San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-29
RACING WITH A CLoUDBURsT.
The Terrible Experience OF Two
Prospectors IN the Arizona
Mountains

speaking OF clOudOursts," said
Col. Granger, putting his feet on the
table and lighting fresh cigar, II
had a little personal experience in
that line once, and never want it re.
peated. 1t was in the summer of 1872.
A young fellow named George Brown
and 1 were prospecting in the HUI
achuca noun taiHs in Arizona. We
had started out early one morning.
The air was remarkably calm; not o
branch stirred, nor was there cloud
in the sky. The sun came up clesr
and hot, and Brown remarked
to me as We toiled up
sure of a fine day at any rate. We
reached the scene of our operations
about o'clock in the morning q, d
tying our mules TO clump of bushes
proceeded on our climb up the hills.
We had not gone far when the air
became intensely sultry and C. mass
of light, fieecy clouds began to gather
overhead, apparently the vanguard of
two denseT masses which were FORM
ing north and south of us. Then q
few drops of rain fell and the cloud
masses thickened, became blacker
and seemed TO rapidly approach each
other.
"Seeing that storm was upon us,
Brown and L started down the noun.
tain for our mules, the clouds above
In the meantime coming together, the
darkness increasing and drops as
large apparently as saucers falling
around us. We redoubled our speed,
and gained our mules as the two
cloud masses met. 1t was now al.
most as dark as midnight, and the
rain drops increased in size and ra-
pidity until 1t seemed as though the
clouds had veritably burst, and there
was rush of water like a Niagara
coming down from the heavens.
1--WE had reached our mules and
were squirting down the canyon Tor
our lives Behind US was a solid wall
of water 80 feet high, coming with
the roar of thousand cataracts. The
noise was deafening, In the face of
this wall of water was mass of
debris-whOle trees turning end over
end, huge powders large as q house
being swept forward by the power.
fore the broom of the Ousewife.
"We were urging on. poor beasts o
their utmost limit of endurance, the
water around US growing deeper and
deeper each second, the rain still
falling in torrents, while that terrible
wall behind US was increasing in
height and velocity and steadily
gaining on US. I was little in ad-
vance of Brown, and shouted to him
to break for the hills, but the horrible
din behind drowned my voice, and 1
could not hear it myself. spurred
my mule up the sidehill, and looking
back to see II Brown was following,
saw that irresistible current fairly
lick him up, and in I'D instant, he,
with the mule he was riding, was alb
sOrb bed in the mass which was rolling
down the canyon as one might disap-
pear in the NAV of some insatiate
monster.
IF could not stop 10 look further for
him. The rolling wall of water was
coming down the canyon with the
speed of an express train, and every
second lessened the distance between |
it and me. 1t was q matter of self |
race for life with the |
| had got down the can
yOn to place where IL was widening
and the stream spread out In width,
losing somewhat of its depth, but |
still it seemed to press on like some
hidden monster intent upon it's prey
and fearful lest it should be baffled.
was gaining on the s:dehill, but the
current was gaining on me. Mo-
nent by moment it came nearer.
It was now but few eet distant.
II / could but force my poor
beast few feet higher up the mOul
tain we should be above it's force and
be safe. / thrust the rowels deep In
mis- side, and he gave a mad plunge.
The water had reached u, and 1 felt
him carried off his feet. I grasped an
)verhangiug bush and he was swept
away in the torrent, leaving me sus-
pended. my feet Just touched the sur
push for my life. and despite the
Ill could do to keep from being car
led away Oy the mysterious torrent.
"In few moments the fury OF the
ItOrm had passed, the water abated
efficiently to permit me to obtain q
ootipg, and I forced my way higher
Up the mountain to place OF safety,
where, dreDched to the skin, 1 await
ID the subsistence of the waters.
"The storm cleared almost as sud-
ienly as it had begun, the whole time
occupied having been little more than
have taken in the telling, but in
nose few moments q dry can
yon had been converted into
aging torrent. the noun tain sides
lad been denuded, thousands
lpon thousands of tons of earth and
ock had been carried to the valley
below, and the whole face of the coun-
ry had been changed. AS soon as 1
Gould safely descend from my place of