The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-02-03
sNow-BoUyD IN THE GREAT DESERT
PeriIs OF the Overland Passage,

SNUh OnhAA O1c1HsAs
PeriIs OF the Overland Passage,
A very heavy snow-storm set in OH
the Kansas plains on the l4th of De-
cember, and for weeks the extreme
western part of the State has been
impcnetrable 10 railroad travellers.
The trains on the Missouri Pacific
and Kansas Pacific railroads started
westward regularly; but, until with
in few days. no return trains arrived
from Denver. The train leaving
Denver City on the morning of the
18th, penetrated Kansas about 300
miles, when the snow came down so
fiercely and swiftly that the engine
could make no Roadway, and the
train, with perhaps fifty passengers,
lay helpless in the vast plain of snow,
unable to go on or return.
Fortunately, Fort Wallace was not
far of, and there was no DANCE, of be-
ing starved or frozen to death. Here
the more cnterprising gentlemen set
out buffalo hunting, and came back
laden with game. An uneasy jour-
nalist, impatient with the delay, is
sued daily paper, the Wallace News,
which gives sprightly record of the
snowy blockade. N
Trains leaving Kansas CITY later
continued westward, but did not get
10 this frontier rardezvous.
Two trains succeeded in reaching
Wilson's creek, 239 miles west of Kan
sas City, where immense snow noun
tains impeded the further advance.
Snow plows were telegraphed for,
and band of hardy brakemcn ard
fremen started back to a neighboring
town for \ stock of provisions to keep
the passengers from starving. The
train lay in this 'cut" two days, and
on the morning of the third, three en-
gines, with snow plOws attached,
toiled laboriously up from the rear,
and attempted to eXtricate the snow
bound train. 1t was impossible to
get forward, and the four locomotives
succeeded in running the train back
to Black Wolf, where it took the side
track TO allow the snow pillow to pass.
1t remained there until the train OF
the 10Th, from Kansas City, arrived.
which transferred its passengers and
returned. Leaving Black wolf on
Tuesday, at three o'clock p. NJ, the
train ran westward again to Wilson's
creek, when the engines and snow
plows ran ahead six miles to help out
a freight train, which was done, and
then the snow pillow, with two engines,
ran off the track and went into the
ditch, where they lay until Thursday
(22d) morning, when wrecbiDs train
I-arrived from Brookvilc to- their as
sistance.
On Thursday the train of the 2Olh
arrived ut Wilson's creek on time,
and then the trains all ran back to
Ellsworth, seventeen miles, where the
train of the Goth transferred Its pas
sengers and returned. Here they lay
until Monday, the Goth, trans from
the east arriving every day-except
Friday, the 23d-transferring passen-
gers and returning. On Friday the
train got stuck in the snow at Fort
Harkcr, and Inequalities were extend
ed the passengers by the officers OF
the fort. The living at the restaurant
was only passable, and had it not
been fer the supply of well-filled bas-
kets, there would have been no little
suffering.
Here the railroad officials telc.
graphed back to the general superin-
tendent at the end of the'rQutc, and al
though the alarming strait to which
the party were reduced was distinctly
l ,,ntfca 10 10 of tho
sages. On Friday, the 23d, passen-
ger telegraphed to the general super,
iniendent, telling him that he was
anxious to get to Denver; had been
DELAYED four days, and asked if his
money would be refunded. The dis
patch was suppressed at Brookville
A dispatch to j. NJ. Palmer, of COun.
Gil Bluffs, asking if the Union Pacific
railroad was clear, was never heard
from. and Mr.. Slater the sender, be.
lievcs that it also was suppressed.
On Saturday meeting OF passen.
gers was held in the sleeping cal
Wavne, at which Judge Watrous, o.
New Mexico, presided, and Mr.. Gross
of Kit Carson, acted as secretary. \
respectful dispatch, asking for infor
NATION and relief, was drawn up
signed, and forwarded to the genera
superintendent, but it received no re
ply. That night another dispatch wa:
forwarded. asking if be proposed tC
pay any attention to what had been
requested Of him. He replied OF
Sunday morning saying that the train
was better off at Ellsworth than il
would be further West.
On Christmas day Christmas din
ner was given the passengers at the
} company'S expense. On Monday tho
train moved tardily forward. crawling
slowly along through irterminable
wastes of snow. Arriving at Els
worth late in the evening, two oil
three trains were found showed il
and unable to get on. An effort was
made here, however, with all the eli
gines and a number of cars detached
and. by frantic exertion, the forlorl
travellers reached the pilgrims at Fort
Wallace, who had started ont days be
fore, en- route for Deryer.
Here locomotive coalition wa:
again formed, and in time the occu
INFLATED traias reached their destlna
ton. The accidents in this painful
pilgrimage wee not rImerous: thu
list of killed and VIC Indcd not exceed
:, ING six. all told. The destruction o
! railroad property was prodigious, ant
the companies will have received
wholesome lesson-as their short
sightedness and pars 'mony are large
ly responsible for the mishaps TO thu