Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-10-03
A STORM IN A CANYON.
Thrilling Account Of a Remarkable
and Wonderful Sight in the
Rocky Mountains.
1t Is Upon the Lofty Mountains and
In the Deep Dark Canyons
The StOrm-gOd Shows His
Marvellous Power.

| lie SluT Tth-5Uu SiiuNS His
Marvellous Power.
One summer afternoon | found mysel
| lettering through one of those high, mesa
like parks so common IN the Rocky Noun
tains, writes d correspondent of the St
Louis Post Dispatch. The air was soft anC
ballny. and the heavy-topped pine
soughed so musically and cast their denst
shades and exhaled their reslnous odor
so delightfully."- that | was IN no hurry t
90 on. Southwark WAS graded aScen
for some distance, then the ground swep
suddenly upward into high crest, til
against the unusually blue sky 1t was tur
reted with tremendous castie-s"apeO
rocks-clear-cut and frownlng g-ShOwme
how much higher all this had once been
Between these rocks there were vide, Oper
spaces, as though another mesa might be
there, or a long slope of descent beyonC
might here have its beg ming.
Suddenly heard the low muttering oi
a gathering storm In the distance before
me. Nearer and nearer 1t seemed to come
but the air around me gave no indications
of a change, save peculiar sOttneSS. a
storm anywhere Is a grand sight, but a
storm In the mountains Is always worth
observing. So upward | struggled toward
the casteIlated rocks, Judging that from
them | would nave splendid view OF the
connection. Louder roared the thunder.
sleeper grew the grade and more rapid my
steps and breathing. The storm was evil
IDENTIFY coming toward me, and l knew
that if it reached the crest before | did
my view would be spoiled and Should
only get wetting From the last the
rocks were my only shelter. At last |
stood in the shadow of an immense rock
as large as two or three city court houses.
| walked cautiously around its western
side, we'll on the watch for wild animals,
for had heard many tales OF hunters
stumbling, with serious results, unexpect-
edly
UPON BEARS
in such places. When | looked in front
of me. expectir to see slope similar to
the one had Just climbed 60 off gradual
" beyond, you can imagine my surprise at
finding myself shuddering on the verge of
a canyon so deep that | could not see its
bottom. Having just left my companion
on a large fork Of the South Platte, | did
not expect the presence of another In this
region.
BnE where was the storm? Somewhere
in that great beyond Of drag and cilasm 1t
was crashing ominously. But not trace
of il could my eyes detect. Above. the
sun shOue, the sky was clear; be0w
yawned. and beyond there stretched away
a reach of hazy pillows of cone ard forest
and valley. From where | stood the canvon
ran westward, apparently halt NIL! Il
suspect it was much mOre), the curvlng
gracefully but rather suddenly soGtnward,
disappeared behind a cliff so high that 1t
seemed to tower over me. 1t was grand
view. unenhanced but SucL as any one
NAV often see in the mountains. All at
once, after peal on peal had sounded, there
crept over this huttirG eff as graceful
ly as a serpent, bit of blue rllst That
dropped into and climbed out Of crevlce
after crevice. and then down the great
bluff IS walls into the chasm, long, cling
ing, heecy fragments. But the larger
portion floating across the canyon as grace
fully as a gossamer, directly toward me-
| knew this was the storm-kings herald.
Crashed againstthe thunder 1.-The rafting
crags among, till the very rocks trembl-
ed, and turning my eyes a little westward
| saw. sweeping with grace and MAJESTY
can not attempt to picture, around the
canyon curve the full 'front.' perhaps near
ly half mile in height, of great storm
cloud billow. 1t filed the chssm 5 fearful
depth and floating half as high above IT.
1 STOOD ENTRANCED
as it bore down upon me-a surglng, boil
ing wave of vapor. Time and again | saw
the lightning's zig-zag flash cleave the
frowning front from top to bottom. Across
its perpendicular face the dazzling streaks
seemed, in twos and threes, to chase each
other. The booming thunder never ceased,
and great whirls of aIr-nOt tOrnado-llke,
butrather gente-seemed to waltz IN sort
OfmaZy evolution graceful and bewllder-
ing-aIl through the seethlng mass.
Nearer It came with a peculiar stealth,
a sort Of rolling motion, and great frag-
ments of cloud would break off and go
floating feecily down the slope up which |
had lust ascended. Long flmy streams
above were stretching themselves forward
as though impatient of the sIowness of the
great cloud glacier beneath them. Large
drops of rain began to patter. The fore
runnings Outriding bits of mist were
creeping on the earth around me, and
some. as graceful as giant boa, were
arching their long crests upward above the
castle rocks beyond me- Then the great
billow of boiling black swept around me
and beneath me, like some living thing of
strength and purpose, and, thunder-deaf-
ened, lightning blinded, mist-confused,
my breath thickened with an air that was
vapory, ozoned and suiphurous, stood
there awed. ,silenced and fascinated.
Soon noticed that my hands kept wip-
ing at my face to free it from cobweb-like
sensation. and that my flesh was warm
with little prickling tingle; and, look
ing up, | saw my gun barrel tips sparkling
with little flashes of light. Then J realiz-
ed NV danger, and turning | ran quickly
down the mountain side whence had
come, and left behind me the grandest
spectacle | ever witnessed. On our slope
it only sprinkled. When | reached my
home canyon, the sun had not ceased to
shine there. but southwark they had heard
the stormy mutter Two days later went
down to the South Fork to fish, aud found
It's waters had been high and were still too
turbid from the great rain-cloud that had
rolled its canyon by my feet.