The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-02-19

evening, when a train that had left
hereNHe day before returned from
Glenafve, beyond which point it had
not attempted to proceed.
The stories told by the trainmen
and the few passengers with them
were ~hair-curling. To attempt a de-
scription Of the weather beyond Wi
baux, they said, was impossible. The
storm that was raging there was un-
doubtedly the worst recorded in years.
One train, Tuesday nights No. 4,
was held at Glendive, another was
snowbound at Wibaux and still a third
was stalled at Dickinson, neither able
to move, although the track was clear
between Glendive and Wibaux, but
no room existed there for the accom-
mediation Of the one held at this end
Of the division.
The worst of the storm seemed to
be between Dickinson and. Mandan.
Somewhere between those points
snowplow and engine was supposed to
be, but nobody knew it's exact loca-
ton and presumably it had become
tel up. Because of the Fcy-.fic wind
that prevailed it was useless to at
tempt to keep the track clear, as
e. drifts formed as fast as the old
ones we're removed.
Road Open Again.
Wednesday night the storm began
to subside and it was possible to
clear the road for traffic. A snowplow
propelled by five locomotives arrived
at Glendive sometime between We'd
nesday night and Thursday morning
and reported that traffic had been re-
stored, although it was not known
whether it would be for long, as indi-
cations favored another storm. The
trains that had been held there were
moved and yesterday morning two
Nos. 8 arrived within a few hours OF
each other. Subsequently the North
Coast Limited made it's appearance
n proceeded west.
Heavy Losses Sustained.
Additional to the losses always sus
tanned by railroads incident to a sus-
pension of traffic, reports of individual
losses as a result of the storm r also
received. In the latter instance ship
pers of livestock were the ones who
suffered. Among those damaged is
said to be Frank Summers of this
city.
Mr.. Summers had a trainload, IL
cars, of sheep that he held here a
number of days on the advice of the
company, which declined to receive
them for shipment to the east because
of the stormy weather that prevailed
in Dakota last week. He finally loaded
and got as far as Glendive, where he
was obliged to stop and unload for
the same reason. After holding his
sheep there five days he decided to
70 once more, although it is claim
ed that he was advised against it
by the officers OF the road, signing, it
is said, a release in case of loss on
account of delay Or destruction OF
animals by reason of the cold.
How far he managed to get into the
storm belt is not known, but it was
somewhere beyond Beach, near the
Montana-Dakota line, before disaster
overlook him. According to some OF
those who claimed to know he sus-
tanned almost total loss, about every
one Of his sheep freezing to death.
One account had it that he lost all,
while another was to the effect that
the bulk of his shipment had persisted
and that another shipper had lost
to about the same extent.
Whether others also lost could not
be learned yesterday, but in view OF
the severity of the storm and its long
duration it was the belief of trainmen
and others that shipments made prior
to those from these parts were caught
and that in consequence great de-
struction Of all kinds Of livestock
would undoubtedly be heard of later.