Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-03-17


Rain fell In swirling sheets in New York last
| Sunday night Those whom business forced into
the deserted streets felt more lonesome than they
would have done in the midst OF q trackless forest
The tnfreQuent wayfarers whom they encountered
only Increased the sense OF loneliness Everyone
hurried with echoing footsteps toward shelter and
| travellers outward-bound saw with unwonted
pleasure the cleaning lights OF the ferry houses
wnere they were to begin the first stages OF Their
Journey away from the great, damp, brooding WILL
| derness OF brick and mortar. People bound South,
| among whom was STAR representative, FASTENED
rejoicing to the welcome shelter Of their sleeping
cars In the Jersey City station, and quickly cud-
died up In their comfortable hunks, hopeful of
waxing In the morning beneath smiling skies In
Dal.lnore or washington Not the gloomiest pes
Amlst In ms most dyspeptic dream tnat night
In store for that devoted trainload OF passengers
ere they finally reached their destinations.
just little warmer than was good for a Sleeping
| piace, tnougn not uncQmfOrtably SO. During the
s ssss 81 some Of the PASSENGER aWoke with vague
anu turned 10 go 70 sleep again, but did not sue
eeed very well. Then, In sleepy sort OF way.
Great Scott! What's this9 something has leaked,
LOT tne covering Is wet No, 1t it only snow which
mas dr1lted In. Perhaps the windows are open q
oll. NO. the windows are tight shut, and the snow
mas been driven IN somehow beside the double
sashes: And come to listen. the bowling noise to
ths train Is standing stll!. Il is the bowling OF
the wind, which must be blowing a fearful Arctic
g gaze 70 dnye the snow through the
and into the hunks OF the sleeping passengers
The wind In fury dashes with fearful force against
tine ear MAKING the ponderous vehicle rock on its
awake with an unreasonable dread tnat sleeper
and all VIII be blown away. But 1t is getting
No porter answers TO repeated calls and so the
snlveflng passenger crawls out himself rObS the
oppep p empty oS Uer5h It's big blanket spreads 1t
day, and forever.
SUCH A MoRNrNGI
IL seems but q few minutes when he is awakened
again by some one conversing with the porter In
suDdued tone OF voice. 1t is daylight now, how
ever The train is standing still once more, the
gale is still bowling about The car, and the snow
continues 70 slit In around the window sashea
amt got TO Philadelphia yet. Deed don't know
what IS the matter, SIR We've been standing
mere most all night sir NO accident as heerd Of
Is the matter, sir. Most like the conductor he can
tell you, SIR Deed, DON'T and the sleepy voice
y lost In hs Ct the
and at all railroad employees in sight as they poke
their heads out OF their berthS in the hope OF
learning more concerning the delay
quickly nustling on their clothing several Of
them go out 70 ascertain what's up. they ana, as
Philadelphia, although 1t Is O'Clock the hour at
which II was due in Baltimore. A perfect blizzard
Is raging The air is full OF fine hard snow, which
is drifting badly in fence corners and along the
railroad. Everything is covered with 1t. The
ralroad employees look like genuine Santa Claus.
tneir halr and boards being white with 1t and
their clothing frosted picturesquely from head to
Ioot MOST or them are indispOsed TO talk. Those
OF them who will say anything informed the
ANXIOUS passengers that many telegraph poles are
down along the line. Several were blown across
the track just ahead OF the train as well as large
Philadelphia, but 1t might as wen have been In
the midst OF prairie. There she remained help
lessly for what seemed hours to the Impatient
passengers
FoRAGING FOR BREAKFAST.
Worst of all, those who sought to obtain break
1ast at the buffet were informed that the supply Of
provisions was low. The waiter would take only a
Few orders for breakfast. However, there were
Two other buffet cars on the train, and for these
some or the hungrier passengers on the Washing
ton Sleeper made rush. But they got little salts
faetion for all the buets were equally poorly pre-
One had plenty of bread, but little else Another
had some cold chicken and eggs but no bread: and
asone car would not supply ything 10 the others
complete breakfast could not be obtained In any
or them SO the less-hardened passengers gazed at
one another In painful suspense ana mentally Won
at the very gateway or great city. They could
understand how such things might be away out in
the bliHard-infeSted northwest, but here In the
super-ciyilized East, never.
SHE AovEs.
But at last the train began to move and soon
made its way into the Broad-street station 1t
was then nearly O'Clock and the hungry passen-
gers made mad rush for the restaurant Like
the wolves on the fold they came down on IT,
seized whatever was In sight and shouted for more
This threw the walters Into a great furry. from
which they only recovered at the sound OF silver
1inging In the belated wayfarers pocetS or better
their plates. The vague fears OF starvation
when some OF the passengers had enter
a sass While ID IN the suburbs
when the average stomach begins to feel along
towards 81 O'Clock In the morning, so that there
was very healthy collection OF appetites awaiting
satisfaction. Twenty minutes the train men had
promised for breakfast. but just Streaming cOffee
oeafsteak, AID chops began 10 appear the tables
and TO disappear within the hungry travellers, word
caTne that the train was about to start again
Hungry as they were, the travellers were not WILL
ing 10 be left behind. Reluctantly they rushed
out, leaving their breakfasts half-finished, and
again took their seats In the cars To add to their
dissatisfaction, the train DIDN'T get away fifteen
minutes or over. But they were buoyed up by the
hope that they would soon be home, and they
could get bite more to eat at Wilmington in
few minutes.
BLASTED HOPES.
But they were too sanguine. They had as yet
hardly begun their experiences 1t was many
long hours before Wilmington was reached. Just
outside of Philadelphia the effects of tho storm
became plainly apparent. All along the track the
telegraph wires were down. Here they were
masses OF Ice and frozen snow. Again for a Space
they were twisted and broken in a bewildertnR
manner, and lay half buried in the drifts, For
miles at a stretch not pole had been left stand
Ing by the fearful gale. Some were snapped on in
the ground; others had given way half way up,
and the top portion, with its great weight OF Ice
coated wires, had fallen to the ground. MANY
poles had been hurled across the track, and had to
he removed ahead OF the train by a large force of
men. Wherever there were cuts the snow had
drifted In and packed sOlid so that the most DOW
erful engine could not pillow through II. These
slow work, even for the force OF 300 men The
snow was heavy and granular, and the shOvelers
had TO work In q blizzard. The wind was strong
and biting cold, and whirled the loose snow back
into the cuts almost as fast as the shOyeled 1t
out.
CREEPING ALONG.
So from fallen pole to pole, and from cut to cut.
the train crept along. The passengers resorted to
all sorts OF expedients to kill time meanwhile The
morning papers, procured at Philadelphia had
but little In them, and were soon exhausted
Games at whist and poker were organized. books
were brought out from satchels, and all sorts of
passengers cured up on their seats and tried to
get little extra sleep. Still others haunted the
smoking room and talked OF previous experiences
In snow blOckades. Thus the morning passed
without much dragging. The storm still kept up
outside, and. occasionally, the tram would % for.
approached the passengers again became anxious
about the food supply, and held long and earnest
consultations with the waiter. That tnScrutabe in
dividual declared he had nothing left but q few
eggs, some coffee and beer.
FAMINE AGAIN THREATENS.
Famine again seemed to be staring the unhappy
travellers in the face. The waters in the other