The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1882-07-01
DROWNED IN THE COLORADO.
A Long and Perilous Swim Through
ELiies and Over Rapids.


EDITOR RECORD: Another of our old
timers has been swallowed up by the
treacherous Colorado. Barney Coleman
and Benjamin Gooch, accompanied by
two Indians, started up the river last
Friday morning in skiff for the purpose
of catching drift-wood, and to-day about
noon, Coleman came back into camp
stark naked, bringing the sad news of the
death of poor Gooch and his own narrow
escape
After reaching point between twelve
and fifteen miles up the river, the
boat, becoming unmanagable, was drawn
into an eddy and disappeared in an in
slant. The skiff at the time was near
steep cliff of rocks, whose walls were two
hundred feet in hight, and the Indians,
observing that the eddy was about swal-
lowing the boat and crew, jumped out and
chung to the rocks, and Gooch endeavored
to do the same thing after them. He
secured slight hold to the perpendicular
side of the cliff, chung to it for only mo-
ment, then fell into the water and was
seen no more. Coleman sprang from the
stern of the skiff out into the river
and got beyond the eddy, where he
watched for the appearance of the boat.
He had not long to wait, but it seemed
to him ages, when he caught sight of it,
bottom upwards, few yards down the
river, when he swan after it, overtaking
and clinging to it, In this condition, for
three miles, he went shooting past rocks,
| blowing through breakers and whirling
| about in eddies, when he came face to
face with one of those roaring rapids and
| treacherous eddles, so numerous and so
dreadful in the Colorado. There was no
time to lose. Another chance between
life and death, and that chance perhaps
was the only one in a thousand. The
resolution was formed one moment and
executed the next. The skiff was in the
midst of the rapids, standing on end; an
other breaker and over it went. This
was an indiscribable moment to Coleman,
whose sole reliance had deserted him, as
he felt a prisoner in the hands of Death,
and though he had scarcely known his
strength before, here was desperate op-
portunity for its test, and he says that he
felt that he was a mere straw at the
mercy of wave one second and an eddy
the next. Here was waged fierce and
protracted struggle for life between a
powerful man and skillful swimmer,
weighing 225 pounds, and first whirl.
pool and then a rapid, whose force and
size and danger can never be realized ex.
ing in the balance; but courage and hui
man strength at last prevailed, and the
brave man swan on over rapids and
through whirlpools for the distance Of
three as perilous miles as was probably
ever won by man. Who can imagine his
feelings as he reached in safety and
crawled upon the river bank, where he
lay for some time, completely exhausted.
As soon as he had regained sufficient
strength Coleman set out for the Canyon,
and, shoeless and naked, after tramp Of
six miles over the barren, rocky noun
tains and through deep canyons of burn
ing sands in the heat Of broiling sun
he arrived, his feet bleeding and fearfully
lacerated by the sharp rocks. None bu
those who have visited this pittiles
waste of creation and boated the swift
and treacherous Colorado, the river tina
never gives up its dead, can but draw
faint idea of Coleman's wild and perilou
swim-clinging to capsized skif for owe
three miles, and three more miles which
he is compelled to depend on his powerful
arms-of six miles.
Benjamin Gooch, the drowned man
was native of England, and l believ
he has relatives residing at Lee Center
Illinois; also an uncle at Los Angeles
{ California.
The two Indians managed to crawl u
the cliff and escape.
am aware that it is the general i'm
,, preston abroad that Ell Dorado is com
posed Of reckless, heartless set of pee
pie, who care little for themselves an
much less, if anything at all, for Others
! This impression is as ungenerous and uT
just as it is false and disgraceful in tn
one who stoops to exaggerate and distol
the facts concerning community who's
: sympathies and sense of justice betwee
|, man and man are far from being belo'
the mediocrity of communities in genera
j. 7. Nj.
Ell DORADO CANYON, June Is, 1882.
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