Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-01-22
A SNOW BOUND TRAIN.
IhEPRISONHD an sNOW 10 FEET
DEEP
Covered by Snow Slide Fr0zen
Faces, Hands and Feet-An Episode
OF Oregon Travel.

PORTLAND, OREGON, Jan. 2.--The expert
ence Of the passengers on the snow. bound
train on the Oregon Railway and Navigation
In this country. The train became fast in the
snow on December 10th, and the efforts Of
more than 1000 men, score Of locomotives
and half dozen snow plcughs have beer
powsrless thus far to release 1t. Snow began
falling on the 10th, accompanied by high
wind, and before night the Columbia and
The vest.bound train Of the Northern
Pacific came along with about
100 passengers on board, and had no great
trouble until It reached the Dalles though
the snow was three feet deep. At that point
. snow plough was sent on ahead and the
train followed. After leaving Hood river the
the other side Of Wyeth, and the train was
forced TO come to stand. Every able-bod
man on the train took shovel, and repeated
efforts were made to clear the track. The
wind was high and the snow dry and shovel
Ling was found TO be useless. Repeated snow
slides from the mountains soon convinced
the conductor that there was i'm
buried, and he backed up to trestle, which
had only just been gained when tremendous
slide occurred, covering the engines and bag
gage cars almost out OF sight. The snow
storm continued with unabated violence, and
the wind, which soon became a hurricane,
covered and the track ahead of and behind
them buried to depth of 40 feet In snow and
loo, II became evident that long siege WAS
ct hand There was little food on the train,
and great CONSERVATION prevailed for time,
more especially among the women and chill
dren Of whom there were many.
BY great exertions some Of the train men
mazda thaiF tn naaNada T.0nHa 4 stsa
distant, and procured food, which was
brought to the imprisoned passengers on
toboggans and served in regular rations twice
Per day. In the express car were also found
lot OF jack rabbits, two quarters of beef
and some canned oysters.
The transfer Of provisions for so many
could not be kept up long in this way, and, a
few days later, the able-bodied passengers
we're required TO abandon the train and make
the best Of their way to Cascade Locks.
Their journey was made in the face Of q
driving snow storm, and the snow that had
already fallen lay from to 80 feet deep but
AL made the journey safely though many
suffered from frozen faces, hands and feet.
In some places the travellers had to cut
holes In the 10y crust for their hands and
feet, and crawl along with the greatest care.
home other small parties left the train after
ward. The women and children wept pitt
fully when the men left, fearing that they
WuNb W 10 hDhuuOubu 10 bLtIV6 ana ITeeXb
hut the ASSURANCE OF the conductor that they
would be safely 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 passengers
the transportation Of food became less diff.
cult problem. Those remaining with the
train made themselves as comfortable as DOS.
nble. When the coal gave out the brakemen
vent out and chopped wood, which was
found near by in abundance. Hundreds Of
men have been working on the track with
picks and shovels, and there 10 now hope that
the blockade will soon be raised II has been
found that the only way to make permanent
progress without destroying the track is TO
pick the ice out in chunks and carry them
away. At first there was plenty OF whisky
and tobacco on the train, but when
all the travelling mems samples had
been consumed the people who
used these luxuries had to do without, for
the men who packed provisions to the train
refused to be loaded with anything but
necessaries. Although the prospect that the
train will soon be released is now good, 1t is
not forgotten that things have appeared
equally favorable many times before during
the past 10 days. II we have no more storms
or severe cold 1t will not take long to open
the road. The passengers on the train are as
cheerful rs could be expected, but the ex-
perienoe is one which they will never forget
Most OF the men who walked to Cascade
Looks continued on to Portland in parties OF
10 or II, also on foot. The distance is 55
miles, and much of the route is very dan
gerous. Nearly all of them have arrived
here In bad condition. A few are laid up at
farm houses on the way. One party took the
railroad track and by olinging to the telegraph
wires most Of the way. the snow being so
deep that they could easily reach them, they
made the trip without much trouble. The
blockade has cost the railroad company
about $4,000 day for shovellers and plows,
and has caused an entire suspension of bust
ness by the Northern Pacific. Mails now go
ssst BY steamer TO San Francisco.