The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-04-04
STORY OF THE LAST GREAT
NORTHERN BLOCKADE.
MUTINY AMONG TOURISTS
Passengers OF Forward Cars Appoint
Committee to Take Charge Of
Diners-Attempt at Suicide.

gers on n delayed Great Northern
coast train, which reached st. Paul at
Z O'Clock, being four days late, report
some experiences which rival in their
exciting nature any tales OF that other
remarkable blockade OF two weeks
ago.
The train which should have reach
ed st. Paul at 2:30 o'clock Saturday
reached the blockade near Williston,
N. D., last Friday night at 10 O'Clock.
The storm was at its height but 1t
was thought that II some Of the rear
coaches were %uncoupled the train
might get through. The train pro.
ceeded but near q small telegraph
Office called Rae, the train struck an
immense drift and became stalled.
From that time until Tuesday morn
Ing not a wheel was turned.
The record OF those four days will
not soon be forgotten. It included
mutiny among the passengers Of the
tourists cars and an attempt at sui
eide by q professor Of philosophy, a
New York man, brought to the verge
OF insanity. In addition to these
things the passengers suffered no lit
tie from cold and confinement, and
would have suffered keenly from lack
OF food, had not the train finally been
released. AS 1t was meals in the din
ing cars were restricted to two a day.
After "a hours OF delay the passen-
gers in the tourist cars, who were
rather a rough lot Of people, began to
clamor for food. There were one or
two alleged lawyers among them, who
declared that after a train had been
blockaded for "a hours the railroad
company was expected to- furnish food
free Of charge. To this the dining
car conductor replied that he had new
er received such instructions, al
though he vas sorry to see anyone
suffer from hunger. Saturday night
the people In the tourist cars appoint
ed a committee Of seven men to set
tie the question by heroic measures.
The men were told to- 60 back to the
dining cars and inform those in charge
that the people in the colonist cars
would have to be fed, and that, too,
without cost to themselves. They al
so declared that until the tourist car
passengers were fed, no n else on
the train should eat a bite. At that,
the committee took possession OF the
diner. Conductor W. P. Fullerton,
who also had charge Of the Great
Northern sleeping cars, consulted
with some OF the passengers, and 1t
was agreed that as a matter Of com
mon fairness the people In the for.
ward cars should be fed. This was
done, and not q sleeping car passen-
ger got a bite until the Others were
through.
Next day the provisions a short,
and cases Of canned salmon and other
express matter from the forward ex-
press cars were conflscated. In addi-
ton, the passengers in the sleeping
cars formed a commissary committee,
which on Monday managed to get to
some ranches near by and get some
provisions.
The man who attempted suicide was
Professor F. w. Colgrove, who until
recently occupied the chair Of philos-
ophy in the University Of Washington,
Seattle. Professor Colgrove was en-
route to- his home at Hamilton, N. Y.
He Ia 46 years Of age and has q wife
and two children living ait Hamilton
He acted strangely while the train
was delayed. Monday evening he
drew a knife while in the presence of
half q dozen other passengers and
slashed his throat. The wound was
dressed as we'll as possible, and Pro
lessor Colgrove was brought here. He
was violent during the rest of the
trip.