Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-01-24
TILE NEWS In RRIEE.
Tremendous snow BIockndea in the Pnr
West.


The mild weather and lack of snow in
the East seems TO be getting a counterbal
ance in very unusual quantity Of snow in
the far West One Of the worst blockades
ever known has prevailed on both slopes of
the Sierra range in northern California
ever since the first Of last week TT
blockade began on Tuesday of last week
and all mail and passenger communication
has been cut off between San Francisco
and the East since that time. Passenger
trains, including at least one train of ex-
cursionists, we're stalled at various points.
The Central Pacific had 30 engines aud
snow plows stalled at various places. Tele-
graphic communication is cut off. aud i'm
some places the wires were buried out Of
sight, notwithstanding the wires are strung
on poles 30 feet high On the Union Pa.
cific trunk and branch lines between Hunt
ington and Portland, Or, there have been
no through trains for nearly week Bit
ter cold weather has prevailed with heavy
winds and binding snow storms. The
same condition of affairs has prevailed over
the Southern Pacifc, and in the Suskyou
mountains trains are blockaded so that com
munication has been entirely cut off
According to dispatches printed in
Wednesdays papers the snow is three feet
is covered TO a depth of over > feet on the
level, and in the drifts the snow is three or
four times as deep. BY the use of a rotary
snow pillow pushed by / engines the Cen.
trail Pacific was able to reach some Of the
stalled engines and trains. None of the
snow sheds has fallen, although the weight
OF the snow in places is incalculable The
average depth of the snow along the sheds
is 20 feet. Over 1000 shovelers and work
men have been on the mountains At
Dutch Flat on the western slope of the Ser
ras there is seven feet Of snow on the level
or two more than ever before recorded
Many houses have been crushed by the
snow. A Tacoma, Wash, dispatch says
that at least 10 human beings and thou
sands Of cattle and sheep persisted in the
blizzard which began with the year aud
ragged over Washington for week On
the Colvlle reservation cattle are dying bv
hundreds from starvation and thirst
The Blockade Partially Broken.
Dispatches on Wednesday night an
nouuced that the Union Pacific road had at
last been opened a Tacoma, Washington,
special said: The first train in ten DAYS
over the Union Pacific railroad, arrived
here this morning Passengers report a
snow blockade near Quaker City, Oregon.
where eight passenger trains were showed |
IN, the first one having been caught SUNDAY |
"a week ago. The passengers had terrible |
experience, three persons having died dur |
ing the blockade, and a number Of women |
aud children being taken sick and receiy. |
ing no other attention than that extended |
by their fellow passengers
Denver, Col. dispatch says train
consisting Of several coaches and two
engines. carrying among the passengers the
Howard Autheneum variety company of |
Boston which left san Francisco last Fri
day morning, is believed u have been
enVeloped IN an Immense suOWdrift, and |
grave fears are entertained for the safety
IF the passengers The train j., ON the
'entral Pacific, near Verdi. which /, bee
tween Reno aud Truckee ia the heart of
the Sierras SNOW is falling there mccs.
sanity, and the thermometer D., 80 10 10
legrees below zero. Nothing was heard
from the train all day Tuesday There are
20 people in the company and ~ other
passengers
\ severe suowstorm prevailed in Kau,l,
aud Missouri "Wednesday, SIX mchc, Of
'now falling in As many hours
There Is said to he ID feet of snow ON
evel in eastern Oregon
Big Cold Wave.
The cold wave which struck the eastern
section Of the country about midnight
Tuesday, extended throughout the entire
West and Northwest, and as far south as
he gulf Of Mexico. 1t was the most ex
.ensive of the season, aud in the Northw est
he temperature went down to % and 20
below zero.