Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-26
REGULAR SIMEON.
A Railroad Train wrecked by a sand
STERN.

The Southern overland train which should
have reached this city on Monday afternoon,
saws the San Francisco EIGmina, only ar
rived at $50 O'Clock last night, having been
DELAYED at Sumner by q terrific sand-storm
that ragged throug b the Mojave desert and
spread out over portion OF the surrounding
country. The storm began in the early
morning, and when the train reached Sum-
ner. in Kern county, had become regular
simeon. The wind swept across the sandy
wastes with such violence that the train
swayed and rocked under the violence OF
the blasts, and seemed ready to plunge
from the track. The moor had become
overcast in the early part OF the night,
aud the journey was continued IN dark
mess that rapidly increased until the day
began in Slygian gloom. The passengers,
who had been aroused from their sleep by
the fierce assaults OF the wind and the dash
ing of the sand against the Windows Of the
train, looked an1iously for the appearance
OF the suu, but no CLEAN OF light relieved
the forbidding darkness OF the East. Night
maintained her sway, and the blackness OF
the heavens grew intense with the morning,
until the strong headlight of the locomotive
almost failed 10 pierce it. The email portion
of the desert which was exposed by the en-
gine's light only served to discourage the
travellers. The track was lost under the bill
| lows of sand that were being tossed across
| the rails by the angry storm. The desert
moved like a sea, and when the waves oil
| sand struck the shivering sides OF the train
| they scattered like sprays and filled the air
with dust which made free breathing i'm
| possible. The travellers fears OF being stopped
| by sind-sirift were soon realized. Alter
| leaving Sumner, which is 3l4 miles from San
| Francisco, the train moved cautious
ily for ten miles through the shift
I ing waste and then stopped with 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 81
| moon found that their express train had run
/ into freight train which had stopped in an
| impossible sand-drift. The slow rate
| at which the express was moving en-
sbled the engineer TO stop the train In time
| to prevent serious accident, and the col
| lision was only sufficient 10 cast thu locomo'
tive from the track. The pass snger cars re-
| manned on the rails. 1t was then 10 O'Clock
so slowly had the express proceeded through
the binding storm after leaving Sumner
The darkness of the night had only In
creased, and nothing was visible except
within the focus Of the trains lights. Fol
five weary hours the passengers were com
PEELED TO remain on Inc oelacneu Train WIN
relief was being obtained from Sumner. As
sistsnce having arrived, the track wa
cleared of sand sufficiently to enable a relic
engine 10 pull the express back to Sumner
where the passengers found slim aceommo
dation until the storm blew over. Toward
5 o'clock in the afternoon the dark
ness began TO disappear, but tn
simoon maintained its vigor unit
nighifsIl. Yesterday morning the unfor
iunate passengers proceeded on thei
urney, the remainder of which was mad
without sensational incident, as gangs o
Chinese had been at work all night, and ha,
cleared the track OF tine unfortunate sand
drift. AT Tulare the express, which vase u
at 2:4e o'clock pm. yesterday, overlook tn
belated and weather. beaten express, hsvip
passed without discomfort through the tai
OF the simeon. The breaking of a piston-ro
delayed the first express still further at La
throp, and the two trains arrived simqltane
| ously at Oakland wharf, the first over thirt
hours behind time and the second over sil
All hands, however, arrived safe, and in th
comforts OF their hotels soon forgot the ur
pleasantness of their adventure, and laughe
| over it,