The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-06
NO THOROUGHFARE.
snow.Bound on the Great Desert Trains BE
tween KnnsRs City and Denver-Less of Lif,
and Property.

Desert-TFntna
tween KansRs CITY and Denver-Lsss of Life
and Property.
A very heavy snow storm set it on the Kansas
plains on the 14th of Dec ,mber and for weeks
The extreme western part of the State has been
impen etl able to railroad travellers. The trains
on the Missouri Pacific and Kansas Pac.9c Rail-
roads started westward regularly; but until
within few days, no return trains arrived from
Denver.
The II ain leaving Kansas City on the morning
of the 14th penetrated Kansas about 800 miles,
when the snow came down so heTcely and
swiftly that the engine could make no headway,
and the train with perhaps 80 passengers lay
helplessly in the vast plain of snow unable to
90 on or return. Fortunately Fort Wallace was
not far off, and there was no danger of being
starved OF frozen to death. Here the more en-
terpIising gentlemen set out buffalo hunting,
and came back laden with game. An uneasy
journalist, impatient with the delay, issued a
daily paper, the Wallace Ne,os, which gives
sprghtly record of the snowy blockade.
Trains leaving Kansas City later continued
westward, but did not get to this frontier rem
devious. Two trains succeeded in reaching
" ilson's Creek, 239 miles west of Kansas City,
where immense snow noun tains impeded 1r-
ther advance. Snow-ploughs were telegraphed
for, and band of hardy brakemen aud fire.
men started back to neighboring town for q
stock of provisions to keep the passengers from
starving, 1t remained there until the train of
the 19tb, from Kansas City, arrived which trans
ferred its passengers and returned. Leaving
Black Wolf on Tuesday at 3 o'clock P. NJ,
the train ran westward again to Wilson's Creek,
when the engine and snow-plough ran ahead
six miles 10 help out freight train, which was
done, and then the snow-plough, with two en-
gines, ran off the track and went into the ditch,
where they lay until Thursday (22d) morning,
wi en- wrecking train arrived from Brooklyn
to their assistance.
On Thursday the train of the Goth arrived at
Wilson's Creek on time, and then the trains all
ran back to Ellsworth, seventeen miles, where
the train of the Goth transferred its passengers
nd Hero thf.y' In mi no
26tb trains from the East arriving every day
except Friday the 23d-transferTing passengers
and returning. On Friday the train got stuck
in the snow at Fort Harker, and hospitalities
were extended the passengers by the officers of
the fort. The living at the restaurant was only
passable, ard had it not been for the supply of
we-flled baskets there would have been no
little suffering.
Here the railroad officials telegraphed back to
the General Superintendent at the end of the
route, and, although the alarming strait TO
which the party were reduced was distinctly
stated, no notice was taken OF the message. On
Friday, the 23d passenger teegraphed to the
General Superintendent telling him that he
was anxious TO get to Denver; had been delayed
four days, and asked if his money would be re-
funded. The telegram was suppressed at
Brookville. A telegram to J. VI. Palmer, of
Council Bluffs, asking il the Union Pacific
Railroad was clear, was never heard from, and
Mr.. Slater, the sender, believes that 1t also was
suppressed.
On Saturday a meeting of pas:e :engers was held
in the sleeping car Wayne, at which Judge Wat
rous of New Mexico presided, and Mr.. Gross of
Kit Carson acted as Secretary. respectful
telegram, asking for information aud relief, was
drawn up, signed and forwarded to the General
Superintendent, but it received no reply. That
night another telegram was sent asking if he
proposed to pay any attention to what had been
requested of him. He replied on Sunday morn
ing, saying that the train better off at Ellis
worth than it would be further west. On Christ
mas day Christmas dinner was given the pas
! sengers at the company's expense. On Monday
! the train moved tardily forward, crawling slowly
along through interminabe wastes of snow.
Arriving at Ellsworth late in the evening, two
or three trains were found showed in and un-
| able to get on An effort was made here, how
ever, with all the engines and a number of cars
detached and by frantic eXertions the forlorn
travellers reached the pilgrims at Fort Wallace,
| who had started out days before en- route 10
Denver. Here locomotive coalition was again
formed, and in time the accumulated trains
reached their destination. The accidents in this
painful pilgrimage were not numerous, the list
| of killed and wounded not exceeding six, all
told. The destruction of railroad mataral was
prodigious and the companies will have re-
| ceiyed a wholesome lessOn-as their shortsight
edness and parsimony are largely responsible fol
the mishaps to the several trains.