Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1890-01-25
THE E. & P. BLOCKADE
FRIGHTFUL SITUATION OF CON-
DUCTOR CROWLEY AND HIs
FORCE.


n SNOW PIOw-Twenty Men Fight
ing Against N Elements and IA
Great PerIl-FaiItng q Break fh'
BIoacksde. and After Havins
Nearly Perished They Return
Home Hungry and Exhausted
Renewed Efforts TO Reach Paif'
sade-Crowley's Dispatch.
When Conductor Crowley left here las
Wednesday week with three fully equipped
locomotives and a snowplow to pusf
through to Palissde, it is quite evident
thai no one connected with the Eureki
and Palisade railroad at this place could
have foreseen the difficulties that we're 70
be encountered. The train reached Horse
Shoe Bend, the place where 10 was ditched
on the Monday previous. having had to
force through deep snow all the way,
The weather had moderated al the time
Of departure. lao p. M. but the ..train had
not proceeded far when II again com
meuced storming, the snow falling and
the wind blowing 3 hurricane. filing the
track almost as fast as ID was cleared; but
Mr.. Crowley, directing his force. pushed
along as best he could from the Bend 10
near Mount. Hope, reaching that point at
2 o'clock on Thursday morning. The en-
tire force consisted Of about twenty men
and they worked hard and necessarily
clearing the track and pushing slong un-
der extreme difficulties the whole time.
The train rested near Mount Hope and all
hands turned into the baggage car and
slept until 7 o'clock, none being particular
about blankets or other covering, Except
the clothes they wore. Leaving this point
about 8 o'clock, bucking snow all the way,
the train reached the Summit Section
house, one mile this side Of the Summit
and q miles distant from Eureka, and
could proceed nc further. On the day Of
departure from Eureka Mr.. Crowley had
calculated on reaching Palisade in "a
hours, therefore no provisions were taken
aboard but such ss the men carried in
their lunch buckets. and Thursday morn
ing dawned upon them at Mount Hope.
with only 25 pounds OF bacon and ten
pounds Of beef on the train, which was in
tended for delivery at McKee's blackboard
station, in Pleasant Valley, formerly
known as Pritchard's third station. The
men bad taken nothing more with them
than their lunches, as all hands had ex-
pected TO reach a station after this was
consumed where they would find a plenty
OF food for the next meal. But rations
we're unexpectedly short, and Mr.. McKee's
little lot OF provisions, ''pot luck" as 1t
was, proved to be a Godsend, for il an
swered for breakfast on that morning.
BY this time Mr.. Crowley
REALIZING THE DANCER
OF being several miles from the nearest
eating place, jumped aboard engine No. 8.
to which the baggage car was attached,
and, with engineer Huzzy driving, started
back TO Eureka after q full supply Of pro-
visions. Arriving at the Six Mile House,
near the mouth OF Eureka Canyon, Mr..
Crowley found that it was impossible to
reach the town, and there was no other
alternative left but TO return TO camp and
aud take from Diamond station such pro-
visions a. might be procured there on the
way Diamond was soon reached, and
Barney McCool, the section foreman, who
would rather 1T any time give away his
last morsei than have any one suffer for
the want Of il, was taken aboard with his
(red hotl cooking stove and what available
grub be had in the house, consisting OF q
small quantity of -four, potatoes and
corned beef, barely sufficient for 9 mouth
full all around for the half-starving force.
Arriving In camp at midnight, supper was
cooked and the men were thankful for
even this small bite. situated as they were.
John Hutson, as wholesouled q man as
$3.50. liza EuaLn Aka A.aak N.1rn ~. waal
dence at the Mount Hope mines and
brought tho suffering men three gallons Of
hot coffee, which helped In q great measure
to revive them until Mr.. Crowley arrived
with food from Barney McCoolis. They
looked 10 the Summit Section house for
their next meal, and arrived on Friday ct
2 O'Clock p. N. Conductor Crowley
ART OUT AFooT
Over the Summit. TO inform himself Of the
outlook. He soon realized that 10 would
be impossible TO move the train thirteen
miles TO Pine, the next station ahead OF
him. The snow, packed hard In huge
drifts, were so many insurmountable bar
riers, and In any event IL would require
many hours 10 get there. Mr.. Crowley
returned TO the summit station house and
learned from Mr.. Basel, the section fore.
IL al ~ WAS pl1CcI tuht tuc hupplf VI pt0e
visions he had on hand would not last the
men over that part Of the journey. and not
wishing to leave him without subsistance
for himself. determined TO back the train
toward Eureka with all possible haste.
There was no other alternative. II
moved from this place, homeward bound,
al 8 o'clock In the afternoon, and returned
to Garden Pass without much difficulty
at 4 o'clock In the evening. The train,
backing, ran into q snow bank at this place
and the difficulties increased.
THE TuArIo %FRIaHrruL.
II was showing heavily and the cold
wind rushed through the canyon o perfect
blizzard. The track which had been
cleared the day previous was now thickly
encrusted with solid ice, and the snow In
hard and soft layers had again drifted on
II, banking three 10 four feet deep. There
was nothing left to eat but q few potatoes
a little salt and q pound or two Of corned
| beef, the remains Of Barney McCools
store. The men despaired Of ever getting
back to town again and were afraid that
they would all perish right there. Con-
ductor Crowley declared that he was really
frightened, and that during the whole oil
his eighteen years Of r~ailroading he had
never had such q rough experience before,
Engineer Rice said that he was badly
scared-such O n avowal being sufficient
evidence in itself Of the great peril-and
Luke Ferguson, who was driving engine
No. 8, and has railroaded since he was 9
beardless boy, having run for a long time
after he left here. years ago. on the North
ern Pacific railroad, told the writer hereof
that this last had been his most frighifuI
experience. No. 8 engine was disabled thu
greater part OF the time, and water had t.
be supplied TO each OF the locomotives BY
shoveling snow into the tanks. In thiI
fearful dilemma all hands worked with tn,
energy OF despair, yet il took fully 2.
hOurs 10 move the train n RinQla mila n