The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-03
CAUGHT IN THE BLIZZARD.
Heroic Work of G.. N. Engineer
and Fireman.

ana FIREMAN. r.
The blizzard which cut off the entire
Northwest last week from the civilized
world, brought out many acts of hero
ism which will long be remembered
Train hands on ali roads experienced
great hardships in their efforts to bring
their trains in. A gentleman who ar
rived from the Northwest yesterday on
the Great Northern, relates an exciting
time at Stephen, N. d. The train was
eastbound and was making a deter
mined effort to keep ahead of the storm
which was following them very closely
But at Stephen, the blizzard overlook
the fleeing train and it was Immediate
ly realized that things must come to
a stand still
The engine was manned by Engineer
Winney and Fireman Cowan. The
| two engine men uncoupled the loco
motive at Stephen and ran ahead a
quarter of a mile in order to fill the tank
with water. They made the tank all
| right, but on backing up, found that
the storm had cut them off from the
train. The storm continued to Increase
in violence and the cold in it's intensity.
The train naturally depended upon the
engine for steam to heat the cars and
as the passengers and train men re-
allied that the engine was cut off from
them, fires were lighted in the car
heaters.
In the meantime, the engineer and
fireman were making heroic efforts to
get back to their train With difficulty
the engine was kept alive. The lunches
of the engine crew was all they had
for SuStenance and they did not know
how long they might be snow bound at
the tank. However, they determined
to make the trial. The two shoveIed
fUriously and after opening up ten or
fifteen feet would back the engine full
speed and hold her there while they re-
newed the attack on the fast increasing
drifts. 1t seemed a hopeless task.
Much time was necessary to keep the
engine in working order and to prevent
the various pipes from freezing. This
delayed the work Of opening the pas
sage.
Hour after hour Engineer Winney
and Fireman Cowan stuck to their
work until they were nearly famished
and frozen stiff. Between their attacks
on the snow, they Rugged the great
open door of the fire hole and drank
hot water from the engine to keep
warm. Then they went at it again
with renewed courage. Little by little
the engine was brought nearer and
nearer to the train. That quarter of a
mile seemed thrice it's real length.
During the whole long night the cour-
ageous and persevering men worked
like Troians, and after fourteen hours
of battle they brought the Recovered
locomotive back to the snow covered
train. They were welcomed with
cheers Engineer Winney's face was
badly frost bitten and swollen and the
hands and face Of the fireman were
also severely nipped.
After attaching the train and wait
ing a while the blizzard abated some
what. the train was started again, this
time head on The cars were carried
forward a few hundred yards and then
i stopped, backed up and butted the
drifts repeatedly, the weary engine and
train crews sticking to their posts. The
snow filled the cab and the fireman
was required to shovel it out contin-
ually. After hours and hours of work,
the train arrived at Crookston, and
laid over at that point until Monday
evening.
The engine was a veritibIe ice bank
FIe. ice reached in an unbroken cake
from the tip of the pilot to the top
of the stack The end of the boiler and
the head light were completely hidden
from view. The working parts of the
engine even were SO incruSted with
| ice and sleet that locomotion was very
difficult. Ice covered the spokes of the
/ wheels, the front of the cab; it hung
in cakes. from underneath the boiler;
| and even the heat of the engine failed
fO melt it.