The Somerset reporter., 1885-01-28

The experience of the passengers on the
snow ouuud train on the Oregon Railway
and Navigation Company's road is proba
ply without parallel IN this country, says
letter from Portland Oregon, under date
of January 20. The train became fast in
the stow on Dec. l6, and the Efforts of
more than 1000 nlvn a score OF locomo.
tives, and half duzen snow plou2hs have
been pow crl IS thus lar to release 1t. Snow
began falling on the 10Th, accompanied by
a high wird, and before night the Colum
bia and willamette valleys were completely
buried. The west-bound train Of The
Northern Pacific came along with about
100 passengers on board, nd had no great
trouble until it reached the Dalles, though
the snow was three feet deep. At that
point snow plough was sent on aheaa,
and the train followed.
After leaving Hood RIVER the plough be-
came stalled when about four mites the
other side of Wyeth, aud the train. was
forced to come to a stand. Every able
bodied man on the train took a shovel, and
repeated Efforts we've made to clear bh.
track The wind was high and the snow
dry, and shovellng was found to be use.
less. Repeated snow slides from the
mouulaine soon convinced the conductor
that there was imminent danger of the
train being buried, and he backed up to a
trestle, which had only just been gained
when tremendous slide occurred, cover
ing the engines and baggage cars almost
out of sight. The SHOW storm continued
with almost unabated violence and the
wind, which soon became hurricane, was
intoerably severe. With the locomotives
covered and the track ahead and behind
them buried to a depth of forty feet in
snow and ice, it became evident that long
siege was at hand There was little food
on the train, and great CONSERVATION pre-
vailed for time, more especially among
the women aud children, of whom there
were many.
The next morning the conductor sent two
train men to Cascade Locks for food. The
distance was eleven miles, and the trip in
the binding snow and cutting wind was
one OF great difficulty. When they arrived
al their destination the men had much
trouble In inducing any one TO make the re-
turn journey with them, but they at length
found men willing to undertake the errand,
and succeeded in reaching the train the
next day at 2 p. NJ, with several hundred
pounds of provisions on toboRgans. In
the express car were found lot of jack
rabbits, two quarters of beef, and several
cases of oysters In cans. These were
cooked and served along with the other
rations, each passenger receiving a regular
allowance twice day. After this the rail-
road company organized expeditions at
Cascade Locks every two or three days to
carry food to the belraguered train. The
provisions taken were such only as could
be packed easily and were carried on poles,
man at each end. The suf1erings of these
messengers in making the trip were fire..
ouently terrible. Several of them We
overcome b, ia igne and cod and had to be
carried by their companions.
After this bad been going on for lew
days the authorities notified the passengers
that food could not be furnished. for SO many
in that way, and that all able-bodied m EN-
would be expected 10 abandon the train nd
set out for Cascade Locks on foot. Twen-
ty-fve started the next morning In driv-
ing snow storm, and all made the Locks
that evening except four, who had to be
left at farm house. Many suffered from
frozen faces, hands and feet The next
morning thlrty-five more started, and all
made the journey safely, although some OF
them were in pitable condition. The snow
was from five to fifty feet In depth, and
much OF the way the path lay along hill
sides so icy that misstep would have end
ed at the river far below. In some places
the travellers had to cut holes in the icy
crust for their hands and feet, and crawl
along withe the greatest care. Some other
small parties left the train afterward. The
women and children wept pitifully wheh
the men left, fearing that they were to be
abandoned to starve and freeze; but the
assurance of the conductor that they would
be ssfely guarded by the train hands and
the men who were not thought able to
make the trip, after time put them at
ease.
Thus relieved of one half Of the p assem-
gers the transportation of food became u
less difficult problem. Several times during
the last two weeks it WAS thought that the
shovellers and snow pioughs would be able
soon to relieve the train, but just AS they
appeared to be gaining on the snow and ice
a little fresh storm would set In, aud then
things would be worse than before. The
train Is surrounded with snow, and the
track at that place for about four miles Is
covered 10 many localities to depth OF ~
feet with solid ice. During the high winds
the spray from the numerous falls was
blown upon the tracks, and this freezing,
caused the formation of hills of ice, which
could only be removed by blasting.
In the cars the passengers made them
8, Ives us comfortable as possible. Thus
far there has been NO sickness, though there
are scores of children aboard, and the OPP
portuniiies for exercise are necessarily
limited. When the coal gave out the brake.
man went out and chopped wood. which
was found near by in abundance. Hun
DR.. ds Of men have been working on the
track with picks and shovels, and there is
now hope that the blockade will soon he
raised. II has been found that the only
way to make permanent, progress without
des, roying the track l. to pick the ice out
In chunks aud ca ry them away, Al first
th.re was plenty Of wbiskey and tobacco
on the trair, but when oil the travelling
mems samples had been consumed the peo-
Die who used these Injuries had to do with
out, for tho men who carried provisions to
the train refused 70 be loaded with any
thing but uecesssries. Although the pros
pect that the train will soon Oe released Is