Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-06-07

TERRIBLE CATASTRoPHE.-A terrible anC
extraordinary catastrophe occurred on the 24tl
April, on the Concho river, in Texas. Col.
Merriam, of the Twenty. fourth Infantry, was
travelling from III Paso to the Texan coast.
They camped for the night at the head OF the
Concho, which is formed by the junction OF
the rills of water from several large springs,
which have been damned into ponds by the
wild beaver.
The stream at this point is so small that a
man can step across it anywhere. The banks
we're ten feet above.the bed of the water.
Early in the evening Col. Merriam was reused
by the signs of of an approaching storm. The
tent was fastened and made secure as possible,
and about 9 o'clock hail storm burst upon
them accompanied by some rain and strong
wind. The fall of hail was unprecedented
lasting until nearly II, the stones being of the
size OF hen eggs, and striking the tent aud
prairie with noise xlike near and incessant
muskery.
The Colonel, who was not ignorant ct the
sudden and extreme overhows to which the
mountain streams Of Texas are liable, went out
iLto the darkness, as soon as the storm had
ceased, to note what effect had been produced
on this rivulet. To his amazement, he found
in the formerly almost dry bed of the creek,
resistless torrent loaded and filled with hail,
aS river of oil
He at once saw the danger, and ran back to
the tent shouting to the escort and servants to
turn out. He placed Mrs. NJ, the child aud
nurse in the carriage, and with the aid of three
men started to run with it 10 the higher ground
distance of not more than sixty yards Scarce.
ly a minute had elapsed from the time the
alarm had been given, but already the water
had surged over the bank in waves OF such
volume and force as to sweep the party from
their feet before they had traverscd thirty
yards.
The Colonel called for assistance on some
cavalry soldiers who had just escaped from the
United States mail station near by, but they
we're too terrified to heed or to help.
Colonel Merriam then abandoned the hope
of saving his family in the carriage, and tried
TO enter it in order to swim out with them, but
he was swept down the ice-cold torrent like
bubble. Being an expert swimmer, be sue
cecGed in reaching the bank about two hun
dred wards below, and ran back to renew the
effort, when he received the terrible tidings,
that the moment after he was swept doWp, the
carriage, with all its precious freight, had
turned over and gone rolling down the h9od,
his wife saying, as she disappeared, my ny uar.
few hours before, which child might step
across, had become raging river, covered
with masses of drift wood, Of great width, and
from thirty to forty feet deep.
The bereayed husband procured horse from
one Of the cavalry, and rode far down the tor,
rent, but could see nothing 10 the darkness,
and hear uaught but the wild sounds OF the
waves. So passed the long and wretched night;
Before day the strange and momentary Hood
had passed by, and the small stream shrank to
it's usual size and ran in its wonted bed The
sad search began. The drowned soldiers and
servants, four in number, were found, and the
body of tho wife taken from the water about
three fourths of a mile below.
Not till three days after was the body OF the
child found, four miles down the stream, and
a long distance from its bed:
The carriage was driftcd by the current
about mile, and lodged in thicket: Ihe
storm and flood are rcpresen ted as trightlu
beyond description.