The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-01
WORK OF A CLOUDBURST
THE COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION
OF A LOVELY VALLEY.

4
valley half a mile wide ami ten miles
long, its upper end beginning far up in
the grim hills 1t winds about like a
river, and here and there it is crossed by
r a creek which seems thread Of silver
trailing along the green grass.
= A carpet of grass and fiowers-here
and there grove-birds flying up and
down-a warm and gentle sun pouring
down from out of clear June sky. AS
we look down upon this valley we are
reminded of paradise. Never a scene on
earth more peaceful. One swinging in
hammock under one o3 those green
trees beside the brook Huzld find him
self as near to the peace AMI quietness
of heaven as any spot on earth affords.
There is a herd Of buffaloes grazing
afar up the valley. There are deer in
the groves. Three or four wild horses
are standing in the brook, while others
are lying on the grass few yards away.
Hares scamper 10 and fro in playful
mood, and there is nothing to frighten
the most timid The peaceful influence
is so powerful that we hush our voices
rs we look down.
In some awful convulsion Of nature
these grim mountains were heaved up
from the bowels of the earth-grim,
sterile, Observation-Disclosures of mighty
conflict Of elements At the same time
nature created this valley as an offset.
On the mountain are desolation and de-
spair; here are beauty and contentment.
Look there!"
THE BLACK CLOUD APPROACHING.
Away up among the dark hills we see
a black cloud rising up into the clear
skies But for its blackness one might
believe it a signal smoke made by the
Indians 1t is a cloud trying to lift it.
self over the mountain from the east
side. 1t began forming fifty miles away,
and it has travelled slowly and followed
the windings of rivers and creeks, and
exacted tribute from ponds and lakes;
drops -gills, quarts, barrels, tons of
water have been absorbed and lifted up
as the cloud travelled, and the desolate
mountains were magnets which attracted
it from its first formation.
The cloud lifts itself up and up, and in
its struggles it sways like a balloon. AS
it nears the mountains the vapors are
condensed and become heavier, and as
/ the weight increases the struggle be-
comes fercer. There is no byplay of
thunder and lightning; only black
menacing cloud fighting itself.
Upl Up! Upl
Ali Heaven help them! There is
nothing but animal life in the valley so
far as we can see, but every on-looker
utters groan of despair as he sees the
cloud suddenly fall out of sight behind
the peaks. What does that signify? 1t
means that the cloud could not lift itself
high enough to clear the mountain, and
that when its lower edge hit that tall
peak on a line with US there came a
cloudburst The tons of water held in
that big cloud fell 10 earth with a force
you can scarcely conceive. Trees were
made into matchwood. Rocks weighing
thousand tons were whirled about
Bowlders which hundred horses could
not pull from their beds were sent flying
down the mountain side like marbles.
Every handful of earth, every tree, shrub, !
vine, flower, every stone, rock, and
bowlder which could have been moved |
only by the blast of a hundred pounds of |
powder is swept in one awful avalanche /
into the mouth of the valley!
We hear the crash. We feel the |
mountain quiver under us. We are |
warned Of what is coming. Every liv- |
ing thing below us has heard the crash /
and felt the culver. Instinct tells them /
what has happened and warns them to /
fee. In ten seconds every living thing I
in sight in the valley is rushing down its
length. Here and there deer turns to /
the right or left and finds place where |
he can ascend. and big wolf scrambles |
up the almost perpendicular bank at our /
feet, and there lies crouching and whin-
ing in terror.
A WILD RUSH FOR LIFE.
Look up the valley No man will /
ever see such a sight twice in his life
time. There is wall across the valley /
"a wall of roaring, tumbling, seething,
foaming waters. Its height is eight or
ten feet and its speed is that of rail
road train. The buffaloes were the fur
thest up the valley. Watch them COM
ing. The herd numbers about fifty, and
every animal runs for his life. Now
buffalo, deer, wolf, horse and hare are
coming in wild mob. and close behind
them that foam crested wave Of death.
As it reaches the trees they melt away.
As it tears along the sides of the valley
great rocks are loosened and carried
along.
The rush is led by a sorrel horse-his
new coat shining like velvet-his eyes
full Of excitement-his ears laid fat
back He Is POO feet ahead of every
thing, and we wave our hats and cheer
him as he passes US.
Roll! Tumble, Foam, Crash. The
waters are Uttered with trunk and branch
and bush. The noise is deafening. The
power Is so great that the mountain is
shaken. We clutch the bushes at our
side and hold our breath as the wave
strikes.
1t is over. Looking up the valley we
see-what? Never blade Of grass or
flower or bush or tree! Simply a track
of deSolation which nature cannot re-
store in a dozen years.
Down the valley-the same sight
Nothing left behind but rock and mud.
\ paradise has been turned into desola-
ton almost in the twinkling Of an eve
Where peace and plenty reigned a quar-
ter Of an hour ago is now a channel of
ruin-a valley of deSpaIr-an acreage