AN MD80 CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS LACK OF INFO FROM FLC ON ENG FAILURE AND LENGTH OF TIME IN AIR BEFORE EMER LNDG.

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DURING TKOF; MYSELF AND THE #3 FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED AN ODD SOUND AND VIBRATION DURING CLB. THEN WE HEARD AND FELT 'BOOM' WHEN I WAS LISTENING TO THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT ON THE PHONE WITH THE FO. I HEARD HIM SAY WE LOST AN ENG AND HE WOULD CALL US BACK. HE TOLD US ABOUT 4 MINS LATER THAT WE HAD LOST THE L ENG; WOULD DUMP FUEL FOR 18-20 MINS AND RETURN BACK TO ORD. 45 MINS LATER WE LANDED IN ORD. THE CAPT KEPT ME SOMEWHAT INFORMED. I DON'T KNOW WHY WE FLEW FOR SUCH A LONG TIME WITH THE SEVERE VIBRATION WE HAD IN THE CABIN. THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT 4 TIMES TO TELL THEM THAT THEY WERE REALLY VIBRATING WORSE AND THE SOUNDS WERE GETTING WORSE. HE JUST KEPT TELLING THEM THAT IT WOULD CONTINUE UNTIL WE LANDED. AGAIN -- WHY FLY FOR SO LONG UNDER EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE CIRCUMSTANCES? MY BIGGEST CONCERNS WERE 2 THINGS: 1) WHY WE WERE UP SO LONG. 2) THE FACT THAT I COULD NOT OPEN THAT COCKPIT DOOR WITHOUT CALLING. I REALIZE THE SECURITY ISSUES ARE TRYING TO BE WORKED THROUGH CONCERNING OUR ACCESS; BUT I FLY #1 ALL THE TIME AND ON SEP/SAT/01 WHEN I WENT TO WORK AND HAD MY KEYS TAKEN; MY CONCERN IMMEDIATELY BECAME A SAFETY ISSUE/EMER AND NOT BEING ABLE TO WHIP MY KEYS OUT AND POP MY HEAD IN TO SEE THE COCKPIT SITS.