Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-01-31

A MYSTERY OF THE PLAINS.
The Fate Of a wagon-Train of Nitro-Glyoer.
inc Revealed.
The following strange story wa. told
a News reporter. some time since by an
old miner just from the hills: "Would
you like to hear of a strange thing that
happened me last week?" OF course
the reply. was in the affirmative; so,
seating ourselves in the Office of the St.
james, and fitting our chairs at the
proper angle, he said:: "Some years
ago, while prospecting near Idaho
Springs, ] came upon rich lead. The
rock, however, was hard, and had to be
drilled, and necessarily required two
men to do the work. While I was still
in a quandary as to whom 1 could get, a
stranger came up to where I was at
work and asked me if I knew where he
could get employment. I inquired
whether he knew anything of mining
and could hold and strike a drill. :,
II assured me that he had worked
In mines in California and Nevada for
years, and thought he understood it.
Something in the manner and CONVEX
sation of the man made me take q
strong and sudden fancy to him, and T
eve had u to be sorry for it. He
gave his name as Robert Williams, and
had a mild and rather agreeable face,
but with a melancholy that seemed to
be the result of years of habit. As it is
not customary in this country, espec-
tally in a mining district, to inquire
particularly into a mans antecedents,
! at'once made a proposition to Will
iams to join me and work the new
prospect on shares. He accepted the
offer, and, as l said before, I never had
occasion to regret the. transaction.
Always, quiet, sober, and industrious,
he became a favorite with everyone,
the only remarkable thing about him
being he never once in any way re-
ferred to his early life. Our mine
turned out pretty well. and Williams
and continued partners in working
that and other claims ever since until
last week.. when he died after a very
short illness from pneumonia, On the
last day, when he felt that he could
not live, he called. me to his bedside,
and told me a wonderful story. He
said: i was born in Pittsburg, Penn.
My father was a large iron manufact-
urer, and gave me all the benefits of a
good education that money could buy.
When l became of age Twas admitted
to the firm. Shortly ,afterward, owing
to fluctuations in the. iron market, o u
firm was forced to suspend. The blow
was a particularly severe one to me, as
| was engaged to one of the most
beautiful as we'll as wealthy ladies in
the Iron city. At this time stories
were rife of the immense riches of
Colorado, and the Pixies peak and
other excitements were. drawing to that
favored country a large number of the
young men Of the east. With bright
visions of the future and of the fortune
that l would make to replace that
which I had lost, l started west. Upon
arriving at St. Joe I found a number of
trains fitting out for the promised land.
While seeking to make some arrange
ments. to cross the plains, l was. &C.
costed one day by a man. who asked me
1t l was going to Colorado, Upon
being told that that was my intention,
he said: II I'M about sending a wagon
loaded with nit~ro-glycerine or blasting
oil, as it. is called, to the Colorado
mines, and as the trip is attended with
some danger l find it difficult to get
anyone to take the risk. I will pay
well for the service, and all expenses
~besides.' Not knowing or realizing
the danger, | eagerly seized the op-
potrtunity. Joining a party of emil.
grants who were about to cross the
plains, without informing them of the
dangerous character of the cargo con-
tanned in u wagon, I started one
morning together with another man
who was employed with me. When
we camped for the night we always
drew our wagon a little to one side,
took u horses out and slept at some
distance away. Toward the close of
an afternoon in September, 1860, when
near McCandless' ranch, on the Little
Blue, the skies became dark, a thunder
storm arose, and as fate would have it
a holt of lightning struck our WAGON.
exploded its contents, which consisted
OF $500 pounds of the dangerous SUBJ
stance, killing everyone Of the small
party, together with all of the horses
and cattle, and reducing to fragments
every wagon in the train. BY a mi
racle l was riding considerably in ad-
vance at the time, seeking to get a shot
at some antelope which were grazing
in the distance. l became aware of a
report louder and more distinct than
thunder, and, turning on my horse,
saw a dense cloud of smoke where the
train should have been, but could not
discover its whereabouts. Riding back,
l beheld u horrible sight. Bodies of
men without legs or arms lay scattered
about, and mingled in the confusion of
fragments of wagons and their freight
were the still quivering arcass of
cattle and horses. You can Judge of
my horror at the spectacle. 1 was the
only living survivor of the party. Al
most bereft of my senses l rode on, and
was seized with q new terror. What
account could l give of the party or
how explain their mysterious. disap-
pearanceP Then I came to a resolu-
ton that was both cowardly and in
humane.