West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-07-19
NO. 40.
Death from THIRST.

The death of two young men was recent,
~ announced ON the plains of Colorado near
Iarsou's Creek, tfty miles south of Los
AnimaS. The young men. = Mactier Win
| chester and Samuel Johnson, together with
three others, left Mcdary's surveying party
I" join the main camp. A misuuderstand-
/ my occurred between the line and camp
parties, and the two driftcd apart. The
surveyors wandered around for several DAYS,
In hopes of help being sent To their aid. A
| correspondent writing from Trinidad, June
lB gives the following graphic account of
the country, and the unfortunate fate of the
Baltmorcans "Our party from the main
camp went i'm search of the lost men.
Searching south from the Santa Fe track.
and east from this point, we found sterile
plains, noticeable principally ON account of
the absence of that much abused fluid.
water. A few petty streams, strongly inn
prcgnated with alkali, and situated at great
distances apart, furnish water for "A large
amount of stock, and redeem from absolute
worlhlcssncss "a vast domain, which at first
sight would impress the the stranger with
the belief that its only mission was To pro
ducc cactus and rattlesnakes. Without
some guide IL Is dangerous work To track
across these dcsolatc plains, and even "old
fully before trusting themselves to the ten
der mcrcics of u land where misdirection
may mean death. In the light of these
statements II Is not hard to realize that the
non-appcaranCc of our hclatcd party caused
serious apprChcnsions i'm camp and that an
Immediate search for the missing men was
commenced as soon as IL was coniecturcd
That they were drifting The five left our
main camp ON June D, intending To survey
north eighteen miles To the sixth correction
line. From the point they reached they
proposed To walk six miles east expecting
10y that time to find the camp moved ahead,
and waiting for them. In the event of this
falling, an over Jealous informant had as-
surcd them that they would AT least reach
water; and without thought of the awful
experience which awaited them, the men
started ont for IA days labor OF unusual
severity, cheering themselves with the pros
pect of rest ON the morrow. Alas, for two
of their number that rest has been n long
one. Night found the weary men tortured
10y thirst, and completely at sea as to the
whereabouts of the camp. The nearest
water was over twenty miles distant, and
the prospect of trudging back over that long
stretch was disheartening and dcmoraliZing
to men already weakened by privation and
N'ih bAl Wy bNtIWoIk. nTte HlTugglC1
bravcly on and reached the Cariso, and were
safe, after being forty TO sixty hours with
out food or wHtcr The other two toilcd on
five or six miles and waited i'm the vain hope
of being found by the searchers they knew
would be sent out after them, until IL was
too late for further effort. They rested
under huge rock, which offered them the
poor moCkory of shade, TO chase away the
awful deirium of thirst. All around it's
base the brush was torn, and the ground
clawed and trampcd i'm mute witness of the
agonized struggles through which the un-
fortunate men had passed before the weak
ness OF our frnil humanity succumbcd TO
suffering, and death cascd pain. Relief did
indeed come finally to one, but it was too
late Mac. Winchester was found the after
noon OF June 9th, just as he was breathing
his last We buried him the following
day on II sunny hillside, whose base is
washed by the precious water he failed to
reach Az stated, JohnsOn's body has not
been found, but of the fate we can only con
lecture one thing After the long and faith
iul search which was vainly made for him,
1t Is hardly possible That he can be alive.
Both young men originally came from Bal
tlmorc. No blame can be attached TO any
one for this unfortunate affair. The line
and camp parties misunderstood each
other and drifted apart. The men
became dcmoralized and trusted in for
lOrn hope rather than make an effort 20
save themselves, until effort was unavailing
IL has been many years since the plains of
Colorado offered grave to those who per
ishcd Of thirst and let us hope that il will
be many, very many more before they will
offer another