Big Hold-Up; Hundreds Marooned

Northern Advocate, 1 February 1940, Page 5

Big Hold-Up; Hundreds Marooned

(Received noon.)

LONDON, January 31

“We are absolutely starving and unable to get supplies fr<jm the village. “Ther.e are 400 people sleeping all over the building.

“Some women and children are ill and unable to leave their beds.”

This message was received in London by telephone from, the proprietress of a lonely hotel at the Moorland village ’ of Crawford, Lancashire, shortly before a relief train got through. Isolated for 4 Days. Those marooned were mostly bus and train passengers. They were taken to the station and departed for Glasgow after four days of complete isolation. Ten passengers, suffering from bad chills, remained behind.

Arrangements are being made to drop food by plane for the remainder of the beleaguered community.

Fourth Day of Hold-up.

This marks the fourth day of the great weather hold-up of British road and rail traffic. So far there has been no marked improvement in the situation anywhere.

Railwaymen are working all night and all day under the most rigordus conditions in an endeavour to make the lines suitable for traffic and bring relief to isolated country centres.