National Republican (Washington City

SNOW AND ICE BLOCKADE.

Serious Interruption to Travel by the Weather.

A General Detention of Railroad Trains by Snow—Serious Accident Near Batavia.—Two Locomotive Boilers Exploded—Ice in the Chesapeake—Norfolk Harbor Blockaded by Ice.

Digging Out at Buffalo.

BUFFALO, N. Y., Jan. 6.—No snow fell to-day. The weather is very mild. The main track on the Central road is still closed as far as Rochester, but the efforts put forth will probably result in clearing the track by to-morrow. On the Erie road the Rochester division and the Dansville branch are in order, and the remainder of the road will probably be cleared to-night. The Lake Shore road is again clear. The Pacific express left to-day, and the through train from Chicago, which had been detained at Dunkirk since Thursday, arrived this afternoon.

The Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia road is badly blocked in the vicinity of Aurora. A force of 350 men are engaged shoveling out the snow, and with no further storm it will probably be clear by to-morrow night. The Canada Southern is entirely free from snow and the trains are running regularly. All obstructions on the Great Western are removed, and trains go and come regularly. With the exception of a slight obstruction on the Grand Trunk between Stratford and Goderich, Canada, that road is again clear. Large gangs of men are at work on both ends of the Buffalo and Southwestern road, and it is thought the road will be again in running order by to-morrow night.

BATAVIA, N. Y., Jan 6.—As a snow plow and five engines on the New York Central Railroad were trying to force their way through the snow drifts the plow and four of the locomotives left the track four miles east of here at two o'clock. Two of the locomotives exploded, killing three employees. Three or four other persons are missing. Medical assistance has been sent from this village. It is not yet known how great is the loss of life.

BATAVIA, N. Y., Jan. 6.—Later advices up to five p. m. make the accident four miles from here not so bad as first reported. The men who were missing have been dug out of the debris, and no one was killed. Thomas Lawless, of Buffalo, fireman on engine No. 470, had a leg broken below the knee, and the surgeon had to cut the bones before he could be extricated from between the tender and boiler. The surgeon says he will probably die. Four or five others were injured more or less, but do not require much medical attention. Rumors are conflicting as to whether the locomotive boilers exploded or not.

SYRACUSE, N. Y., Jan. 6.—The Central road direct to Rochester continued closed by the severe accident at Fairport, but it is expected that trains will be got through this evening. The Auburn division is still tightly closed. The Oswego road is expected to be opened to-night. The Northern Railroad cannot start trains before to-morrow. The Binghamton road is in full running order. On the Chenango Valley trains will run this afternoon.

NEW YORK, Jan. 6.—It is expected the Buffalo division of the Erie Railway will be cleared of snow by Tuesday morning, and that passengers from New York by that route Monday night will reach Buffalo at noon Tuesday.

CLEVELAND, OHIO, Jan. 6.—The snow blockade on the Lake Shore Railroad was raised to-day, and trains commenced running between this city and Buffalo. A thorough passenger train for Chicago—the first since last Saturday—leaves Buffalo about one o'clock this afternoon.

NORFOLK, VA., Jan. 6.—The weather has moderated slightly. The harbor is blockaded with ice. A schooner loaded with lumber is well up on the beach at Ocean View. The steamer Norfolk, of the Clyde Line, which left Philadelphia Friday morning, arrived here late last night. Captain Tunnell reports that he encountered a great deal of ice at sea. A large number of schooners are anchored near the shore all along the Virginia coast. In the neighborhood of Smith's Island between seventy-five and one hundred vessels were observed.

The Norfolk started this morning for Smith's Island. The Bay Line steamer, announced to leave Baltimore yesterday morning for this city, was detained on account of the thickness and extent of the ice. The steamers Pimlico, Newbern, and Peter Cooper, of the Old Dominion Line, are frozen up at points in North Carolina, and the Accomac, of the same line, is fast in the ice at Smithfield. The steamships McClellan and William Laurence arrived this morning, and report that they were detained at Sewell's Point, in which neighborhood the ice is very heavy.

New ORLEANS, Jan. 6.—The weather is clear and cold. Last night the mercury in the thermometer went to 20°, which is the lowest temperature since 1857.

VICKSBURG, Miss., Jan. 6.—The mercury last night was down to 12°.

LITTLE ROCK, ARK., Jan. 6.—The thermometer was 4° degrees above zero this morning. The river is closed and the ice five inches thick. Skating is lively in front of the city.