The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-04-26
IN A CLOUDBURST.
Terrible Experience OF Two Pros
poctors
Deinge in : canyon--A Miner Witnesses
the sad Fnte Of His Comrnde HIs
own Narrow Escape from
Death.

speaking OF ciOuoDuFbsb, bdlu AO4.
Granger, putting his feet on the table
and lighting fresh cigar, II had lit
tie personal experience In that line
once, and never want II repeated"
Being pressed TO relate hisexperience,
the colonel continued: 1T was in the
summer Of 1879 young fellow
named George Brown and were pros
pecting in the Huachuca mountains in
Arizona 1t was comparatively UNI
known country at that time, and filled
with dangers Of all kinds against
winch we were amply prepared We
had a fine outfit, well stored with pro-
visions, and we carried good arms and
an abundance Of ammunition This for
the double purpose Of killing game and
defending ourselves against possible
attacks Of Apaches, who were bad at
that time We had been out from civil
lizatiotr about six weeks, and had made
some small discoveries. but nothing
which thought would justify us in
working at that time. so we pushed
further up the mountains, following up
d canyon dis far as we could 70 with our
team, and when we could take our
wagon no further we made camp, and
each day prospccted tho country around
II, packing our tools and water on our
muies.
1--WE had started ont early one
morning on one 81 these expeditions.
The air was, remarkably calmi not
breath stirred nor was there cloud
In the sky. The sun came up clear and
hot. and Brown remarked 10 me as we
tolled mp the narrow canyon that we
were sure Of fine day ut any rate. We
reached the scene of our operations
about nine o'clock in the morning, and
tying our mules TO clump OF bushes
proceeded on our climb up the hills.
We had not gone far when the air be-
came intensely sultry and mass OF
light. fieecy clouds began to gather
overhead, apparently the vanguard OF
two denser masses which were form
ing north and south Of MS. Then few
drops Of rain fell and the cloud masses
thickened, became blacker and seemed
10 rapidly approach each other.
Seeing that a storm was upon US,
Brown and ] 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
MS We rcdoubled our speed and gained
our mules as the two cloud masses met
II was now almost as dark as midnight
aud the raindrops increased in size and
rapiditY until II seemed as though the
clouds had yeritably burst; and there
was rush Of water like Niagara
coming down from the heavens,
I'VE had reached our mules and were
squirting down the canyon fdrsour lives.
The hillsides were raging cataract Of
water. Great trees were washed out
by the roots; huge powders Tege
rolled down into the canyon Tie
water pouring down the hilisides found
small dcpressions and in few minutes
tore them out To ravines, In places we
could sec the soil washed clean to the
bedrock. and the whole mass tumbling
into the canyon through which we were
riding.
at was \ ride for life. Behind us
was solid wall Of water atty feet
high, coming with the roar Of thou
sand eataracts. The noise was deafen-
ing In the face Of this wall Of water
was mass Of debris hole trees turn
ing end over end, hinge powders large
as a house being swept forward by
the powerful force behind as dust Is
swept before the broom Of the house.
wife
We were 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 rs was increasing in height and
velocity and steadily gaining on us.
was a little in advance ottBrown, and
shouted 70 him tobreak for the hills
but the horrible din behind drowned
my voice, and ! could not hear it my
self ! spurred my mule up the side
hill, and looking back 10 see IL Brown
were following. saw that irresistibl,
current fairly lift him up, and In an in
slant he,iwith the male he was riding
was absorbed in the mass which was
rolling, down the canyon as one nigh
disappear in the nav Of some insatiats
monster
n could not stop NJ look further foi
him The rolling Wall 0f water wa,
coming down the canyon with Tie speed
81 an express train, and every second
lesscned the distance between ii ant
y. ~. !. so wv