Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-07-22
HE FATE OF A. v. THOMAS.
TIE sto,y Of Hik Loss on the Desert as Told
by HIS 0ompa nions-His Body Found and
Buried

MesArs. Taney and Bridger, who,
until few days ago, were connect
ed with Bates's party of engineers
In running o line for the Atlantic
ard Pacific Railway from the
Mojave river across the desert to
the Needles, on the Colorado, are
of the opinion that the life of Mr..
A. V. Thomas, transitmsn of the
party, an account of whose loss on
-the desert was published in the
HERALD about four weeks ago,
could have been saved had the
proper search been made for him
at once. They give the following
account of bis loss and the means
adopted to find him or recover his
dead body:
On Tuesday, June l4th, the par
ty reached Echo Pass, so miles
from the starting point on the line
of survey. From this place they
started out TO make journey of
fifty three miles, over Squaw Sum-
NIT to Arrow Springs. The road
which they Travelled led them a
C ,psiderable distance out of their
way, j joining the road from San
Bernardino and then turning al
most at right angles. Thomas, the
transilmsn of the party, thought TO
shorten The route about ten miles
by cutting across from one road
to the Other and, taking
q canteen of water with
him, be started aloEe on
foot. The party travelled along
until they knew they must be even
with the road, when they failed to
find any Travelled thoroughfare
They therefore turned back, camp
ing that night ut about the place
where Thomas had left them. AS
Thomas did not report up to S
o'clock, Taney was sent on u mule
to look for the missing man and re-
turned at IL o'clock without hay.
ing accomplished his purpose.
The next morning the guide YVES
started out with two mules and u
cauteen of water to make further
investigations, while the party was
ordered off to Rancheria Springs,
forty miles back. About l O'clock
the same day they were Joined by
the guide, who said his supply of
water had given out and he dared
not remain longer on the search.
Before the party left the first camp
they posted q notice 10 inform
Thomas which way they had gone,
leaving also eanteen of water
aud some food. Thursday night
the party reached Soda Lake
Springs and Mr.. fancy was
sent back to the old camp to see
whether Thomas had returned to
that point, but with explicit in
structions not to go further. He
failed to fud the man at the Old
camp and returned to the
party. The Chief was urged
to make further search for
the missing man, but he said that
it had cost the Company a hundred
dollars already to look for him and
they couldn't afford it. Whsn the
party reached the Colorado all the
men but three, outraged at the
treatment they had received, re-
fused 20 work any longer
aud procuring a team rscrossed the
desert. Three weeks later an ex-
pedition was sent out with four
horse wagon to retrace the trail,
aud after little search, they
found the body of Thomas
within a mile Of the camp
where the notice, the osnteen
of water and the provisions
had been left. The unfortunate
man after building up little mon
ument of rocks had lain down and
died beside it. From this it is in
ferred that he retained conscious :
ness until his last moments. The
party buried the hody on the spot,
bringing away the hat of the lost
man.
Thomas was about twenty-slx
years of age, American by birth
and q man of excellent qualities.
He leaves a wife and one child re-
siding in Sacramento. His wife
does not yet know of his decease,
aud, on the 4th of July o letter was
received from her addressed to him 1.
The heartrending news must be
broken to her by one OF the party.