Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1872-07-26
A clouD.BURSI.
Heavsa,s Flsed-l1a,es OpsseA-Tws
GiPls Drswned-A Terrible Beene.
.rom the Denyer (Col,) News.l

Girls Drswaed-A Terrible seene.
From the Denver (col.) News.l
Those who have ever witnessed q
water-spout will bear testimony to its
appalling nature. By some 1t IL sup
posed to De formed by a whirlwiud OF
extreme Intensity. while others ascribe
1t to an electric origin. 1t occurs for
the most part at sea, but sometimes
also on shore. and particularly In
rocky Businesses, though generally lE
the neighborhood Of water. One of
these curious phenomena occurred OH
the Central stage road, in Golden Gate
Gulch, four miles above the town Of
Golden. on Sunday afternoon, about 4
o'clock. People residing In that VI
cinity report having seen, just above
the higher mountains, numerous dense
clouds, from which a Conical pillar.
resembling condensed vapor, was seen
to descend. and almost simultaneously
a deatening peal Of thunder was heard.
Mr.. Jack Virden, wife. and his SIS
ter. and Miss Blood daughter Of Ly-
man G. Blood. all Of whom resided
some five or six miles up the canyon,
had been to Golden. and were return.
Ing home In a double carriage. and
had reached the point indicated above.
when the peal Of thunder came aud
the WATERFRONT dispersed. Amement
before. they had passed Fred Buck
man, who had pulled hiI team on to
an elevated spot Of ground, and was
sheltering himself, under n ledge of
rocks, from the approaching storm.
Presently n violent cOmmotion, with
confusion Of sounds, like the tunult OF
the elements, was heard high UP In tie
mountains. Then came a tremendous
torrent OF water, bearing trees aud
bowlders, and calculated to astonish
and terrify by its magnitude, force
and violence. The horses, seeing that
they we're to DO sacrificed to this pro-
dlglous volume, took fright, and, shy
Ing TO ~ side, upset the carriage, aud
all occupants were pitched Into the
bottom Of the gulch. In an instant, as
It were. and before they could re-
cover their feet, the wave, with = per-
pendicular breast Of ten or twelve feet,
was upon them. and licked them up
like the sands Of the gulch. Mrs. Vir-
den chung to her husband. and he, by
q miraculous chance, got hold OF q
limb. and held fast until tho flood sub
sided. The poor girls-Mlsses Blood
and Vlrden, aged respectively twelve
aud fourteen years-were less FORUM
ate. They we're carried down, down,
by the mighty current to m appalling
death. Alter the torrent had exhaust
ed It's fury. aud a search for the bodies
had been Instituted, that Of Miss Blood.
mutllated beyond recognition, was
found buried IN the sand, all but one
foot, about half a mile below where
the accident occurred. Her skull was
completely denuded In places, aud her
body was frightfully gashrd. It Is a
singular fact that Lyman G. Blood, her
father, who had been down to tho val
ley. and was returning or horseback
when the accident took place, aud had
Joined Buchanan In the search for the
bodies, vas the frs: to discover the
corpse Of the girl. though 1t Is still
more singular that lie did not recog.
nize her. for he supposed her to be al
home. The body or Miss Virden WAS
recovered some three miles, below the
scene Of the disaster, where 1t had
lodged against a tree, and was strip.
ped Of Its clothing.
1t Il u matter Of history and will be
readily recalled by many, that a water.
spout equally prodlgiou. descended
upon Guy Hill q few years ago, and
flooded a stage coach containing Gen.
erals Grant, Sherman and Sheridan,
though they wero fur enough removed
TO escape disaster.