Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-22
THE GREAT SIERRA STORM.
Seven Feet Of Snow on the Level-Loss
of Human Life.

Dispatches from San Francisco say that the
prospects are that the great snow biocade il
| practically over There are over I000 snow SHOW
| eiers and workmen on the mountains tonight
Truckee is cut off from all communication with
the outside world, but this is true of all mining
| and other towns in the Sierras. A passenger
| named A. C. Lanford died of pneumonia, SUPER
| induced by the p,and was buried by the men
on snow shoes at Truckee yesterday, it being
| impossible to break the road to the cemetery
Jacob Duntz. snow shoveler, was killed at Col
fax yesterday by being struck by car.
Most of the passengers in the two trains near
Blue canyon are well provided for the delay.
There are a few second-class passengers who
had only enough money to buy tickets and did
not figure on the blockade. They also did not
prepare for the cold weather that commenced
when the storm ceased. At Dutch Flat on the
western slope of the Sierras there are seven feet
of snow on the level. or two feet more than ever
before recorded The wagon roads and bitches
are blockaded Many houses have been crushed
by the snow, but no lives have been lost. Snow
shoes are the only means OF getting anywhere.
The damage to fruit trees will be considerable.
Should the snow go of with a rain the damage
to the valley will be very great.
In addition TO the imprisoned trains near
Blue canyon two east-bound passenger trains
showed in near Shady run. The railroad
people have done everything in their power to
make the passengers comfortable, paying the
men big wages to carry provisions on snow
shoes distance of five miles. John Jennings. a
New York newspaper man, who came out to
meet Miss Nellie Bly, in San Francisco and
escort her to New York, was caught in the
blockade several days and then made to Jour
ney from Blue canyon to Alton on snow shoes
and then rode on an engine to Sacramento.
where he arrived this morning and took a
special train to meet Miss Bly, at Lathrop.
On the Oregon road the passenger trains
! n
the deep SHOWS of Siskyou range. The road is
blockaded between Mott and Dunsmir, between
Dunsn.ir and Sims and between Sims and
Redding. Supplies are being taken to the i'm
prisoned trains at Sims from Redding
At least ten human beings and thousands Of
cattle and sheep persisted i'll the blizzard which
began with the year and ragged over Washing
ton for a week. Reports from the Col!vilie
reservation are to the effect that cattle are
dying by hundreds from starvation and thirst
and that the ground is covered with over two
feet of snow on the level and in some places is
drifted mountain high.
The keeper of the stage station IL miles from
Alma started to walk to town last Thursday
and Sunday his body was found on the prairie
only mile from his home frozen stiff. The
mail carrier at Wild Goose creek persisted on
the same day and eight cattemen are known to
have lost their lives in the storm. Cattlemen
estimate that they will lose one-half of their
herds this season.
Grave fears are entertained in Denver re-
garding the probable fate of the Howard
Atheneum company of variety artists, who are
IN the snow blockade ON the Central Pacific
Nothing definite can be learned. Advices from
Utah say the road may not be opened IN three
weeks. A train with the theater troupe on
board is believed to be buried under demol-
ished snow sheds between Reno and Truckee.
1t is a question whether the intombed passen-
gers can be rescued before they perish of
hunger and cold. The mercury is 80 to 40
below zero out there