Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-04-03
TRAIN STUCK IN DRIFT
NORTHERN PACIFIC PASSENGERS
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Suffered From Cold and Hunger
Rioting Among Them Over
the Food

\ dispatch from st. Paul. Mimi. ycster-
day says:
Passengers arriving today on a Great
Northern train. due last Friday. tell Of
being snowbound for four days and five
nights on the prairies of North Dakota ia
the midst Of the worst blizzard the north
west has seen In many years with only
food enough for two frugal meals day
and with such an amount of fuel that The
ladies had to wrap themselves in blankets
and the men to wear their oVercoats dav
and night TO keep from freezing.
The train was completely lost TO the
world. Late Thursday afternoon II picked
It's precarious way out Of Nnltston in the
hope Of being able TO reach MinOt some
fourteen miles TO the east. before night Al
most midway, at a little stopping place
called Ray, where there are only a siding.
a water tank and coal shed. the train
was stalled The engineer thought he could
run the engine back to Willston and get
aid, and, taking the conductor with him.
started on the trip. The lone engine was
stuck in drift in a cut a short distance
out of the town and had to he abandoned.
This left the train OF eight coaches and
about 30 passengers alone on the siding.
with all commulIlca don cut off.
Then began the long siege during which
the cold had to be borne and hunger stified.
There was much suffering. There was an
incipient riot on the first day. The second
have as much or more food as the OF hers.
and as they were in larger numbers and
had more ravenous appetites IT was diff
cult to conf;ne them TO their quota. Many
were not willing. as the frst-class passen-
gers insisted. that the women and children
should be fed and taken care Of first. but
after some argument they were prevailed
upon to subside.
Monday evening Prof Colegrove of the
University OF Washington. who had been
respondent and morose. attempted suicide
by cutting his throat with a razor. There
was a physician on the train but he had
no facilities for performing the necessary
operation. and Il was absolutely necessary
to get into communication with one OF the
neighboring towns In their desperation
the passengers broke open everything in the
trains chest and I'm the conductors box
found a telegraph instrument. A young
man, an electrician. faced the blizzard and
tapped one OF the wires and attached the
instrument. He notified the operators at
both Minot and Williston of what had &C.
Cured.
From each place a snowplow was started
In front OF an engine. bearing a surgeon.
The one from Minot. after a hard nights
work. reached the siding early the follow
ing morning. and the wounded man was
removed on the first train to 81. Paul,
where he was cared for at the City Hospi-
tai
The almost famished passengers. who had
suffered from the cold and exposure. were
given food and warm berths I'm the first
tary plow made one trip through the drift
between Ray and Minet. but the snow
piled in so rapidly that IL was necessary
for the rotary to pass through again and
then precede the passenger through the
cut.
Prof Colegrove was brought TO st. Paul
early this morning. The 5ugular vein is
partially severed. and il is not believed he
can recover.
Mr. Colegrove had been III from too close
application 10 work. and had decided to
spend a month with friends and relatives
at Hamilton. y. Y. go
DR.. Colgrove's Friends Surprised.
SEATTLE. Wash, April 3.-Univers.Sy
circles We're startled by the news from st.
Paul last night that DIR. Frederick W. Col
grove. eX-professor of philosophy of the
college. is insane and had attempted sui
eide. Three weeks ago Prof Coigrove and
one Of his classes visited the asylum for
the insane at Stellscoom and studied the
very form of the disease from which he Is
now suffering. Insanity was one of his
specialties.- Until hts resignation the prin-
cipal course in his department was psy-
chiatry. The first term he dealt with de-
generation and the second with insanity
and suicide. He resigned at the end Of the
second term after an exhaustive considera-
ton OF the last named subject. He had
been mentally unbalanced once before.