Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-02-11
DOWN THE VALLEY.
Fifteen Minutes Work of CIoudburst Be-
tween Mountain Ranges.


long, it's upper end beginning far up in
the grim hills. It winds about like a
river, and here and there it is crossed
by creek which seems a thread of
silver trailing along the green grass.
A carpet of grass and fowers-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 of those green
trees beside the brook would find him
self as near to the peace and quietness
of Heaven as any spot on earth affords.
There is herd of buffaloes grazing
affair up the valley. There are deer in
the groves. Three or four wild horses
are standing in the brook, while others
are lying oD the grass a few yards
away. Hares scamper to and fro in
playful mood, and there is nothing to
brighten the most timid. The peaceful
influence is SO powerful that we hush
our voices as we look down.
In some awful CONFUSION 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 is desolation and de-
spair; here is beauty and contentment.
''Look there!''
Away up among the dark hills we see
| a black cloud rising up into the clear
skies. But for it's blackness one might
| believe it signal smoke made by the
| Indians. It is cloud trying to lift
itself 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 lal1es-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 it's first formation
The cloud lifts itself up and up, and
| in its struggles it swaps like balloon.
| AS it nears the mountains the vapors
are condensed and become heavier, and
as the weight increases the struggle be-
comes fiercer, There is no by-play of
thunder and lightning; only a black,
menacing cloud fighting itself.
Up! Up! Up!
| All! Heaven help them! There is
| nothing but animal life in the valley so
| far as we can see, but every on-looker
| utters a 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 line with us
| there came cloudburst. The tons of
water held in that big cloud fell to
/ earth with a force you can scarcely con-
| ceive. Trees We're made into match
| wood. Rocks weighing thousand tons
| were whirled about. Boulders which
| a 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
| boulder which could have been moved
| by the blast of hundred pounds of
| powder, is swept in one awful ava
! lanche into the mouth of the Valley
We hear the crash We feel the
mountain culver 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
| flee. In ten seconds every living thing
| in sight in the valley is rushing down
| its length. Here and there a deer turns
! to the right or left and finds a place
where he can ascend, and a big wolf
scrambles up the almost perpendicular
| bank at our feet, and there lies, crouch
and whining in terror
| 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, tum bling, seething,
| foaming waters. It's height is eight or
| ten feet and its speed is that of rail-
road train The buffaloes were the
| furthest up the valley. Watch them
coming. The herd nuaa bers about fifty,
and every animal runs for his life
Now buffalo, deer, wolf horse and
hare are coming in a 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 sorrel horse-his
new coat shining like velvet-his eyes
full of excitement-his ears laid fat
back. He is two hundred feet ahead of
every thing, and we wave our hats and
cheer him as he passes us.
Roll! Tum BILE! Foam! Crash! The
waters are Uttered with trunk and
| branch and bush. The noise is deafen-
ing. The power is 50 great that the
morntain is shaken. We clutch the
bushes at our side and hold our breath
as the wave strikes.
It is over Looking up the valley we
| see-what! Never a blade of grass or
flower or bush or tree Simply a track
of desolation which nature can not
restore in dozen years
Down the valey-the same sight.
Nothing left behind but rock and mud.
A paradise has been turned into
desolation almost in the twinl1ling
Of an eye. Where peace and plenty