Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-07-05
TnlNiDAD, COLORADO.

June IS, 1870.
Chance calls me or. Of the willlyues, 10 bear
unwelcone lidnes. The brief statement con-
/ taiued in your special Of yesterday conveys
! facts somewhat difficult OF comprehension TO
/ those unacquaiulrd with the nature OF the
country which makes up the extreme south
eastern part Of Colorado. Stretching south
from, the Santa Fe track and cast from this
point are sterile plains, noticeable principally
! ON account of the absence of the much abused
/ auid. water a iew petty streams. strongly
/ impreqnated With alka. AMI situated at great
distances apart, furnish water Tor large
amount f stock. and redeem from absolute
I Vorthlessuess vast domain which at lifst sight
/ woull impress The stranger with the belief
I It's only mission was 20 produce cactus and
/ ratileSuakes Without s1me guide It Is dan
.er,u work to track across these dcs0latc
/ plains. ard even old timers calculate their
/ chances very carefully before trusting them.
| .rt... g., die reader mercies Of land where
r,sd,r,ciiou nay mean death. In the light Of
/ fh,-e statements Il Is not bard 10 realize that
Tie uon-appearance of our ill-iatcd party
caused serious apprehension in camp, and that
/ an immediate search for the missing men was
/ comnencel n soon as II was conjectnred that
they were drifting. Their story you have al
ready had The five left our main camp on
the fifth Of June, intending to survey north
eighteen miles 10 the sixth correction line
From the point then reached they proposed TO
walk six miles east, expecting by that time 10
find tie camp moved ahead and waiting for
them. In the event OF this falling an over
zcalous informant bad assured Us that they
Il trffbgut N
thought Of the awful experience which awaited
then,, the men started ont for days labor of
unusual severity, cheering themselves with the
PROSPECT q rect on tho morrow. Alas, Tor
two of their number that rest has been a long
one. Night found The weary men tortured by
thirst, and completely at sea as 70 the where
abouts Of camp. The nearest known water
sas over twenty miles disiaut. aud the prospect
Of trudeipg back over that long stretch was
demoraizing 10 men already weakened by
niivation and worn oft by over-work
Three Of the party struggled bravely on.
however. reached the carisce and were safe
after being from foiiy u sixty hours without
food or water The other two toile6 on five or
six miles and waited in the vain hope Of being
found By the searcLers they knew would be
sent out after them, until u was too late for
further effort They rested under huge rock
which offered II en- t'e poor mtckcry Of shade
10 chase away The awful dtirium ol thirst.
An around its base the brush vas torn ard
The ground clawei and tsamp'ei IN mute wit
ness If the agouized struggles through which
the unfrtunate men had passe,! before the
weakness ol orr frail humanity succuubed %
suffering. and death cased psu. Relief dil
indeed come G1siiy 10 one ol them but IL cauc
too late Winchester 'gas found tie afternoon
Of June 9th iuat as be was breathing bis last
We buried him the following dag on sunny
hillside whose base Is washed by tio precious
water be failed % reach.
- stated, Johnsoa's body has not fcen
found. but Of bis fate we can only conicciur,
one thing. After the long arh faithful search
which was sainly made for bin 1t IS hardly
possible that he can De alive Both young
men came originally from Baltimore ~
blame can be attacked 20 any one iOr this un-
fortunate Affair." The ine and camp parties
misunderstood each other an3 dFif;ci apart
The men became Gem0ralizol anI trusted N q
forlorn hope rather than make an effort % save
themselves, until Effort was unavaiing. il
has been m ny years since the plains of Colo.
RADIO offered grave % those who pefisbed ol
thirst and Jet Us hope ihat il viii be miDy
very many more before they sill ofer another
W Il. II.
We wonder that parties or tie above char
actet 10 no, have system Of signals to iodi
cate their whereabouts especially 10 such con
iingencies as the foregoing