Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-13
WINTER ON THE PLAINS.
SNOW Drifts on the Pacific Railroad
PerIIs OF AN Overland Trip from Cal
tfOrnIR.

SNOW Drifts on the Pacific Railroad
PerIIs of an Overland Trip from Cal
ifOTnTR.
AllusiOn was made Yesterday, in
the editorial columns Of this paper,
TO the extent and character of the
snow storm that had impeded travel
on the Union Pacific road during
the past month.
The article attracted the attention
of a gentlemen who arrived here
Yesterday from San Francisco, and
from whom we have obtained many
incidents connected with the perils
of an overland journey during the
winter season, in company with
many other gentlemen, among
whom were Judge Southland, of
California; B. c. Truman, of New
York; Gen. Hutchinson, of Cali
fornia; Gen. Dana, of New York;
John +. Whiting, brother-in-law of
Judge Field; E. B. Benjamin, of
San Francisco, and many other gen.
tleman who left San Francisco on
the 4th of February. All went
along satisfactorily during their jour-
ney over the Central Pacific. At the
end of which line the party took the
stages and rode a distance of $50
miles in six days. At Rawlings
station, with the number that had
started from San Francisco, an d
those picked up on the way, the par
ty had increased to 200 and upward.
They remained at that station for
ten days, which being but small
village, they exhausted the place of
its stock of provisions, and fears
were entertained by many of them
of serious consequences to them
selves individually, unless a supply
of food was obtained from some
quarter. When they left Wasatch,
our informant states they were as
sured that the road was opened and
in running order to Omaha, and
they were told just after their ar
rival at Rawlings that the road
would be fit for travel the day fol
lowing. After repeated efforts on
the part of the passengers to get
the consent Of the railroad officials
to the departure of the train, the
latter finally consented to get in mo
| ton once more. When the train
started, they were equipped with
provisions, shoyels and such mate
| rails as they would require to use in
digging through the snow drifts
During the delay at the station, the
passengers held an indignation
meeting and agreed to send the fol,
lowing telegram to Washington:
RAWLINGS SPRINGS, ROCK
MOUNTAINS, Feb. 30, 1850. p
Huntington for Congressional Rail
road Committee, Washington, d. {
Two hundred passengers believe
, themselves unnecessarily detained
/ | here ten days, also eleven days
, | United States mails. The conduc
of officers of Laramie division ant
officers over them is disgraceful Il
the railroad and the government.
The above message was signe'
C in behalf of the passengers by X. i
T. Lombard of Boston, H. Parker o
!, Washington territory, and Isaac /
Allen of San Francisco, who alleg
Il that the disgraceful conduct referee
: to, consisted in their being assure
e by the railroad officials that til
, road was open when it was not, an
informing them daily that the
! would start the day following, an
II lastly, of sending a dispatch to til
at superintendent at Rawlings to te
n the passengers to provide then
selves with three days provision
. and then another telegram from
l. superior officer countermanding ii
is same, but not till the provisions hs
Of been purchased at an exorbita1
~ rate. One of the passengers in h
= account says:
III THE dispatch did for US th
NJ which we wished tito do. 1t start
ar us the next morning on our way I
w ioicing. A happier set of passe
~ gers than they werewas never see
. Two or three small drifts melt
III before them in comparatively IL
ne minutes. At last came big oil
nd probably the largest on the tra'
M Five hours hard work in the bitlI
n cold wind, demolished this, viii
" was at least one thousand feet
as length Now came our trouble
er- whisky. The engineers and oil
NV officers of the train, except O.