Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-16
4 7 RAINS
DUGOUT OF
DRIFTS IN
The WEST
ResCuers Reach Them Near
HOSkins and Phillips; Red
Cross Gives Aid
in Kansas.

the midwest in the fierce blizzard
Thursday, were delayed from two
to four days in deep snowdrifts in
the storm zone.
Food for the passengers was rush
ed to the trains on special cars and
snowshoes from nearby towns.
After spending three days in snow
covered coaches two and one-half
miles north of Hoskins, Neb., on the
Norfolk branch of the Minneapolis
and Omaha line, nearly SO passen-
gers emerged from l6-foot drift at
5:45 o'clock yesterday afternoon.
The train proceeded to Sioux City,
and carried many Omaha people.
When the railroad officials heard
of the delay of the passenger train
in the blizzard since Thursday after
noon, they sent special string of
coaches filled with food to the suf-
fering passengers.
Firemen on the train shoveled
snow into the boilers to keep up
steam, and the engineer sent word
to Hoskins for fuel. A rescue train
left Norfolk at 2 a. M. Friday, fol-
lowing a snow plow, but was stalled
in l2-foot drifts two miles west of
the delayed passenger train.
Another rescue train, sent out
from Sioux City, was stalled four
miles east of the snow-covered
coaches.
Rescue Train at Phillips.
Passengers on a local train on the
Aurora branch of the Burlington,
stalled for three days in a snow drift
near Phillips, Neb., were relieved at
8 o'clock last night, when rotary
snow plows cut an opening. The
train reached Grand Island last
night. Traffic on the main line of the
Burlington between Lincoln and Den
yer was still badly dernoralized last
night. Trains are stalled along the
line, the worst condition being be-
tween Hastings and the town of
Juniata.
Conditions on the Billings, Mont,
line were somewhat improved, but
ali trains are hours late. No at
tempt is being made to move
freights.
Red Cross Aids Snowbound.
Denver, Colo, Feb. 15.-Passen-
gers on Union Pacific train No. 119,
which arrived in Denver this after
noon 48 hours late, after spending
two days behind a snow bank at
Russell, Kan, brought with them
tribute to the Russell chapter OF the
American Red Cross, which, for two
days, brought them food and COM
forts. The Kansas women did every
thing possible, the passenger said,
for their comfort during the time
they were forced to wait for work
men to clear the tracks.
The Union Pacific Kansas City
train was the first to arrive in Den
ver from the east since Wednesday
night, when the storm began, which
tied up rail and wire transportation
throughout Kansas and Nebraska.
Conditions were rapidly nearing nor
NAL today, Kansas and Nebraska
railroad lines being cleared and the
various wire services restoring traf-
fic conditions rapidly.
The Western Union Telegraph
company's wires were nearly normal
tonight and the Postal Telegraph
company had gotten through Ne
braska. Telephone wires were oper-
ating today and it was believed that
by Monday morning both rail and
wire traffic conditions would be fully
restored.
Storm Bound in Kansas.
Salina, Kan, Feb. 15.-Passengers
on a Union Pacific train, which was
caught in the storm Wednesday
west Of Salina, had nothing to eat
but eggs taken from an express car
and went without sleep for more
than 4S hours, according to stories
of passengers who arrived here to-
day. L. F. Dennis of Salina told
how the men on the train, including
a wounded soldier, wrapped clothes
about their heads and after tying
themselves together plowed and
crawled through snowdrifts over
their heads, to the nearest town for
food.
Mr.. Dennis declared the coach was
rocked by the gale until those within
feared it would be blown from the
rails. He SAID the snow finally
buried the coaches. Drifts 80 feet
deep, he said. are no longer a marvel
in the storm-swept area.
This tiain was the first on the
Union Pacific line which has
reached here since Wednesday. Two
snow plows preceded it into Salina.
The location Of al other Union Pa
cife trains. officials stated, were un-
known, but constant efforts are be-