Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-01-08

THE GREAT STORM.
Heavy Fall Of Snow and Intense Cold.
RAILWAYS BLOCKED UP AND
TRAINS FROZEN FAST.
An Awful Night on the Prairie.
Terrible Perils and suferings Of Two Hun.
dred Passengers on a Michigan
Southern Train.
SELF-DENIAL.
How the Travellers Were Rescued
An Awful Night on the Prairie.
How the Travellers Were Rescued.
From the Chicago Tribune. January A.

VI STATEMENT OF CHARLES d. BRAGDON
| tThe following account of the scenes on
the line of the Michigan Central, written
by one of the passengers, Mr.. C. ID. Brag-
don, will be read with interest-EDs. TRIB-
lUNE.l
EDITORS CHICAGO Tribune You asked
me to detail my observations and experi-
ences as passenger on one of the trains
blocked by the terrible storm of last Thurs
day and Friday.
do so, the more cheerfully because I de-
sire, in the absence of any formal expression
on the part ofthe passengers OH the Michigan
Central train, to bear willing witness to
their appreciation of the efforts of all those
who ministered in any degree to their COM
fort or relief. / shall detail as concisely as
possible what came under my own Obserya-
ton, together with such rumors as thought
creditable.
We left Detroit at about the usual time on
Thursday morning, receiving the passengers
from the night express on the Great West
ern Railway. 1t was showing slightly as
we left the depot at Detroit. At Marshal,
where we stopped to dine at three o'clock,
/ asked conductor Carter if we were behind
time? "A little" he replied, "but we shall
make it up"
About six o'clock we stopped at Niles for
tea. The storm was increasing in violence,
and in the volume of snow falling, passen-
gers began to prophesy that the train would
not reach Chicago before twelve O'clock
The engine started the train with difficulty.
At one or two of the stations the passengers
and station -hangers-On were obliged to push
| 1t along. The wind was fast becoming a
gale. 1t whisteled and shrieked as it rush
edhcross our path, and men looked.out and
shuddered, and the women gathered near
the fire in the center of the cars, shivering.
1t was plain that the passengers were pre-
pairing for disappointment. 1t was the New
Years Eve-friends were waiting expect
ant, calls were to be made, callers were TO
be received, presents were to be given, and
the safety of the souvenirs was carefully
looked after by those who had remembered
their friends in their absence. The engine
labored through the storm with its four or
five cars of passengers. We were approach
ing New Buffalo, when sudden shrek from
the engine signaled "down with the brakes"
The train stopped, and those of us who
ventured out saw the ominous and impera-
tive red light in the path. 1t was told us.
at first that a freight train was off the track.
Later we learned that it was blocked up
with snow, and we could neither move
backward nor forward; that messenger
had been sent to New BuIralo for an engine
ed for the removal of the freight train. At
Michigan City second engine was attached
to the train. Our progress was slow. At
what time we reached Calumet Station, L
do not know. / have 4 recollection of hear
ing 1.-THE compliments of the season" eX-
changed among the passengers some time
before it was announced that we could pro-
ceed no further, and that one of the engines
had been dispatched to Chicago for help
We were near the crossing of the Michigan
Southern railroad. Why did we leave CAL
umet if we could not 90 on? was asked
Conductor Carter replied that he thought it
when he left Calumet; but he had decided
it to be safer to send an engine on while it
had woM and water, inasmuch as he found
that he could not get through without new
power.
And we waited and shivered. The cars
were furnished with Ruttan's Patent Ven
tilators, and single stove to each car. BY
some sort of an arrangement these stoves
did not heat the atmosphere directly. 1t
was as difficult to keep warm four feet from
the stove as it was twenty-four feet nearly.
The wood provided was wet or green, or
both, and passengers in the second car, in
which happened to be, had rode in semi
shiver two-thirds of the night. Exposed to
the shrieking and penetrating wind, laden
with frost, which swept across the low,
level prairie, the condition of the passen-
gers in these cars became exceedingly un-
comfortable. The shiver became pain in
the feet, and chill and shudder, as the
night waned, and no relief-engines came,
and the fuel was fast disappearing.
The fences were thought of and saw
aided in putting boards in shape to feed
the stoves which yielded no return of COM
fort. The flames roared up the pipe as they
ate up the dry pine, and smoke was discov-
cred about the roof of the car, and smoke
issued from the floor beneath the stove.
What if the cars should burn? What if
these women and children are turned out
into this storm on this bleak prairie? Is it
not bette. to suffer little more cold here
| than perish for want of shelter on this pra-
| irie? These were the questions suggested
| by this fire alarm. And the reply came
promptly, 1--WE must be careful; if one car
gets burning we can not save the train"
The car did burn so as to render it unten-
able. The fire was put out, and the passen-
gers abandoned it because it was not safe to
| kindle another in it. And so the hours
passed. The cold grew COLDER the wind
howled and shrieked like mad; the snow
filled the air, and the frost drove in through
every crevice, piercing to the quick women
and children, like sharp needles. Those
who had lunch baskets that were not empty
carefully distributed of their stores among
the little ones; and the warmest hooks were
given to nursing mothers and their infants.
The men found pastime in alternating be-
tween the fence and the baggage car, and
between the latter and the several stoves.
They found comfort alone in the most Wig
orous exercise, and in the hope to hear the
shrek of rescuing engines. .et
What had become of that engine sent for
aid? Had it got through? Who went with
lit? Sargent would not let us suffer there
long-he wasn't that sort of a man. If the
engine had not got through, he must know
that we had passed Calumet. And thus the
chances were discussed. And each moment
!, the cars grew more uncomfortable, and the
suffering of passengers increased, The day
had dawned-hours had passed since day
light, and yet no signs of help. when are
I'VE going to get to the city, Mr.. CONDUCTOR
!, asked a woman with tears in her eyes. q
don't know, madam" replied Carter; 'bu
III / could draw you there myself, woult
lido it.n And we all felt that he spoke wha
The felt; for no man could have been NOR
-. l.. 4.