The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-05-16
Particulars Of the Waterguout Disaster
on the Colorado

Particulars Of the Watersuout Disaster
on the Colorado
Tie correspondent Of the AJto Calitornjcn
gives the following account of the recent
singular disaster on the Colorado river
The unusual storm Of Sunday, l0th inst
notice OF which | sent you by steamer,
was not confined to tins immediate locality.
On the Colorado river, on the afternoon of
the same day, IN What is here known as a
Waterspout, Government train was lost
The tram consisted OF eleven wagons, was
known as Chambers train and was accom-.
panied by one company and a detachment
from another company of the I4th United
StAtes Infantry, under the command Of
lieutenant Ihey had encamped in the
bed OF, and just below the forks of deep
and broad wash. he troops were march
ing to Date Creek and Skull Valley, in
Arizona. The camp was about nine miles
east q the Los PaImos at Canyon Springs
While thus encamped, a small black
cloud suddenly appeared above the horizon,
from which lightning and thunder proceed
ed. A sufficient time hardly elapsed to
observe this cloud when it, or another one
| teeming with electricity made its appear
4
whole heavens We're overcast, and amid
the vivid flashes Of lightning and deafeniug
peaIs OF thunder a shower Of hail CONNER
ced falling which soon became a shower of
| fiat pieces OF ice from two to four inches
square The mules instantly fed before the
| pelting storm to some nelghboriug hills.
| while the men sought shelter under wagons
and the high banks Of the wash An en-
poye a tailfOrulan, who came in with an
! express from the command to the Quarter
master at Wilmington, says he took shelter
in wagon, aud in "a few moments huge
volume of water, the face of which was
nearly or quite three feet nigh, came rush
| lug down the wash. This was soon follow
ed 10y an additional one which cane pouring
onward and which presented a fronc still
higher above he waters of the first.
The water rose IN the wagon in which he
was until it nearly reached the top of the
! bows Of The covering, only few inches of
air beng left TO him beneath the wagon
cover Two men Of the Fourteenth were
drowned and the commanding officer was
carried down the wash III the angry and
boiling food, aud was only rescued from
drowning by an Indian who, standing on
/ the bank, saw The Lieutenant completely
exhausted from batting wish tie Wild
waters, amid tue wreck Of the trees. and
threw bis lIatA over his head aud drew him
t. the shore six wagons were rretrieva-
/ bly, lost, together with nearly all the har-
ness Of lie whole train and the rest Of the
wagons were washed down the torrent.
ovcttgrued, broken. bruised aud scattered
tDr ni'es Commissary stores, with which
the ram had b. en laden ~ ere carried Into
the Silt Lake (tiie great basin of the Col
orado deserD distance Of Is miles from
tue srel Of disaster. The command aud
TIE train are unable to move until resup
pliei wish wagons, harness aud provision.
from the depot at Wilmington. The pro
visions we're nearly all lost Canyon
/, Springs are about 200 miles from this city
on tue La Paz road, by which rout an,
place the command vas marching.