Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-08-19

NEyApA D1Getras, RocKY
MovsTAsss. x. T.. July 20.

Movs1 Asss, K. T, July 90
Ia 10Y last omitte ] to mention the
death Of seventeen men ~ fire. The
mountains are covered with heavy
bodies Of all kinds Of pine timber,
which, when once ignited, is far more
dangerous 10 them that are caught
within its bounds, than it is TO those
who are. caught on the prairie when
the tall dry grass Of that place is on !
FIRE. II is not the swiftness Of the |
mountain fire that renders it 90 dan
gerors-but the heavy thick smoke
that arr7oes from this fire, from the
spruce pine, and spreads with the wind,
suffocating every living thing which
has the i'll luck Of being caught BY it.
The money and all the small articles
the men had abont them, were found
in string for some distance. They
had thrown them away to tighten them
90 as to be able to escape. But
alas, their bodies we're found with
their faces to the ground, Showing
that they sntfocated with the smoke)
in which way they died before the fire
which, when it did, burnt them
to cinder, together with their mules
and dogs. All that was known Of the
seventeen was that two were from
Lexington, ky,onc from Pttsburg and
one from st. Louis. On the day before
yesterday man By the name of Broom
from Ohio was killed on the adjoining
claim by the falling of a tree
which they had undermined. 1t
caught his head on rock and crushed
it to atoms. lie was decently inferred.
and the following narrative was given
by one OF his neighbors His name
was Broom, he has lived for some
time in the southern part of Meigs
county, Ohio | was in company with
him in California, where he remained
for three years; he was fortunate; re-
turned home, where he was always
respected by his fellow citizens; he
leaves wifeand one child to mourn his
loss" The company which l mention.
ed in my last, that went to wreak ven
geance on the Utah's for the murder
Of Shank and his partner, has retnrn-
ed after an absence of eight days.
They say they were compelled to
return for want Of provisions, that they
were out OF provisions for six hours
But it seems, the truth of the case is
thus, that they spent their time in
prospecting, went to the place where
the murder was committed, saW "nora"
IYun = but plenty OF snow-which
had such an effect upon the captain as
to induce him to call ont in a stentor.
an voice, right about, face, forw ard,
march," aud they suited the word with
the action, for they came back in
double quick time, gave up their ponies
and mules, (tor | don't think there was
one man in the company that had one
OF their own in the expedition) and
resumed their various occupations !;
from gambling to digging. New
discoveries are being made every day.
On Friday last a company OF young
men, mostly from Chicago-discover-
ed lead which pays one dollar and
thirty cents to the pan. They had
worked at it at intervals for two weeks
before they found the crevice. It's on
the east slope of the NeAada precinct,
(which seems to be general thing
here; that all the good paying leads
are on the Fast and North East side of
the mountains).
On Saturday last, a man by the
name OF Peck, from Lucas county,
Iowa, discovered while working in his
gulch claim, small crevicc, which, on
being opened, seemed to contain silver.
He took out about a pound, and it
proved to be heavier than black sand,
or iron ore, quantities Of the latter
being found IN every painful of dirt
taken out of the gulches). No one
close by, or at least any person that
has seen it as yet, can clearly define
what it is, but suppose it to be silver.
II it is silver (Which l at present be.
iieve) Peck will make his fortune on
that one gulch claim, (hesices another
claim which he will be entitled to, for
the discovery. Iron ore is supposed
to exist in greater quantities than has
, been yet discovered. Three mines oil
stone coal have already been discover.
ed on the bottom-one near Denver
City, one near Arappahe City, and
one at Boulder City-though all being
OF an inferior quality but it is sup
posed it will turn ont better when
worked.
:, OF ali the Californians, and Aus.
! tralians, that have had any CONVEX
sation with, all agree in the same
e thi. g, that this Is Tor will be when fully
discovered, Or prospected,) by far .
richer country than either Californ;s
or Australia. While writing, one O
my partners (R. Shoals, formerly o
: Davenport, came IN with pan O
: dirt, which he got out of hole on {
]. claim, about one mile from heie, thai
E was discovered week or so ago. The
owner Of the claim wants to sell. HI
: has been in the mountains six weeks
but has been sick most of the time
!, He received letter from home stating
that his family were sick he wants L
. go home, and offers to sell his claim
for one yoke Of cattle. We washed
the pan Of dirt, and there was exactl,
: one half pennyweight of fine gold
: which is torty-five cents.
The air in the mountains ia yer,