The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-01-27
HARD ON HURD.
A Severe Experience in the
Oregon Wilds.
Showed in for two Weeks by
Forty Feet OF Snow.

Charles 8. Hurd, brother oil the we'll
known and popular ex-Sedalisn, j. w.
Hurd, formerly If the Sedalia Missouri
Pacific car accountants Office, but now car
accountant of the B. c. X. & N Co., Of
Cedar Rapids, arrived in this city yester-
day from an extended tour through Canada
and the far west. Mr.. Hurd says be lsited
Califo.pis, Oregon and q number of vees-
ern states and territories and made an ex.
tended trip up the Columbia river. The
story Of his travels is one OF great interest
and well told but too long TO be given 10
detail but his description of the famous
snow blockade durirg the holidays is
worthy of special nention. He says he
left Portland, Oregon, on the 26th day Of
Dece mber, in Q severe snow storm. A
travel OF twenty hours by rail brought them
without incident or mishap TO what is
termed
"THE DALLEs"
on thief Columbia river. Here the snow
which had fallen to . depth of many inches
had drif,ed isto the valley and the cua 10
such al extent as to rassh
depth of six or seven feet and their train
was brought 20 stsndstill Hardly Lad
this occurred when an immense avalanche
csme down in front Of them, burying the
track 10 depth of forty feet.
Finding it impossible to attempt to pro-
coed in the face of such an obstruction,
preparations were made to return TO the
next station, ffty-eight miles distant, bas
hardly had the retreat begun when
ANOTHER IMMENSE SLIDE
came down in the rear, completely hem
ming in the train and buryiug part Of the
cars beneath it Here was q dilemma in
deed, for which q solution or remedy was
difficult, but the passengers, to the number
OF nearly 200, had to make the best of il
and await the statement of the terrific
storm and the coming of relief from cut
side. Two days and q half we're spent in
this anxious manner when their hearts
were giadeoed by the arrival of q patty
from Portland with provisions and other
comforts, which we're conveyed over the
now frozen obstruction in ,obaggeus By
hardy mountsineers &C the
PERIL OF THEIR LIVES
q, the least slip would plunge them down
the precipice thousands of tees to instant
DEAN, After the arrival of the relief party,
however, some fifty Of the more hardy pas.
and succeeded in reaching the station So
miles distant after uotold hard.hips. Mr..
Hurd, however, remained with the others
nj the cars and says that hands were sent
ia to supply them with fuel OF which there
vas plenty in the surrounding pine forests
The company secured the services of
900 men At 81 so per day and board, who
underworld to dig the train out 20 as to per-
nit its return 70 Portland.
THE WORK WAS An INlExsD ONE
md necessarily slow, but after much labor
he train had almost reached an open track
when another storm and asother slide
anne down rs bad If not worse than tie
irst, and il was only after two weeks Of
confinement that the train was re-
eased aud the passengers again
reached Portland. He says the winter
Don alter broke and they were
IDLE to proceed rs the winter weather in
hat section, slough quite severe, lasts bus
90 10 four weeks. The present winter, he
sys, has been unequalled in the history of
he country, the oldelt settlers and the
aost sged Indians agreeing they never saw
Is equal. During the severity Of the
torn, Nh. Hurd says TIE thermometer
anged from 40 to so degrees below zero.