The Mankato free press., 1905-02-24
Resisting Power Of the "Beau-
tifuI" Is Something Awful.
Trouble in Keeping Up Steam
and Supplying Warmth.
Trainmen Have Troubles That
People Know Not OF.

From Mondays Daily.
Engineer Page of the Great Western
writes the following to The Free Press
in a blizzard:
''We left Usage, Iowa, at 1920 p. IN.
for Mankato via Rochester and Red
Wing. a ZIG mile run. 1t had showed
considerably the night before and
strong west wind commenced to blow
about noon, and developed into regu-
lar blizzard. We got reports of snow
drifts all along the line, varying from
two to four feet deep, and from 100 to
400 feet in length. We cut through
these drifts and arrived at Pine Island
about two hours late, which, we
thought, was fine, considering what we
had to contend with.
''At Pine Island we were informed
that the snow was fright between
that station and Lena, especially two
drifts, one three feet deep and 800
400 feet long.
81 stopped back about one mile from
the first drift, got the engine in good
shape, took run for it and struck it
at about thirty five miles per hour and
went through it, but the cab windows
on the fireman's side were smashed in,
and the cab and tank filled with snow.
The speed of the train was reduced from
thirty-five miles an hour to five miles
an hour in that one drift, which will
give some idea of the resisting power
of a snow drift.
"We got snow fence boards and
boarded up the broken windows, shovel
ed the snow out of the cab, got the en-
gine in good shape and started for
the next drift. The track being on a
rising grade, could not get quite so
good run, but struck the drift at
about twenty five miles per hour, went
half way through and stopped.
"In front of the engine the snow drift
was nearly up to the headlight. The
engine and coaches were plugged in so
tight that it was impossible to move an
inch either back or ahead.
Conductor Mcclure, who is an ex-
cellent man in time of emergency, saw
that it would be hopeless to attempt to
get out alone, and knowing that anoth-
er train was to follow us out of
Rochester, started back in the binding
snow to protect his train, and arrange
for the comfort of the passengers.
''The steam on my engine soon COM
menced to get low for want of draft
through the fire, and as | had to keep
the coaches supplied with steam for the
comfort of the passengers, l had to de-
wise means to get steam, and it took
myself and the fireman two hours to
dig down through the snow and get a
draft on the fire CRATES underneath the
engine.
''The passengers were kept very COM
Portable until Conductor Mcclure made
excellent arrangements for their remov-
al by tagging Northwestern passen-
ger train. Just here | would like to
say word about the Northwestern
crew. / understood from Mcclure that
the Northwestern conductor seemed
pleased that be could help us out and
the engineer came to me and said, My!
You're in tight fix there, amt you !?
Is there anything l can do to help you?
| thanked him and told him, NO. He
said, My! How I would like to help
you in some way if could
81 never saw that engineer before that
| knew of. i may never see him again
] don't even know his name, but, who
ever he was, he was gentleman, and
his kind sympathetic words will never
die while my memory lasts.
"The relief train found it impossible
to get near lis for many hours, and
when they did get to us, found it i'm
possible to move my engine, as it was
leaking, and the wheels were frozen in
a bed of ice, which had to be picked
out after the snow was shoveled off.
"The relief crew, consisting of one
engine and twenty five men in charge of
Roadmaster Hanson got out the two
coaches, and Mcclure told me he would
take the two coaches to Pine Island and
come back and help me get my engine
out.
81 asked him to return as quickly as
possible as my fuel was running low
and We were getting short of water