The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-06-11

TO many a WIRE I6uceA OF lOQSeQ on
branches of trees hanging into the
water All of these tell in part the
story of the perilous voyage undertaken
by the men bound for Washington,
over a route never before travelled.
The most dangerous portion of all the
distance lies between the mouth of
Clear creek and McKay's bridge, about
| four miles in length. The Platte itself
lis about as high as it was ever known
and Clear creek is higher The two
streams do not usually get up together,
but when they do, all below for several
miles must suffer. The bottoms were
covered with water, and the stream at
many points was over a mile wide, and
it was impossible for a person not fa-
niliar with the Platte to tell which of
the many swift flowing currents was in
the main channel. 1t was this bewilder-
ing circumstance, the ranchmen say,
which added materially to the peril of
the boats The boatmen would steer
for the main current and suddenly find
their boat capsized or stump or snag
in the middle Of field, half mile from
the old Platte, yet in water deep enough
to make escape to the bank dangerous
at least.
CARRIED INTO THE FIELDS.
In that short distance at least twenty
boats are piled in wrecks upon the
banks. or lodged in shallow water with
q rushing current on either side. Just
above McKay's bridge the waters di-
vide. Here most Of the casualties oc-
CURED, and there was no better suited
place for them. For days the water
has been running unrestr1ined over all
the bottoms, which are thickly cover
ed with trees and underbrush. Wire
fences are numerous and vast
amount of debris has collected at va
rious points occasioning innumera BILE
rapids and making the efforts to handle
the boats fruitless. It was in this
woods that all the fatal accidents oc-
CURED, and many narrow escapes were
made.
Beyond the bridge the country is
much the same, though noAso danger
Gus, the water being clearer from OBJ
structions and the few who success
fully guided their boats through the
bottoms above were nearly always able
TO escape trouble.
The ranchmen along the river were
extremely active in their endeavors
to relieve the sufferers. j. w. Myers,
about a dozen and cared for a French
man who had been injured seriously.
John I. Brewer gave food and clothing
to about sixteen. George Wooley pre-
scented Lieutenant Robert G. Hallinger
with a pair of boots and coat, while
Mrs. Wooley prepared breakfast for
about twenty. Hallinger had been
compelled to discard his clothes when
his boat capsized, and barely escaped
with his life. He saw another man
drown and was unable to help him.
THE FUNDS ARE MISSING.
General Carter and a remnant of
about thirty, all that is left of his COM
mand, are quartered in a small house
have about dozen boats left and
small quantity of provisions
I don't know what [ will do next"
said the general. my command is so
badly scattered by the disasters on the
river that it is hard for me to arrive at
any decision. l will not make up my
mind until hear more from the boys
This whole river business was a
mistake and was undertaken against
my advice, and those who started did
so without orders Those of US who are
left have but little provision, and, to
make matters worse, Secretary Elk
horn. who had all the funds, is missing
and cannot be found.
we are going to Washington, if we
have to walk"
UNKNOWN NUMBERS.
Only God will ever know how many
Of the Coxeyites were drowned in the
Platte last night said Commissioner
Twombly yesterday. II have no doubt
there have been at least fourteen or six
teen drowned, but there may be forty
for all that we can tell. There is one
body at Brighton which will probably
be buried there, and five others are re-
ported to be on an island this side of
Brighton, but there are so many con-
ficting reports that we are unable to
tell yet just how many bodies there are
found. County Undertaken Koran has
been commissioned deputy coroner and
will bring the bodies here when we
learn certainly where they are
will the industrials be allowed to
continue in the boats?"
ALLOW them? Why, man, you could
not drive them into those boats again
with shot-guns. If had seen the boats