Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-06-23
DEATH VALLEY.


II. iced desert traveller is subjected,
Ga.s the San Francisco Chronicle, was
iDdt of resident of San Bcrnardino
.'niacd Cornman, which occurred aJout
lu.~2n years ago. a young man was
sent out by Cornman to visit the remote
lining camps CT Ivanpah and Resting
Springs for the purpose Of obtaining the
lection returns. Aft"r lie had been
...:,r few hours it struck Cornman
- o.. The messenger had never been on
ne desert and was in danger of being
lost. AS he was himself familiar with
the routes, he saddlcd n horse and
filed canteen, and started out. Over
taking the messenger he sent him back
and then continued On what was dcs--
tined to prove his death journey. lie
reached the camp, obtained the re-
turns, and then started back for San
!fprnardino. But he never reached that
pace.
Gclne time elapsed and finally parties
Iril cd in town who had left Ivanpah
several days after Cornman's departure.
~ = q once caused an investigation to
o., made. Experienced crackers We're
put III the trail, and they found where
Corr. nan, evidently crazed with thirst,
had left the road in search of water,
rad wandered aimlessly about for
Ir,i,,', and finally had come back within
= sn,v yards of the highway. Complete
~ orn out, he had thrown himself
{ ;va by the side of a bowlder ant
i,',"n out his brains with the siX-shoot-
49,. which he had chung through his
i,Ic.cr,bable sufferings. He left
.iGrir scrawled note stating that he
IL lost, that his horse had got away,
g. I'd that there was no other refuge eX-
Z, pit auicide.
The singular fact that the belief of
;H2 victim that he is lost is Immediately
productive of insanity has been Noted
e. ores of instances. The profound
t}"soiation, the appalling quietudc, tho
tremendous heat Of the sun, and the
:;'v.1l tOrtures of thirst combine to up
..; .c stoutest intellect in an incredi-
Dy short time. While one of the sur
-, nT parties was running the lines
f,f' the railroad across the desert some
.y~uty gears or moro ago, a young man
c'"r ac.cd with the party lost his life in
E, LIN" cable manner. In some way he
.ecamC separated from his companions
~ It section that was traversed by a
+ the wagons and his fellow-travelers,
t,"T "rrc in a position in the hills
"hcrc they could see him in the valley
aIow. For awhile he appeared to be
a1i;ing along, easily following the
g Is J, t by the wagons. Then he be-
81. II ~ aGCr about. After watching
.n Trough their glasses for some
r.. theT became convinced that some
."E Vas wrong, and several Of the
.,!lg hurried down into the valley af-
...r him. When they reached him they
nnd he was stark crazy, having be-
INC so through thirst and the entirely
'",foundrd belief that he was lost. He
So. err ed to- the camp and tendcrTy
ID fur. but died the same night, a
r.".in u his own imagination.
ir IL c&sa within the writer's personal
"wlcd12 two prospectors found them
Ives 0ue day without water, and to
.'.'.ir Gianay the spring or watcr-hole
.,rh :. " had depended upon for q
'riy W. entirely dried up. Instead of
ling time searching for other
r. Which might or might not exist,
(,. .i,ied that their only safety lay
- taking the back track to the point
~ Which they had started. The
'.,.o@.,. {. tx oil day and a portion Of
"a" night. One of the men became
e.. iG,nGincd he saw lakes and
i.v, .. - wanted to rush to them.
% ''rn,. however, retained his senses,
, - r'.l . had TO drn| his six-shooter
Atd az l., muzzlc force his companion
t-"HH i. The trail ahead of him. Their
.I~r.H3'' were terrible, but they
cached spring at last, after eighteen
IS Gf torture.
"@lHi years ago the writer happened
'.' r;-.n,5ing at Aqua Caliente, on the
'~..'.." wagon road near tn" foot
;: S"n rt into mountain 1t was y
'Hisht nr"nlight night and, ciIan2iu;'
- Val, ,.@sort distance FROM camp. ~
.;ron was found, apparently deserted,
Il attach''d to which we're four b0nv
."Sca il u,> lat stages of starvation.
." 70 ,;2'y vehicle was covered
Ill.