The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-01-21
Four Days In a snowbank.

SYRACUSE, N. Y, January IL The
| great snowstorm which has completely
embargoed the Central Railroad since
| Thursday last week was the most terrific
and long.continued known in the his
tory of the road. The first passenger
train which has reached Syracuse from
Buffalo since Thursday arrived tonight,
Wednesday, bringing an Unprecedented
accumulation of Western mails The
amount of snow which fell was not only
unprecedented, but the wind for days
blew perfect hurricane, making all at
tempts to open the road futile. The en-
tire length of road runs through wall
of snow piled up from ten to twenty
five feet high. Hitherto the road has
always fought snow storms and pushed
ahead at all hazards, but the elements
proved too powerful during the past
week, and the authorities were compell-
ed to retire from the contest and await
the cessation of the storm. The last
train to pass over the yoad from Buffalo
till this evening was the St. Louis ex-
press, which left Rochester at A. 80 p. M.
Thursday. When it left Rochester ii
consisted of "snow plough, eight
locomotives, ten passenger coaches and
several baggage and express cars. It
proceeded slowly east In the face of the
tempest of wind and snow until Sand
Cut,two miles from Fairport was reached.
Here the snow plough struck n huge
snow-bank so solid that the plough and
all the eight engines were thrown from
the track. Five engines plunged down
the bank and were completely wrecked.
In the cars were 600 passengers. That
great loss of life did not accompany the
accident was simply miraculous. En-
gine No. 478, the first to go down the
bank, had on board Clark Brundage and
Mr.. Clough, the road. master, besides
the fireman. The engineer was killed
and Mr.. CIough had a leg broken in two
places. Conductor John Holmes was
also seriously injured. The six engines
were scattered about the tracks in every
possible condition. DIR. j. B. Hamilton,
Surgeon. General, U. S., was fortunately
on hand, and he did good work dressing
the wounds of the injured. The storm
ragged all night fiercer than ever, and
the passengers in the wrecked train
giving up all hopes of relief, passed the
night without sleep. Superintendent
Burrows started from Rochester for the
wreck Friday with six engines, but all
got off the track few miles east of
Rochester. The storm continued Friday,
rendering all attempt to rescue the i'm
prisoned passengers futile. In the mean
time the farmers living in the vicinity
forced their way to it Friday morning
and supplied the passengers with coffee
and baked beans. The conductor made
his way to Fairport and succeeded in re-
turning with scant supply Of provi-
sions, which lasted until Friday night.
On Saturday the conductor again went
to Fairport and returned with sleigh
load of provisions. The 800 passengers
took matters good -naturedly and express
the highest gratitude to the farmers who
came to their relief even with scanty
trains were III. M. Twombly, son in.law
of w. III. Vanderbilt, and his wife, and
]. II. Rutter, general freight agent of
the New York Central aud Hudson
River Railroad. They had been to
Rochester to attend the funeral of Geo.
Whitney, a director of the Central road,
and were on their way home. A number
of friends in Rochester on Saturday de-
termihed to rescue them at all hazards,
and started in four-horse sleigh, but
the roads were drifted SO badly that they
were compelled to strike out across lots,
the farmers assisting then to cut away
the drifts. After herculean efforts, the
party succeeded in reaching the train.
They found the passengers in pretty
good shape, as help had already reached
them from Fairport
The dead body of Engineer Brundage
was in the caboose, the lower parts of
his body being crushed into jelly. His
fireman lay alongside of him, having
suffered the amputation of one leg, be-
sides having his arm broken. In one
of the sleeping cars were lying Mr..
Clough, both of whose legs were broken,
Mr.. Holmes, who was badly hurt about
the head and Engineer Mccarthy whose
shoulder was put out of joint. All the
women were made as comfortable as
| possible under the circumstances. Hav-
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