The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-18
The Perilous Position of a Sports
man on the Platte River,
c.E& Nebraska.
fMistaking the Treacherous Death
Trap For a Compact Bed
of Sand.
RESCUED From the Back of His Sub
merged Horse When He Himself
Had Nearly Disappeared.

e A terrible adventure recently befall Mr..
TeEence Bland, owner of the Bear Greek
ranch, while endeavoring to ford the Platte
rivsr, fsays a Kearney. Neb., correspondent
of ksthe sSt. Louis Globe Democrat. MIR.
Bland, is a well-known sportsman, who has
onlyiFesided in the state for. the past few
months, was but slightly acquainted with
the physical conformation of the country,
and was caught in one of the terrible quick
sands which abound along the Platte on
undertaking to ride his horse across 1t.
These quicksands are composed principally
Of mica or small particles of rock disinte-
grated from large bodies of rock and sub
.ect to a continuous washing process. The
water smoves all the ruggedness or angular
shapes from the particles. The fragments
become polished to great smoothness and
Shiny with ooze and slip upon each
other with the greatest facility, so
that any heavy weight resting upon this sane
causes the particles to be displaced, thus
suffering the body to sink until solid basis
lis reached. Many OF the Platte quicksands
are from twenty to thirty feet in depth,
III q source of great loss to the farmers
and ranchnien of the vicinity, for cattle
caught in their Shiny grasp are never seen
again, till, perhaps, the next high water
forces their whitened bones to the surface.
These death traps are all the more danger
Gus from their close resemblance to the ex-
tensive beds of white sand compaoted into
solid masses often for miles along the
river.
MIR. Brand earlier in the day had
crossed the Platte over one of these beds of
,a~1 ~-l -l-.A - e
sunset, fancied he perceived the marks of
his horses feet, and essayed to ford the
river at that point, He mad traversed near
ly six feet when he perceived that his
horses made but little progress, merely
lifting one foot after another, and
withdrawing 1t with a sucking sound. Not
understanding this, Brand spurred the ami
NAL on, lashing him at the same time.
With a terrified snort the horse gave n
plunge forward, sinking as ne did SO nearly
to his knees, and all but falling, though he
manage to stagger into an upright posi-
ton. Brand here began to realize his fear
full position, and attempted to turn around,
but the efforts made by the horse TO do this
onlS served I" eink him further in the
yiesdine, slialy mass that seemed to creep
upwardf o. Itself with a hideous, life-like
movement like the writhing of the slippery
folds OF some enormous anaconda about
q helpless victim. The horse seemed
Id suaIe LIE llUfT klOWleGH5 ana
alarm at the situation, and made heroic
efforts, first to turn himself and then
to back out, but only managed to extricate
his legs, one at n time, to find them deeper
submerged for his struggle. Little b uo
bles of water began TO appear over the fac
of the quicksand as the plunGing horse at
tempted to dieengage himself. Every mo-
ment found him sinking lower until the
SAND buried him nearly to the belly, when
Mr.. Brand. despailing Of being able to ex-
tricate the animal, rose in his saddle and
began shouting for help. Had he possessed