Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-03-06

hoped to gain the boat before the full
force of the storm should come upon us.
The valley was still very marrow here,
and the difficulties Of the way little less
than those we had passed. Breathlessly
and exhausted we approached an angle
in the canon, which would lead US into
the broader valley, where there was COM
parative safety. Had we known the near
danger that awaited us we might, by un-
usual exertion, have reached it and found
security. But it was now too late.
The sky became suddenly DARK as
night; the air trembled oonvulsively (;
the earth vibrated beneath our feet and
gave forth the rumbling echoes of dis.
taHt thunders. Then came a Tremendous
shock, like the giving way of the founda-
tions of the earth. We staggered blindly,
like drunken men; the forest trees
swayed TO and fro and fell 10 the ground,
uptorn at the roots or broken iu twain /;
huge bouldsrs were torn loose, ard came
crashing down the mountain aide.
An exclamation of horror fell from the
lips of Benton, aud his checks were
blanched with fear. We turned our eyes
toward the dark opening of the chasm
behind us, and beheld sight which froze
the blood in every vein with excess OF
terror. A mountainous wave of water,
which filled the full width and height OF
the gorge, and poured over the cliff
above like the volume Of Niagara, swept
resistlessly down the valley toward US,
burying aud destroying everything be-
fore it.
For a moment we were chained inn
moveably to the spot with horror. Then,
the instinct of self.prsservation asserting
itself, an effort was made to reach the
turn of the valley, where escape might
be possible. The mighty wave was upon
US. 1t clutched after US with it's tapping
arms. A lifetime hung upon the turn of
every second. gn
With the energy of despair we sprang
into the last intervening neck OF the
canon--the expanding valley was within
dozen PAGES. One fell, God help him,
and the greedy waters rolled above him.
No pause; no glance behind. Another
effort, aud the open ground was reached.
Five Of our party instinctively turned
aside-behind the angle of the rocky
gateway-while the rest, panic stricken,
continued straight on. An instant only
and they were hidden from our sight for
ever, overwhelmed by the mountainous
wave. % a f
The whole valley was instantly filled
with the food, and the tide leaped up
about US, but, out of the clutches of the
sweeping current, we barely saved our
selves by clinging to rocks and the roots
of trees, which enabled us to climb
higher out Of reach of the water.
Overcome with the great exertion we
fell down upon the rocky mountain side,
heartily thanking God for our wonderful
delivcrsnce from the jaws of death, which
had robbed us of four of our less fortu-
nate companions. t1I
In less than an hour the food had
subsided, and we slowly male our way
down the valley where SO recently the
torrent had rolled thirty feet in depth.
Sadly we looked as we passed for the
bodies of poor Healey and the three un-
fortunate sailors who had been swept
away, but we looked in vain. They were
never discovered. The valley was swept
bare of trees and logs as though an ava
lanche had passed over the ground
Our boat had been borne away by the
torrent, we found, and the negro boy
that had been left in charge of it was
drowned. The former was discovered
next morning drifting bottom upward in
the bay. 1t was night ere we gained the
beach at the mouth of the Rio de Luzza.
A signal with lighted torch brought
boat to our relief from the ship. and Eor-
rowinglJ we returned on board.
AIFOH.