Evening star., 1952-01-15
Two Relief Trains
Push 10 Rescue
|226 in Blizzard
'RoiI Official Reaches
StreomIiner;; Finds
Passengers Okoy
BY the Associated Press

stranded in the Sierra with 226
persons aboard.
r. D. Spence, Southern Pacific
trainmaSter at Crystal Lake, in
the high mountains. reported to
San Francisco headquarters that
he reached the stranded train at
7:50 am. (PST), walked through
all the coaches, and found no one
in desperate plight. All had
blankets and there was enough
food for the day, Mr.. Spence said.
The rescue trains were working
toward the stranded Streamliner,
the Southern Pacific's City of San
Francisco. from both sides of the
Sierra. At $3.50 am. (PST) the
eastbound train was reported at
Dutch Flat, about % miles from
the streamliner.
New Storm Hits Section.
A new storm centered near tho
mouth of the Columbia River
brought more rain to CALIFORNIA;
lowlands, and piled up more snow
in the mountains. It was the
worst storm in so years, the
Weather Bureau said. More than
an inch of rain fell in Santa
Barbara early today, and Oak
land had 1923 inches in the "A
hours ended at 8 am. today.
The two rescue trains driving
through the drifts toward the
stranded streamliner were
equipped with powerful snow
plows. Both carried doctors.
Three Army weasels-amphibi-
GUS jeeps with caterpillar treads-
and two radio-equipped highway
patrol cars were on fiat cars Of
the train boring east from Colfax.
about IS miles from Sacramento.
It's about Is miles from Colfax
to the Snowbound streamliner.
The second relief train, carry
ing dogs, dog sleds and med
ical supplies, plowed west from
Truckee. 81 miles from the City
Of San Francisco.
r. r. Miles, Southern Pacific. s
chief dispatcher at Sacramento,
said this morning well have them
out of there this forenoon. Every
thing looks favorable now. In
fact, it looks very good"
16-Car Passenger Train.
Following the eastbound rescue
train is a 16-car passenger train
with II Pullman cars.
The stranded passengers are to
be taken to Sacramento on this
emergency train.
The weStbound City of San
Francisco was a victim of a
storm which lashed the
West Coast from Canada to Mex
leo. The bowling gales piled deep
snow drifts in the mountains,
dumped flooding rain& on already
sodden lowlands and sent tower
ing waves smashing against sea
walls.
A weasel from a utilities COM
pany maintenance crew and a
group of Skiers reached the
streamliner from Soda Springs,
about IA miles away yesterday.
The weasel carried 400 pounds of
food. blankets and medical sup
plies.
Still Showing at Site.
Mr.. Olson said it was showing
with winds from Is to so miles
at the train site.
Hundreds of persons-traveIers
and residents - were marooned
by the storm. Exactly how many
was anybody's guess.
Communications were disrupted
IN many places. Some communi-
ties were cut off. Avalanches
roared into canyons, killing at
least three persons.
A rancher was missing and
feared lost. A minister whose car
was stalled in a snowdrift died Of
exertion after making his way up
a steep grade on foot.
The Red Cross reported about
120 motorists were stranded by n
blizzard on Highway 395 north
west Of Reno. They found shelter
at Stead Air Force Base, now be-
ing reactivated. Only a few air.
men were there and food was re-
ported low. A Greyhound bus took
~ Of the motorists to Reno.
Highway Workers Give Up.
The California division of high
ways reported it temporarily had
given up trying to clear trans
continental highways q. s. 40 and
SO over the Sierra except for res
cue operations. Strong winds
piled deep drifts behind the
snowplows.
Southern Pacific officials said
the plan for rescue Of the stream
liner passengers was to take the
Army's weasels as close as pos
sible to the train, then send them
crunching over the deep snow to
the City Of San Francisco and re-
turn the passengers to the relief
train. The streamliner has a crew
Of 30.
1t was estimated the relief train'g
rotary plow could chew its way to
within 3 miles of the stalled city
Of San Francisco.
The train was stalled near
Oonner Summit. about $50 air
miles northeast Of San Francisco.
That is the area where, in the
winter Of 1867. the Donner party
of ~ perished on its long, covered
wagon trek TO California.
Among the trains passengers
we're some delegates to the Repub-
lean National Committee meeting
'pening in San Francisco to-
morrow.