The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-06-16
FAr-soarl.o o. the YrLLows1onI,
Thrilling Episodes Of n Trip o the
T~reaeherous Stream in April.

Assistant Surgeon Paulding, U. s.
A., contributes to the Bozeman Courier
the subjoined interesting account Of
his experience in flat-boating down the
Yellowstone in April last:
"The Yellowstone was quite high,
allowing a choice of channels. (And
right here 1 wish to state that any man
who would repeat such a trip as I have
had would meet his just deserts were
he cut off prematurely by a snag, or
upon a sand BARI
Leaving Baker City on the 2Sth the
boat, ~'Paulding,' with Mccormick,
Beidler, Carmichael, Cook and Nc
Brown went ahead-a few miles below,
the river makes a bend, first to the left
and then to the right, almost at right
angles, and we had to pull for dear life,
las, in fact, is necessary several times
per day. to avoid an upset. The 'Pauld-
ing however, a in too close, struck
a large snag, and in less than a minute
was upside down in the deep channel.
Seeing the danger, Mccormick and
Carmichael jumped for the snag, and
held on, but Beidler and the two hands
went under with the boat-Beidler get
ting to the shore, but the craft swept
off to a sand bar, II hand on the up
turned bottom and the other under the
the seats. We rescued both, but the
cargo Including government potatoes),
with the exception of a roll of bedding
and two casks of beer, was a total
loss. The crew lost even their coats,
and wet through, and the rain pour
ing, they were left in a pitiable condi-
ton. Our boat, the Captain Ball.
barely escaped Il like fate; but, as it
was, L lost my mess-kit, and Jul provi-
sions for the trip, being half upon the
lost flat-bOat, are sadly reduced.
"On the Goth, both flats started again,
but at noon u terrible thunder storm
came up and compelled us to seek re-
fuge upon an island, five miles below
Pompey's Pillar, where we stayed,
drenched through, until the next day.
We have had n cold soaking storm for
As hours, and there is not a dry stitch
in camp, except my socks and a shirt
in a valise L can't find. We are in a
miserable fix, and L repent in sackcloth
and ashes my refusal to accept the bot
tie of rum you urged me to take with
me. We reached here yesterday, find
ing Il few tents, and Aliens cabin, which
we reached, wading knee-deep a quar-
ter of a mile through mud and water;
but as we found no fire land no wood to
make one with we didn't grow very
enthusiastic. Didn't stay there long,
but came owe to thebank and put up a
'~wickywaX,' managed to construct a
fire, and sang u spirits up all night
amid a pouring rain. In the morning
We found ourselves on an improvised
island, with water everywhere, and
nothing else to drink. Two of us tried
to wade to Aliens but finding it waist
deep, we gave it up to The tune of
Ten Thousand Miles Away
ga benefactor of the human race has
just come from the continent beyond
with a bottle of rum! I'll remember
that man in my will. Seems to me, it
don't rain as hard as it did! Things
really begin to look somewhat cheerful!
L am inclined to think matters look
brighter!
River still rising and great masses of
drift logs are rushing past at the rate
of 10 knots IN hour-shall have a risky
trip from here.
"This camp is the famous Camp
He'll sacred to the miseries of last
year-a beautiful spot in dry weather,
but an ocean when it rains-and too
close to the bluff for safety. Beidler
will go no farther in the boat-says
he'll go alone overland, if he can pro-
cure 4 horse.''