The New York herald., 1877-01-17
THREE FEET OF SNOW SOUTH.
A SURPRISING STORY OF THE NORTH CAROLINA
RAILROAD BLOCKADE.


RAILROAD BLOCKADE.
From the Raleigh a. c) News, Jan. 1O.l
Major W. W. Rollins, the President or Tho Western
North Carolina Rarond, arrived in this city yesterday
afternoon, and gives graphic OF his trip
tween Iicnry's tho head OF his road and Salisbury
Tho train lrt Hcnry's on Monday morning last about
seven O'Clock. Snow was falling ht the time, with Tho
thermometer registering eighteen degrees below
soon alter starting the track grew very heavy but Tho
train managed 10 reach OLD Fort Tho snow was fail
ing nt a terrific rate and with each OF tho wheels
progress became and muSc difficult. Four miles
below Old Fort tho engine gave out OF and ,he
train came 10 a dead sto,. The locomotive cut
loose, and with Engineer Marsh, Route Agent Ramsay
and four negroes, started alone to tho tank which
was three miles distant. About hall way u ran
into driIt. which stopped entirely, and after
repeated Efforts 10 through anu failures
tue engineer to put back the tram ard
covered 10 his utter CONSERVATION that hc could
neither 20 forward nor backward Bound fast by the
snow, The engineer aud his party remained there
tue track tho who OF that long anu cod night, with
covering save their ordinary clothing. no shelter
except what was Afforded by the cab, and no fire
ccpt what they could keep IN tho furnace Of the en-.
sinc by burning such encc roiis ami other wood MS
they could dig out OF the snow. Provisions
TO them from the train, aud the next morning water
carried III buckets for distance OF quarter of
mite. through snow thrty-sIx inches IN depth
level roaching TO the waste oi tho men, until enough
was had TO raise steam IN tho engine. Then by
repeatedly running back, then under tuli hradway
srlKing inc bank with no plough tho pilot,
the locomotive finally made It's way through this DRIFT,
10 find tho roau filled with others almost imm0v.
able. Meantime large torcc OF cOnvcts had been
sent Tor. and these pushed the train back To Marion,
where the were provided with all necessary
comforts. The bare engine proceeded down the ROAD
ut slow rate the snow being shoveed out bci0rc II In
many places, until about the third day " reached
Icard where II found the up train from salisbury. a
special engine the heaviest the road had been sent
cut from Salisbury, with the snow pioush loaded down
with castings, and three. engines, distributed along
tho road, cleared the track IN i've days,
and tho tram which left Hcnrys Monday morning.
reached Salisbury distance oi III miles, friday
night at twelve O'Clock. Major Rollins states that IN
many places the had driftcd 10 the depth OF III
teen and twenty foot. The OF the railroad top
had frozen to death and dropped down the banks.
While waiting on the r0ud whole cOvcy ot partridgcs
sccn all frozen to death, and some oi Tho crowd
rcacnod them and broke OIL the heads uf some tncir
pccks Swapping like corn stalks. Az Catawba River
ycArns some little distance out IN tho strcan
It's hind legs having sunk through tho ice. having us
head and tore legs upright II was irozcn 10 death.
The poor brute had doubt out thu cc TO
10 get water The rivers and creeks all along the
line OF the road having first frozen and then been
covered entirely by the snow people and an imns go
them over tho level Garth. There Is no sign
anywhere OF running stream With tho apprchcn-
o the people hat they and their stock Will frcezc
starvc 10 death before tho snow mclts is inter.
mingled tho drcad al fear that when the thaw does
II viii deugc the whole lace Of the Garth, carry
ing with 1t destruction and death.