The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-21
RAILROADS PARALYZED.
COMPLETE BLOCKADE BY SNOW
IN THE NORTHWEST.


Oregon and Washington Cut OF
from the World.
CHICAGO, Jan. 20.-The snow blockade
in the west and northwest is one Of the
most complete on record. Not only has
travel become impossible on the western
division of the Central and Northern
Pacific, but the telegraph companies are
equal sufferers, and every through wire is
down on both these routes. The only means
of telegraphic communication with the
Pacific coast now is by the
indirect route of the Southern Pacific,
and the volume of business transacted is
exceedingly limited. Washington and
Oregon are shut off from communi-
cation with the entire world, with the
exception of a little Seigga wire that still
ticks feebly between San Francisco and
Portland. When this goes down these two
northwestern states will be further away
from New York than China, SO far as tel
egraphlc communication is concerned, as
trains are not running and the snow block
ade renders it impossible for the telegraph
force to reach the scene of the break.
LINEMEN SHOWED UP.
The Western Union repairers are showed
up at halt a dozen points in the west, and
there is little prospect of renewed commu-
nicBtions until the railroads have mastered
the element.
The snow blockade on the Central Pacific
road at Emigrant Gap, near the summit
OF the Sierras, is complete
Last night eight westbound trains were
showed in, and the prospect of the road
being opened in the next forty-eight hours
is poor, as the snow plows cannot work
through the freezing ice, and the force of
shovelers is inadequate.
SEVEN FEET ON THE LEVELS.
There are 800 men at work. but as the
snow is seven feet deep on the level and
fathomless in the cut, the work of clearing
while the snow falls is q tremendous labor.
On the Northern Pacific there is a COM
plete snow blockade at Sirrons, near Mount
Shasta. Col. Fred Crocker of the Southern
Pacific, who was going north, has been
showed in there for three days in a special
train, and hopes to get out tomorrow
The Southern Pacific railway has been
badly injured in the Tepachepi mountains
by washouts, and beyond Los Angeles
floods have done much damage. The only
unobstructed road now is the Atlantic and
Pacific, but as this depends on the Southern
Pacific for connections between Mojave
and San Francisco, and on the washed
out Southern Pacific line beween
Los Angeles and San Francisco,
travel on that may also be delayed
at any moment, as 1t has been raining
heavily in Southern Colorado for days past,
while it is showing In tho north.
The Western Union advices this morning
are that snow is still falling throughout the
west so that the prospect is by no means
encouraging.
STORM IN MINNESOTA.
ST. PAUL, MINI, Jan 2O.-A heavy
storm, accompanied by gale, set in about
10 o'clock last night, and regular blizzard
is now raging throughout the northwest.
AS yet there is no interruption of railroad
traffic, but the storm is very severe Be
tween five and six inches of snow have
fallen on level, and the prevailing high
winds have drifted it badly especially in the
southern portion of the state.
THE BLOCKADE VERY SERIOUS.
SAN Francisco, Jan. 2O-The snow
blockade on the Central Pacific railroad in
the vicinity ofsTruckee and Emigrant Gap
has become very serious. Since Tuesday
last no eastern overland trains have been
able to reach a point further west than Col
fax. All eastbound trains are at Sacra-
mento, Colfax and Shady RIM, while those
coming west are at Emigrant Gap Truckee
and Reno. At Truckee the depth of snow
ranges from eight feet to drifts of twenty |
feet. The railroad company has several |
hundred men at work shoveling
only enabled to get q mile out, when |
it stuck, with ten engines. Shove lers were |
called to the rescue, who, after several |
hours work, dug them out SO they could re- |
turn.
FILLED WITH DRIFTS.
On the west the ro ad is filled with drifts |
of fifteen to thirty feet in large cuts. A |
plow with five engines was on the road |
thirty-six hours trying to reach tunnel |
eight miles from town. The whole crew
returned on foot, having abandoned the train, |
as they became ravenous with hunger. An |
other plow with twelve locomotives started |
out to clear the road to Summit, but before |
they had run two miles they we're securely |
blocked, and the snow falling back on the |
track, they were fast in both directions |
The passengers are quartered at hotels by |
the railroad company.
SHOWING HEAVILY.
Yesterday afternoon it began showing |
again heavily. and reports from blocAaded |
trains at Emigrant Gap show that the |
cleared portions of the track were again |
filling fast Officials declare that the pres
ent blockade is the heaviest and longest |
they have experienced for over ten years
Plows are unable to do much on account of |
the depth of SHOWS.
The blockade delays seriously the mail for
cities. No eastern mail has reached this
city since last Tuesday evening.
The Western Uuion Telegraph Company
has a large force of men in the mountains
clearing abe wires of snow. Telegraph
lines in some places are entirely buried |
under drifts, Notwithstanding that the
wires are strung on poles thirty-fve feet
high.
PASSENGERS NOT SUFFERING.
The report that the snow bound passen-
gers are suffering for want of food is denied
by the railroad officials. An abundance of
food is supplied them, and the trains are at
no point where it would be impossible to
reach them. Experienced men on snow
shoes are on the road between Colfax and
the delayed trains, carrying fresh beef and
other necessaries, and at no time during the
blockade has any difficulty been expert
enced in giving the passengers comforts and
food. A large number of cases of influenza
are reported, but the sufferers are kept
warm and receive medical aid promptly.
ON THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON.
The situation is equally as serious on the
California and Oregon road in the northern
part Of the state. A train which left here
Tuesday evening for Portland is still at
Redding. A force of shovelers which was
working from Dunsmire returned after
forty-eight hours work. An engine was