Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-01-24
HELD IN THE SNOW DRIFTS
Reports From the West Announce a
Terrific Snow Storm.
Trains Showed in and Human Aid
POwerleSS to Assist.
The Worst Storm RailroaderS EX-
perienced in Years.

CHICAGO. Jan. 2O.-The blockade in the
West and Northwest is one of the most
complete on record. Not only has travel
become an inpossibiity on the western
! divisions OF the Central and Northern Pa
cihc, but the telegraph companies are equal
| sufferers and every through wire is down
! on both of these routes The only means of
! telegraphIC communication with the Paci-
| tic coast is by the indirect route of the
| Southern Pacific and the amount of bust
uesS transacted Is necessarily limited
/ Washington and Oregon are shut off from
| communication with the entire world with
| the exception of one little zig-zag wire
between San Francisco and Portland.
| When this wire goes down, these two
| northwestern states will be farther away
from New York than China, so far as tele-
graphic communication is concerned.
Trains are not running and the snow
blockade renders it impossible for tale-
graph force to reach the scene of the
break. Western Union repairers are
showed up at half a dozen points in the
west, and there is little prospect of re-
| newed communication until the railroads
have mastered the elements. Western
Union advices are that the snow is still
| falling throughout the west, so that the
SAN FRANCIsCo, Jan. 2O.-The snow
blockade on the Central Pacific in the
vicinity of Truckee and Emigrant Gap has
become very serious. Since Tuesday last
no eastern overland train has been able to
reach a point further west than Colfax
At present the east bound trains are in
| Sacramento, ColfaX and Shady Run. At
Truckee the depth of snow ranges from
% Oht foot n drifts of Zoo, III,
railroad company has several hundred men
at work shoveling east of the town. A
plow was only able to 90 a mile when stuck
with ten engines. Shovelers were called
to the rescue. and after several hours work
dug them out, so they could return On
the west road is drifts Is to 80 feet high
A plOw with five engines was on the road
80 hours trying to reach a tunnel eight
miles from town. The whole crew re-
turned on foot. having abandoned the
train as they became ravenous with
hunger. Another plow with twelve loco
natives started out to clear the road to
the summit, but before they had run two
miles they were securely blOckaded, and
the snow falling back of them, they were
fast In both directions The pas
sengerS are quartered at hotels
by the railroad company, Yesterday
afternoon 1t began shOwing again heavily
and the reports from the blockaded trains
at Emigrant gap showed the cleared por-
tiOns of the track were again filling fast
The railway officials delare the present
blockade is the heaviest and longest they
have experienced for over ten years. The
delay seriously affects the mail facilities.
No eastern mail has reached the city since
last Tuesday. The Western Union Tele-
graph company has a large force of men
in the mountains cea ring the wires of
snow. The telegraph lines in some places
are entirely burie under the drifts
The passengers are suffering from cold and
Il large number of cases of influenza are re-
ported. The situation is equally serious
on the California and Oregon road in the
northern part of this state. The train
which left here on Tuesday evening for
Portland, is still at Redding The shovel
ers who were wSking south from Duns-
muir, returned after 4S hours work. One
engine was brought in and others are
showed in without wood or water The
officials expect to have the roads open to-
morrow north and east.
PORTLAND, Ore. Jan. 20-FOr some
days past there has been a heavy snow
blockade on the Union Pacific lines be-
tween Huntington and Portland There
have been no through trains for nearly a
week past and consequently no Eastern
mails. Bitter cold weather prevailed ac-
companied by heavy winds and binding
snow storms. Five or six trains. both
east and west bound, are blockaded be-
tween Dalles and Baker City The COM
pany has been doing every thing possible
to open the roads, and it is thought that
the first weSt-bound train will reach this
city tomorrow. No through trains have
arrived at Portland from San Francisco
or left here for that point for nearly
week past