The Globe-republican., 1896-01-16

was the general opinion of old set
tiers that this would be an open mild
winter, and the weather up to January
first was certainly all that could be
asked for in country as far north az
this. With the first day of the year
came cold weather and snow, and this
is pronounced the most severe, con-
sidering the number of snow storms,
that was experienced on the plains of
Kansas. Up to the present time this
month, seven freight trains have come
in from the east with through freight
and two freights from the west that
were laid up here. When the passen
ger trains were able to get through at
all, they were very irregular. Two
weeks ago we were one week without
mail, and week ago today train
was showed in six miles east of here
that was got out Sunday night. Near
~ the whole month the railroad com
pany have had from one hundred to
three hundred men shoveling snow at
work day and night between this city
and Kfnsley. which seems to be the
worse place on the road for drifts.
No one who did not visit the big drifts
or see the men at work, can form an
idea of the difficulty the men worked
under.
Last Wednesday afternoon, station
agent Fred Gardner, with fifty men
on a train, made up of two coaches, a
caboose, and four mogul locomotives,
started out to the blockaded train.
We obtained permission to 60 down
and transfer our press rollers that
were on the express car, and with the
great locomotive power, two engines
pulling and two pushing, supposed
we would dash through all obstacles.
When mile and half out the train
came to a stand still, and could not
move either forward or back, and it
took about three hours to dig the train
out so they could get to town. As
soon as the train stopped, all hands
got out and began to shovel; q man
would take up u shovelful of snow,
and before he could throw it from the
track, the wind would take it, whirl
it througe the air, and all of every
shovelful that was thrown out could
be put into pint cup. In reality it
required constant work to keep sho
veler from being drifted under. For
five days the work was kept up with
out gaining a Car length. Thursday
morning the train was showed out Of
sight, and the entrance with coal and
provisions to the eighty passengers
was made by going down q hole be-
tween two cars. It is natural that
delayed passengers should grumble,
and in many instances Of the two
hundred and forty men, women and
children onthe five trains here, it was
a pecuniary loss to be away from their
business, but the railroad company
paid their board, did everything they
could to make them comfortable. and
the passengers eaid they had no COM
plant to make except their i'll luck
In the history of the A., T. l. s. F.
road, they have never experienced
such snow blockades; it is known as
the all-year-round road, and the only
thing they can say now is, that the
present is . rare exception. We un-
derstand that all the Kansas roads
have been blocked, and those north Of
us are much worse off than we are.
sss
The blockade was in the deep cuts
two or three miles east OF the city.
Since that time the cuts have been
enlarged. and the necessary precau-
tons have been used to prevent . re-
currence, should heavy SHOWS come.
Nineteen days after the heavy snow
fall the blockade was relieved, and
the GIosE says Of tho officers engsg-
ed in the work:
Superintendent Nickerson deserve
Z great deal Il credit for his unoeas-
Ing sGdEb in clsering e. txaek q
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