered tremendous drifts of snow
which checked further progress The train
remained near the same phce, almost buried
from sight on the prairie, with the valves Of
The locomotive frozen up, for more than thur
" six hours. The team aud wagon Of
neighboring farmer were procured aud dcs-
patched TO Dixon for supplies To prevent
starvation among the passengers. All the
while, operatives were energeucaly at work
trying to clear the road So that the train
might pr6cee ], but were finally Oh i .cd 10
abandon the undertaking and return to Dix
on Our informant, with some others then
hired conveyance to take them to Rockford.
when they re embarked for Chicago or the
Galena roid.i
1t is our painful Office TO record one of the
most terrible accidents. resulting from the
attempt To penetrate the drifts above spoken
OF, which we have ever heard OF read ct
among records Of railway caamiiios. II
was nothing less than pulling mans i,g
from his body! The unfortunate man vino
suffered tins dreadful muiilaiion was track
layer by the name Of Porter This Christian
name we could not learn,) who i snld 20
have been one of the most active energetic
and efficient men upon the whole line of the
Dixon road. lie had volunteered his servi-
ccs TO help The train through tho snow. and
was standing on the platform of the l0como-
tive when the latter was put in motion
body of snow striking against him
caused his foot to slip from the platform.
II Was caught by the driving wheel 10 such
away as to wrench the leg entirely oil at
the knee JOINT! The poaf man fell back
ward over the railing OF the platform. while
the leg with the boot still upon II, fell upon
the track beneath the locomotive Porter
was taken up and carried as quickly as pos
sl5le back To Dixon, when the remaining
portion Of his limb was twice amputaled
hrst, INST above the point of severance from
the leg, and afterwards still higher NJ, on
account OF the bone being shattered. When
our inform ut LEFT Dixon. Porter was regard
ell as likely TO recover from his awful wuunl.
The operatives on All the road have sal.
iered severely by exposure IN IN. ostre,n.
cold. The great difficulty has been to pre-
vent the waer pipes Of the engines from
,no,inn ho,va,'as -, 80, nv :"
Jongor or i~osinoiive lreehi", ' u,., u w
stopped in the open prairie 1t Is lmuossiiAs
to prevent the water in the small pipes from
turning almost Immediately to ice.p
.N;V York. Feb. "A fire occurred ut
i2o Varck street, during which one of the
inmates Of the building, Mrs Bsden. was
burned to death, while IN state Of intox-
cation
Tho J,ysIli,o.bo,,o -. c.., IN
o.cnn,ed bv NJ. - ~ ,'"s'sel 'n'%se
,cr Groy, -, !" ,.s ., ''e .a'e re-
,b,ee ,,,clocL ,,s, RI nv - "DoI'
nearly iii ~ con,o,,' n. D '.N'n-, "",,
80 mi Il ,f;,,,l,,, sa,',i e. u, "7''