The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-02-16


terday, Arriye-The Columbia
Opera Company Follows Up Its
Adventure With Montana Cow
boys With an Experience in a
snowbank.
There has been no quality that has con-
tributed more 70 the excitement or lie IN
the west during ths past SIX months than
the uncertainty OF the weather n It's at
ttude toward railways. Scarcely have
the great transconjinental systems rem
edied the havoc Of a previous wash0ut or
storm than another flood or avalanche Of
snow comes tumbliug down. twisting
tracks out OF shape or covering them and
everything else in the landscape up with
a fieecy shroud that balls things UP gem
orally, making officials tear out their hair
and giving passengers fine opportunities
10 curse tne roads. their luck and al the
rest Of it. while train dispstchers and OPP
orators generally have worn their fingers
down 10 the bone trying 10 get a. the sit
uation-
Trains due TO arrive In this city yester-
day had not put in an appearance at the
time OF going 10 press this morning, being
wedged in snow banks either in the noun
tains or east of them, where heavy fan
had been making things interesting for the
past forty-etght hours. The Northern Pa
cific train was simply lost over east of e.
Iensburg somewhere, and the Great North
ern was reported at Wellington, with
snow pIowS burrowing holes through the
drifts on both roads 10 make A passage for
the trains behind them. The Great North
ern expected 10 get in by II o'clock, but
the hope was a false one. The Northern
Pacific reported that Il would reach Sc
attic between and O'Clock this morning.
but neither train is expected before late
this morning.
on both trains there are mails and pa
pers. and on the Great Northern the much
discussed Columbia Opera Company Is
hiding its light which should have glim-
mered al the Third avenue theater in La
Mascotte'' last night.
In connection with its adventures with
the elements and the mountain climbing
railroads Of the great West Il Is just as
we'll 10 speak of the other adventures by
flood and field and the hair breadth
'scapes" from the deadly COW punchers
that this now Well-adVertised company
has found itself In since starting across
the country in search Of fame and some
money. Besides the usually dreary waste
OF country, which always make tender
feet sore and homesIck they bumped into
some real adventures when they got 10
Shelby Junction. Montana A gang OF
drunken cowboys set upon the party while
they were waiting in the station and be-
gan insulting the ladies of the company.
As soon as a man entered a protest II was
enough 10 bring down upon him the wrath
OF the entire gang. 10 his partial annihila-
ton. Messrs. Keilum. Bartlett. Rogers
and Reynolds ware knocked down and
beaten and cut. and everybody else was
scared to death. After getting through
with It ali and playing Spokane. where the
papers made much Of the adventure, the
company starts sayly out for Seattle, just
IN time TO get caught in a snow storm
that loses a night for them and ties them
up at a mountain pass station with the
white stuff up TO their knees. Ii : ex-
pected that all OF the voices viii be thawed
out tonight. when they viii sing the tune
full "Mascotte."
The Storm.
The North Pacific coast is just now ex-
peTiencing one OF the periodical blows
and beating rain storms that have marked
the winter of 1861. Each one OF the
preceding gales has commenced in the
Middle West. with Billiards and deep
snow storms working toward the coast
10 the mountains. when its back has
been broken. Its effect west OF the noun
tains has been generally felt in rain and
warm winds. winding up with hurricane
OF greater or less proportions. mere Was
/ a percePtlbe tau IN the thermometer in
the late hours OF yesterday afternoon. and
a Qroportiouste rise with more rain later
1T night what promised 10 be a clear
and cold day does not az this hour bear
out in any measure such promise. Al
most inCessaut rain with clustering wind.
changing 10 a light mist. and again an
inciDient shower. The reports from out
side the city are varytng. To the cast
stories OF snow and cold, and on the coast
the same conditions as prevail in Seattle
Since Thursday three feet OF snow has
fallen In the Cascade mountains. Increas-
4 ing the average depth OF snow on both
sides az the Northern Pacific tunnel 20
eleven feet. The track is being kept clear
BY the use OF rotaries An engine and
ordinary snow piow which were clearing
The track jumped the track at Gle Elum
yesterday noon.
During part OF Sunday night and yes
terday gale has blown from the south
west at the rate Of forty-two miles per
hour. During the twenty-four hours end
Ing az D. N. one and third inches OF
rain fell. making the rainfall since Feb
ruary Al inches. Yesterday afternoon
g squaH struck the Emerson school build
Ing, at Tacoma. shaking il severely and
/ blowing IN two windows.