The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-02-10
Experience in a Sand-Storm.

Tbs Southern Overland train which should
have reached san Francisco the afternoon OF
January only arrived at $50 the night of tho
I'd, having been delayed at sumner by terrific
sand-storm that ragged through the Mojavo
desert and spread out over portion of the
surrounding country. The storm began in the
early morning, and when the train reached
Sumner, in Kern County. had become a regu-
lar simeon. The wind swept across the sandy
wastes with such violence that the train
swayed and rocked under the fierconess of the
blasts and seemed ready to plunge from tho
track. The moon had become overcast in the
early part of the night, and the journey was
continued in darkness that rapidly increased
until the day began in Stygian gloom. The
passengers, who had been aroused from their
sleep by the fierce assaults of the wind and tho
dashing of the sand against the windows of the
train, looked anxiously for the appearance of
the sun, but no CLEAN of light relieved the for
bidding darkness of the east Night main
tanned her sway, and the blackness of the
heavens grew intense with the morning, until
the strong headlight of the locomotive almost
failed to pierce It. The small portion of the
desert which was exposed by the engines
lights only served to discourage the travellers.
The track was lost under the pillows of sand
that were being tossed across the rails by the
angry storm. The desert moved like a sea,
and when the waves of sand struck the SILVER
ing sides of the train they scattered like spray
and filled the air with dust which made free
breathing impossible.
The travellers fears of being stopped by
sand-drift were soon realized. After leaving
Summer, which is 3l4 miles from San Francisco,
the train moved cautiously for ten miles
through the shifting waste and then stopped
with a crash. The alarmed passengers hardly
dared to face the driving storm to learn the
cause of the unpleasant halt The few intrepid
persons who ventured into the binding
simeon found that their express train
had run into a freight twain which had
stopped in an impossible sand-drift. The
slow rate at which the express was moving
| enabled the engineer TO stop the train
| in time to prevent a serious accident, and
the collision was only sufficient to cast the To-
| connective from the track. The passenger-cars
| remained on the rails. 1t was then ten clock.
/ so slowly had the express proceeded through
| the bin ding storm after leaving Sumner The
darkness of the night had only Increased, and
the trains lights. For fve weary hours the
passengers were compelled to remain on the
! detached train while relief was being obtained
! the track was cleared of sand sufficiently
to enable relief engine to pull the
sengers found slim accommodation until
| the storm blew over. Toward five O'Clock in
| the afternoon the darkness began to d1sap-
| pear. but the simeon maintained its vigor I'M
| til nightfall. In the morning the unfortunate
| passengers proceeded on their journey, the re-
mainder of which was made without sensa-
| tional incident, as gangs OF Chinese had been
| mt work all light and had cleared the track OF
the accumulated sand-drift. At Tulare the ex-
press, which was due at gao p. m, January 2,
overlook the belated and weather-beaten eX-
press, having passed with slight discomfort
through the tail of the simeon. The breaking
of piston-rod delayed the first express still
further at Lathrop, and the two trains came
Simultaneously to Oakland wharf, the first
over thirty hours behind time and the second
over six. All hands, however, soon forgot the
unpleasantness of their adventure and laughed
over it.-.Sdn francisco Examiner.