The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-01-14

I ENplc u = IFtlcELlNE nAluIt nave
had supple time during the late severe
weather To be absorbed entirely in
reflection. But owing 70 the sur
rUundings the better part Of The re-
fiectiOhg must have been devoted TO
the weather itself. SNOW bOund'
this country for the week past has
been m truth as well AS
in fact. Never such run
OF perfectly awful weather has there
been before. Part Of the time without
trains, without trade, without any
thing TO occupy the time snd alien
ton OF the citizens. has been the con-
dition Of things here. Farmers have
come % town the greater part Of tile
week on foot. Their teams could not
by any manner of means have made
the connection. Farmers themselves
came for supplies principally. For
fuel many Of them have been burning
corn. Tuesday the coal supply OF the
dealers commenced running low, one
or two Of them being entirely out.
The thermometer has been as low a.
- below zero-a frightful showing
for this country. AS yet we can hear
Of no losses of life in this county ex-
cept with the stock. There must
have been intense suffering in families
poorly supplied with fuel. The cold
weather We have hsd here was but a
part Of the icy wave which has ex-
tended from Maine 10 California, and
from the Great Lakes 10 the Gulf. In
the south the coolest weather ever
experienced in that section has pre-
vailed. Ia the extreme north the
thermometer has marked 90 below
zero. With Us, n very unusual
amount OF sleighing, and the very
best of tie article at that, has been
enjoyed. The ice men rejoice, for
their harvest Is here. and they are
taking advantage oft. In the matter
OF delayed trains. most Of the difficult
" was with the deep aud sOiidly pack
cuts through the HArker Hills. Que
passenger delayed At EroOkville, in q
rather eXtrayagant estimate, alleged
that the drifts he saw at the hills were
3 .O0J feet above the level OF the sea
Cutting this matter down to ordinary
dimensions aud for urIiaary life, cur
readers can gam an idez hOE serious
the''snOw difficulties" were, Dy reading
the following dispatch sent from
Brookville to the Topeka Capital dur
iug the blockade:
BROOKvILLE, Kan, Jan. S-One Of
the most disastrous snow biOckades
IN the history OF the Union Pacific
railroad has just beeu cleared away,
although IL required the combined ef-
forts OF all the section men on tue
line between Lawrence aud Brook
Vile for nearly sixteen hours, with
shovels aud picks TO clear the track.
Tue sceue OF the blockade was IN a
deep cut Of about twenty feet, and \
quarter OF s mile IL length, just west
Of here. where tine suUW hal drifted
before the DiiZzardOus gale that swept
over this par. of the country last sun
day, filling the cut up level with the
high bank on both sides, and delay
ing all trains for the past three days.
Eleven engines with their combined
force could not effect a passage way
through the snow bank. but were ct.
fectiveiy deadened, rs they could
neither move Oack Yard or forward on
account OF "buckIng" the solid mass
Of snow too fast. One engine was 80
completely buried in the snow. that
you could not even see its smoke
stack, snd another. in their efforts 20
force passage, was butted square
across the track. A passenger train
OF several coaches WAS sand EIched in
the line Of engines, causing much in
convenience To the passengers, who
were Compelled TO take refuge At the
hotels But now all the engines have
been extricated and the track com
pletely cleared, and the trains will be
run on their usual time in \ day or
fW-u