Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-09-02
Thrilling Adventure of Prospec-
tors i'll Arizona, in the Dark
ness Of Midnight.
A Race for Life--Fleeing From a
Solid Wall Of Raging
Fire.
One Man Lost, and Mules Swept
Away by the Irresistible
Current.

speaking of Cloudbtusts. said Colonel
Granger. i'll Santrancisco the other day.
Il had 4 little personal experience i'll
that line once. and never want it re-
pCatcd. 1t was in the summer of 49,
\ young fellow named George Brown
ana L We're prospecting III the Haucll-
uca mountains i'll Arizona 1t was Il
comparatively unknown country at that
tl)nc. and filled With dangers of all
kinds. against which we were amply
prepared. We had Il fine outfit. We'll
stored with provisions. and we carried
good arms and an abundance of annu-
milton. This for the double purpose of
killing game and defending ourselves
against possible attacks of ApachcS.
who were bad at that time. We had
been out from civilization about six
weeks, and had made some small dis
coverieS. but nothing which we felt
would Justify us in working at that
time, so we pushed farther up the
mountains. following up Il canyon as
far as we could go With our team. and
when we could take our wagon no
prospected the country around it, pack
ing our tools and water on our mules.
I'VE had started out early one morning
on one of these expeditions. The air
was remarkably calm. not Il breath
stirred nor was there 4 cloud i'll the
sky. The sun came up clear and hot,
and Brown renalktd to me us we toll
ed UP the narroW canyon that we We're
sure OF Il fine day, 1T amy rate. We
reached the scene OF cur operations
about . O'Clock in the morning., and ty.
ing our mules to Il chlmp of bushes pro-
CccdCd on our climb uD the hills We
had not gene far when the air became
intensely sultry and Il mass of light.
tieecy clouds began to gather overhead,
apparently the vanguard of two dcnScr
MASSES which were forming north and
south of us. Then Il few drops of rain
fell und the cloud masses thirkennd. be
cam" hllc'lcr. and seemed to rapidly APP
proach each other.
Seeing that Il storm was upo, us
Brown and started down the mountain
for OrIr mules. the clouds above in the
meantime coming together. the dlrK-
ness increasing and drops rs large. ap-
Iarcntly, rs S;lucerS falling around us
We re-lOublcd our speed aud gained our
mules as tn" two cloud masses met. 1t
was now almost as dark Is midnight.
and the l:iindlDps increased in size and
rapidlty until it seemed aS though The
clouds had veritably burst. and there
was rush of water like 4 Nialagl conf
ing down from the heavens
I'VE had reached cur mules and Wcrr
squirting down the canyon for our lives.
The hillsides were Il raging cataract of
water. Great trees were washed out
by the roots; huge boulders were rolled
down into the canyon. The water pour
ing down the hillSdcs found small de-
preSSiCnS, and in Il few minutes tore
them out to raviEeS. In places we could
see the soil washed clean to the bedrock
and the whole mass tumbling into the
canyon through which we were riding
''It was a ride for life Behind us was
a solid wall Of water fifty feet high
coming with Il roar of Il thousand cat
aractS. The noise was deafcning. In
the face of this wall of water was Il
mass of dcbriS-whole trees turning end
over end. bOuldrrS as large as a house -
being swept forward by the force be
hind, as dust is swept before the broom
Of the housewife.
1--WE We're urging our poor beasts to
their utmost limit Of endurance, the
water around us growing deeper and
deeper each second the rain still fall
ing in torrents, while that terrible wall
behind us was increasing in height ana
velocity and steadily gaining on us. |
was a little i'll advance of Brown and
shouted to him to break for the hills,
but the horrible din behind drowned my
voice and | could not hear it myself. !
spurrcd my mule up the hillside, and
looking back to see if Brown were fol
lowing saw that irresiStiblet clrr"n
fairly lick him up and in Il minute he,
with the mule he was riding, was alb
Sorbed in the mass which was rolling
down the canyon as one might disap-
pear in the nav of some monster.
II could not stop to look farther 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-DreServa-
ton. n race for life with the elements
/ had got down the canyon to a place
where it was widening and the stream
spread our in width. losing somewhat Of
its depth; but still it seemed to press on
like some hideous monster upon its prey
and fearful lest it should be baffled. /
was gaining on the side hill, but the
current was gaining On me. Moment by
moment it came nearer. l. was now
but a few feet distant. If ] could but
force my poor least few feet higher
UP the mountains we should be above
its force and be safe. / thrust the
rOwelS deep III his sides and he gave
mad plunge. The water had reached
US. and | felt him carried off his feet.
] grasped an overhanging bush and he
was swept away in the torrent, leaving
me suspended, my feet just touching
the surface of the water. | hung to
that bush for my life, and despite the
strongest eXertiOns on my part 1t was
all I could do to keep from being car
ried away.
I'm a few moments the fury of the
storm had passed, the water abated cuff
fciently to permit me to obtain a foot
ing, and 1 turned my way higher up
the mountain to a place of safety, |
where, drenched to the skin, awaited |
the subsistence of the water.
''T he storm cleared off lust as Slldden- |