West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1891-07-09
DEATH VALLEY.
Some OF It's Te-rors Graphically
Described.
A Desert Region In which Hundreds or
Human Belnga Have suffered Un.
told Torture and IlnEer-
Ing Deaths.

Eicnceu desert IaNeier Is subjected,
says the San Francisco Chronicle, was
that OF u resident of San Bernarlino
named Cornman, which occurred about
fifteen years ago. y young man was
sent out by cornman 10 visit the remote
mining camps OF Ivanpah and Resting
Springs for the purpose OF obtaining the
election returns. After he had been
gone few hours Il struck Cornman
that the messenger had never been on
the desert and was In danger OF being
lost. As he was himself familiar with
the routes, he saddlcd horse and
| allied a canteen, and started out. Over
taking the messenger he sent him back
and then continued on what was des-
tined TO prove his death journey. Ile
reached the camp, obtained the re-
turns, and then started back for San
Bsrnardino. But he never reached that
place
Some time elapsed, and finally parties
arrived in town who had left ivanpah
several days after Cornman's departure.
This at once caused an investigation TO
be made. Experienced traclScrs were
put on the trail, and they found where
! Cornmau, evidently crazed with thirst,
had left the road in search OF water,
u
miles, and finally had come back within
few yards OF the highway. Complete
( ly worn out. lac had thrown himself
down by the side of bowlder and
1 blown out his brains with t.lc six.shoot-
er II which he had clung through his
indcscribablc suifcriugs. lie left "A
/ radely scrawlcd note stating that hc
was lost, that his horse had got away.
cept suicide.
The singular fact that the belief OF
the victim that he Is lost Is immediately
( productive Of insanity has been noted
in seorcs Of instances. The profound
desolation. the appalling quietude, the
tremendous heat Of the sun, ard the
awful tortures of thirst combine 20 up
set the Gtontcst intellect ir' an incredi-
bly, short time. Whilc-z0Irs of the sur.
vcying parties was ruTlSing the lines
for tho railroad across the decert come
twenty years or more ego, q young man
connected with the party lost his life In
a remarkable manner Ia some way lac
became separated froIn his companions
in a section that w;os tr;vcrsed 10y a
range of low hills. While he lost sight
of the wagons and his fellow-trayelers.
( they were in a position in Tie hills
where they could zee him IL the valley
below. For awhile he appeared to be
I walking along, easily following the
tracks left by the wagons Then lac be-
| gan u wandcr about Af:cr watching
him through their glasses for some
time they became convinced that some
thing was wrong, AID several If the
I party hurried down into the valley az.
ter him. When they reached him they
found he was stark crazy, having be-
come SO through thirst and tho entirely
unlounGed belief that hc was lost. lie
was carried TO the caIap aud tcnderly
cared for, but died the same night, a
victim To hts own imagination.
| Ia case within the writer's personal
Knowledge two prospectors fonnd them
selves one day without water, and TO
their disJnay the spring or watcr-holc
which they had depended upon for n
| supply was entirely dried up Inctcad Of
wasting time searching for other
! springs, which might or might not exist,
( they decided that their only safety lay
In taking the back track To the point
/ from which they had started. The
/ journey took all day and portion Of
the night One of the men became
crazy, imagined he saw lakes aud
rivers, and wanted 60 rush TO them.
The other, however, retained his senses.
| and finally had 20 draw his six-shoctcr
and at It's muzzle force his companion
I % keep in the trail ahead Of him Their
suffcrinRs were terrible, but they
/ reached spring at last, after eighteen
hours Of torture.
Several years ago the writer happened
! 70 be camping at Aqua Caliente, on the
/ old Arizona wagon road, near the foot
4 Of San Jacinto mountain. IL was
/ bright moonlight night, and, CHANGING
( to walk a short distance from camp, Il
wagon was found, apparently deserted,
and attached 70 which were FOUR bony
horses IN The last stages Of starvation.
/ The old rickety vehicle was covered
with ragged sheet Of canvas, and on
turning this back an old man was
| found, apparently dead. Examination
however showed him 20 be alive, and
some stimulant diluted with milk was
I quickly obtained and poured down his
parched and blackcncd throat. IL WAS
heartrcnding 20 hear the poor fellow
I tell Of his awful experience when nc
recovered strength enough 10 speak.
! MY God" he said, ~ thought / should
die from thirst" II appeared that nc
had Travelled all the way from fndio
under the burning sun and through the
bot sand. % distance of thirty rifles or
more. and had had nothing to drink for
something Ike eighteen hours.
No ono who has not experienced the
thirst that besets the desert traveller
can have the least idea of its terrible
/ intensity. The largest cantccn that can
be carried viii be exhausted within "a
I few hours One may drink his fll and
within five minutes the thirst viii be
as bad as ever Men who habituallv
travel this region train thcmsclvcs %
90 without water for hours az timo,
and when Injured % tho hardship they
suffer little. But the tyro Gnds it inn
1 possible 10 resist the desire for repeat
cd hbations, end when Isis supply Of
water becomes exhausted it needs but
little 60 drive him insane nnd end his
life.
Sometimes the suffering preceding
death IS Of tIo most horrible kind
Men have been found who he'd torn