Delta chief., 1883-08-08
A MOUNTAIN TORRENT.
Some Recent Thrilling Experiences Up tn
Platte.

Some Recent Thrilling Experiences Up tho
| Platte.
| Denver Times, Ang 2.
The ''water-spout' which occurred
Saturday, at Resort, near the Platte canon, was
the most severe that has visited that section
for years. The upper part of the creek runs
through large basin, and 1t was in the north
east edge Of this that most Of the water fell A
private letter from camper to friend in
Denver states that few minutes after the
rain commenced at Mr.. Corbin's ranch, which
| is at the mouth Of East Resort, bank of wa
ter twelve or fifteen feet high was seen coming
down the gulch, which at this point is quite
wide. The bed of the gulGh is grown up
thickly with quaking asp, black alder or iron
wood, and willows, and the roaring of the wa
ter, stones and logs as they crashed through
this growth, breaking everything in their path,
was terrific. A milk house and a beautifully
stone-walled spring were taken with the first
breast of water.
When the water reached the creek, which is u
mere gulch, and joined an equally large vol
ume Of water which had come down It. the
creek looked as though river had been turned
into 1t. The water that had come down the
main creek had carried away saw mill and
some small houses, and in one or two instances
people had barely been able to save themselves,
and had all their household goods washed
away. Crops along the creek were cleanly
swept of the ground. When the ever ncreas-
ing body of water reached Proctor's ranch,
three-quarters of a mile below Corbin's, It
created a most exciting scene. The house was
occupied by family named Akens On last
Wednesday Mr. Akens' infant child died, and
as he was In Idaho territory at the time, the
body was being held until he could return to
attend the funeral. The corpse was living in
its little coffin, which had been placed on Ice.
The approaching flood was not discovered un-
I'll 1t was within few yards Of the house.
With terrible shrek the mother rush
ed to the coffin, and crying, ..My baby,
the box and waded out through water
nearly waist deep and ran up the mountain
side, still uttering the most heartrending
cries. She and those who were with her in the
house bad barely time to escape before a sec
ond and higher wave Of water lifted the house
and carried II away.
A little below this point the creek enters a
narrow canon, and some timbermen who saw It
there say the sight was grand one. In some
narrow places the water, filled with timber and
rumbling, rolling stones, was over thirty feet
deep, and poured over the series OF falls in the
canon with a sound like deep thunder. BY the
time, however, 1t had reached the river, the
water had spread out to a considerable extent,
circumstance which prevented great damage
to the railroad. As II was, there was a bad
washout.
The reason the people in Mrs. Akens' house
did not hear the water sooner probably con-
sisted In the fact that at this point there WAS
was but little obstruction and the water flowed
smoothly After the flood subsidized number
OF lost articles were recovered, among which
was the little coffin. The body OF the child
was replaced in II and taken to neighbor's
and the funeral was held on Sunday, 1t being
considered unsafe, owing to the condition OF
the mother, to await the fathers return on
Tuesday.