The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-01-28


- -
qsaa So - .nns1..,l
4Oss0ss g 4OAoe
d Tho q, Leafs - Chieaso ,,1nnm. of the Aru,
49, =. =. .s.s ~ =. "slss ~ ~ oS INC M
Wsuaesf "a the Wesss - NE suneTing
- doo1h fnei1ou3 tbofeto.
~ ae ~..s.. -.
- ,..-'"-7 -.ey ssseys '''e 10y VI '"" NC"
- NJ o'csoek u the moaninos 0e thermometer
III - 1875 below xeso. spa naalSum thermome-
M iuaeeeaeA. !. ,..>.,.,... 49, -. h.6ca. a.v.
-. - -. Wy
ss, ot eeeFees beloW aofO en degree of
cold had not.been known there be6Ee In thirty
v.a..s srhe v.yaona v.slrn.S. an1ertas Al. iou,.
-. =, htre - u ~,,. ..nk. fto,en
.-sss - w. Asu ~ VIZ -
and the cars c0vereA up TN issass'ppi was
ffueen ovey nnd vas made 4 n thorouGhfare
a. =. 80. and ,r.ded tsa,,,2 Peoule wer.
..-srn- H--a,...- - !. urh. .-.
ssessse"' sso sSs'is - - = " e'e
OAttnod 20 be AmputAte4. OeAq perished out
riehf.
q. .sA t...s,,
Snc.so ''s enc. - = W. .u'
In the extfeme. On Friday tee mometef Tel
- low - 20 degrees, and on HafurdI at O'Clock
"a es a..,... h.,o.v ..,o. N.c& oeon,e wer.
As'v 80
IEO1en 70 DEAN. Tne tesHoie snoW S'"'"'' acS"p'-
panied with high winds, which piled it in huge
A,tfk. oh.t,mcte the yes,,,sv nassaee of trains and
..-- Fl - =. ..,. ,,.,.ro..
msS" '"se"se su"o'"s, ~"~ -
I Tia 6aree tornado syyesnlHR osST the prairies
lied the air with moving clouds Of snow, aud piled
up huge drifts betwpeh the fences along the rail-
roads, until the tracks almost everywhere were
impassable by the trains.
The train ON the Michigan Central railroad,
which was due at Chicago at half-past 10 O'Clock
on Thursday evening, proceeded with greot dN-
Guilty until within about four hundred yarda OF the
Michigan Southern crossing, some seven miles out
There, at SIX O'Clock on FRIDAY morning, almost
eight hours behind time, the train plunged into an
immense drift, which lay directly across its way,
and finally stopped.
The scene when the passengers realized the per-
lis Of their situation, were SO terribly real as to
baf1le all description. There were over hundred
passengers on board, many of them being women
and children, with but short supply Of food.
One by one, out into the blinding storm, went
those who were able and, digging down through
the snowdritts which were piled over them, they
tore IN the fences near the road and brought them
as fuel to the cars Soon new peril broke out
among the passengers. The roof of the car took
fire from the heated pipe, and as the wind caught
the flames, they roared and cracked and cuFied
downward towards the passengers as il in mOckery
of their msery The snow was banked almost to the
botfOm of the car and to separate II from the Others
by hand was an utter inpossibility.
la this moment of peril the women WED with the
men In their efforts for the common safety At
first IL seemed as if all hope to exttuguish the flames
were vain, but energies were not sIackened or
hearts unu.ryed The"cnntest was brief but des-
perats, resulting in the flames being quelled. The
wind and the snow came rus ing in at the aperture
in The roof. and the car was no longer tenabIe All
the Messengers then withdrew to the next one.
Pro,er precautions were taken against a similar
disaster there. But the ashes had, unfortunately,
been entirely removed from the stove in this car,
and when anticipating no danger, the hOOr of the
car took fire from the bottom of the stove. 1t
much easier extinguished than the other. but not
without considerable labor. or until large portion
of the floor had been cut away, and that car thus
rendered untenable also.
The passengers of the entire train were now
huddled together in the only remaining car. 1t
was now nearly two O'Clock i'm the afternoon, and
there were no signs Of the storm abatng or OF any
deliverance reaching them.
rudden y, however, they were startled into new
hope by the arrival OF ira non the Michigan
Sou hern railroad. 1t stoppej at the crossing of
two roads, on'y some four Hundred yards distant,
and its conductor sig itied his readiness to take
p ssengers of the Michigan Central tram INTO the
diately commenced, the engine in the mea time
mOvi"g tn" train slowly backwards ana forward to
prevent tne snow . unins ,h , "ouu au umue
ion, h"ndrad Yards. was ilIed with drift nearly
ten feet in Depth and to make the passage from one
to the other was a work of great labor and dif1cul
iy. The storm was at Its height, and the cold so
intense that the faces Of me women and children
were frozen almost as as they came in contact
will, the wind--turning white As Instantly as if
they had been PLUNGED in boiling water. Scarcely
any one made the passage fir m one train to the
other without being badly frost bitten, many cutie
The women and children had to be carried over
to the other train, and not few Men who essayed
il had to demand assistance. This was cheerfully
rendered by volunteers from among the Michigan
Southern passengers.
The rescued passengers, Immediately upon their
arrival at the Michigan Southern train, were made
as comfortable as possible Those who were fro
zen were promptly attended to, ladies tearing up
their handkerchiefs and scarfs to rub the frozen
feet, face aud hands of their unfortunate fellow
travellers.
The Michigan Southern train was likewise
blockaIed by the snow. The conductor was
obliged 10 leave the car in snowdrtt, and 60 on to
Chicago to acQuaint the people with the condition
Of affairs. 1t was soon known that 'twO hundred
men, women and children were freezing TO death
within tour miles of Chicago" SIeighs, blankets,
buffalo robes, provisions, &C.. were Immediately
procured, and party started for the train. The
details of their adventures, although very interest
ing, would occupy too much Of our space Suace
il 10 state, that they all gotten to the city,
though much frostbitten.
Ths fo,ow,n. terrible incident Ia given in tho
c.,.. T-...,. of I.rv,,u A,h.
About thirty miles from the boundary line be-
aSout midway between Cen,revIiIs and Crown
Point, lived German, with his wife and five chill
dren, named nrut.s.. me oldest was ooy OF
seven years OF age, ~ poy Oh nve, ah0 tntee
ers al Oh iess age '"a" ue ooys' 'ne youngest ou'
an infant.
rne country where tne Ianny !esiaed ~ very
making the roads almost, II nct "noi'y impassaole
fo1 pedestrians: ,x-.-.-
the driver OF tue stage coaen coinins ifon trawa
Point to Lake, via Cahiervi!e. ioand ;i"i Arut
GERS dwelling had been tdrnsd 10 tas ground, Il
is supposed the night preVsaa'.y oaa none OF tne
iamiiy were 10 De seer. Aao"s s'i..e 'HnEeI on
however ne was Ho,I,aea " n"S .ne aa.'1I - anu %
the boys frozen TO death. me noys Were IN the
!aners arms, ana II - supposeu !9at ne mao iaIlen
WIN toem ate. naslhc oeen 30 laI a"eT,eo S WIN
c Os. as nos W os E "ve ,n " ',: eos. ,ne.
colpses were piaced In the stage out peiore tney