Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-10-25
SUFFERING ON THE DESERT.

The following additional particulars
in regard to the perils Of the Colorado
Desert are from the Alta of October 90:
Levi Murphy, an old resident of San
Francisco, who arrived here from the
Great Central mine, at Williams Fork,
Arizona, by the steamer 0rizaba, on
Monday, gives US the particulars of the
death of o young man from San Fran
cisco, by thirst on the desert. Murphy
and the deceased young German,
who went by the name Of Parker, though
that is supposed to have been IN alias
started from Willow Springs, on the
California side of the Colorado river, IL
miles this side of Bradshaw's Ferry, on
foot, on Sunday, the 9th instant, in-
tending to make Chucalwalla, Al miles
on the road toward San Bernardino,
sometime during the following night.
On the road the young man told Murphy
that he was q deserter from the Eighth
Cavalry, and that his parents resided in
San Francisco, his father being mu-
stefan. He said that his age was about
20 years, and that he deserted from the
vicinity Of Prescott. They expected to
get water at Mule Springs, rs miles east
of Chucalwalla, but did not find a drop.
They stayed, however, over night at
that point, having found wet sand, and
hoping to strike water by digging after
daylight on Monday morning. Not sue
ceeding, however, they started on, and
about Q o'clock the young man laid
down under q tree. Murphy gave him
all the water he had, and told him to
remain quiet where he was, and if he
succeeded in reaching Chucalwalla he
would send an Indian back with water
for him. Murphy then started on, but
soon fell down on the road from ex-
haustion, after having thrown away
his blankets, boots and everything else
which encountered his progress. He
managed to crawl under a tree, from
which no made numerous unsuccessful
efforts to get a fresh start before night,
the sun causing him to faint every time.
At length the cool Of night came on
and raised his strength to such an ex-
tent that he was able to move along the
road once more, and ultimately to reach
Ch~ucalwalla about daylight on Tuesday
morning, having been all night travel
ing seven miles. Murphy then sent an
Indian back with two canteens of water
to the spot where he had left his COM
panion. The Indian went back to the
place and found that the poor fellow
had in his delirium got up and wandered
back to the road towards La Paz, going
directly away from the water. The In
dian followed the trail for eight miles,
| and then returned to Chucalwalla. A
second party having been sent out,
found the body Of the unfortunate man
by the side of the road, about five miles
west Of the slough, sixteen miles from
| the Colorado river. Had he remained
| where he was he would have been res
cued, and had he been able to keep on
| five miles further he would have found
water in abundance. He had hung to
| his old blankets-of which he had two
pairs-and all his other traps to the last.
In dying he had made his bed as if for
sleeping, and was found with his head
pillowed on one of the blankets, which
he had rolled up for the purpose. What
little money he had was found in his
shoe. As no had stated that he was q
Catholic, Thomas Matthews, who found
the body, buried it on a mesa by the side
| of the road and erected n cross over the
grave. Murphy, who is IN old frontier
man, speaks of the heat on the desert as
being terrible in the extreme, equal to
anything he had ever seen in Arizona in
| midsummer. The wind seemed hotter
than the still air itself, fairly blistering
| the skin as it touched it. After lying
sick from his exhaustion and sufferings
for FIVE days at Chucalwalla, he was
able to continue his journey, and ar
rived at San Bernardino, where he re-
joined his wife, who had crossed the
desert before him.
At Dos Palmot, where Herman Ehren-
berg was murdered by IN Indian last
year, on the desert near the Lake OF
| Salt, which once formed the upper arm
of the Gulf of California, there was for
merly q hot spring, beside which stood
a noble palm tree, one of those from
which the place took its name. The
waters Of this spring are so highly
charged with sulphur and soda US to be
nauseous to the taste to an intense de-
gree. Last Spring, q spring of pure
cold water burst out near this hot spring
from the rugged volcanic rocks by
which the valley is surrounded. Five
days before Murphy arrived there
about the 10th or 18th inst.-an earth
quake of terrific violence shook the
whole face Of the valley, and q second
spring Of pure, clear, cold water broke
out from o wide assure in the earth
opened by the shock. The spring was
still running when Murphy left. There
is an active mud volcano q few miles
below Dos Palmos, on the eastern side
of the desert, and the whole locality
smells of the internal regions. No dis
| trict in the State is more worthy of a
visit from the scientific than that around
Dos Palmos, and we trust that the phe-
nomena there occurring will be noted
and reported on by somebody better
able than ourself to do the subject
justice.
Murphy is stopping at the residence
of Picket, on Washington street, Mt the
corner of Taylor, where the friends Of
the young man who died on the desert
con ohtain fnrther Darticulars.