Tombstone prospector., 1896-10-06
BENSON'S CALAMITY.
Further Details by an Eve
 Witness.


 thing to be noticed was 6 very black cloud tha. seemed at first to take the shape of a tunnel, then it rapidly changed and seemed ts divide into three prongs or spurs going out from the main body; they seemed to rap idly protrude nntil they seemingly the mountain and then re- ceded into the main body again. Nearly everybody in town was attract ed by the terrible threatening appear snos of the cloud; people hurried to their homes and the doors and win- dows were closed, then the wind come and everything seemed to be envel- oped in Q heavy fog, the rain falling in torrents and the wind blowing . perfect gale. Then it began to hail and the hail stones on the roof sound. cd like c regular musketry fire, the being perfectly round and many of them ss large as eggs. The gulchss were oveIfiowing already with water and now the addition of as much more Of hail made it very thick and the pressure very great sgainst every thing it run agsinst, tearing down fences and the very earth in places.
 When it fret began to rain Mir. Zeek, our barber, was at home; he and his wife were trying to get hen and her chickens in out of the wet and the children kep, running out in the rain. Mrs. Ash burn, wife of Oscar Ashburu. took her two little children. aged two and four respectively, and run across the street to keep the children in the house while the father and mother were after the chickens. It was rain ing O bad:by the time the chickens were housed that Mrs. Auburn told MT. Zeek if he would close her front door ths, she would stay with his wife and children until she storm was over. Mir. Zeek closed her door and rode on his bicycle to his shop ss fast as he could, never dreaming that It was the last time that he would ever behold his wife aud little ones alive. In e short time he looked out and saw his house coming down the street in tor. rent of water and go to pieces right before his eyes and he was powerless to render any aid to those who were drownisg.
 The telegraph operator and others in she depot looking ou. through the closed window beheld the women and children go swiftly pas, grabbing and clu,ching 6, the hos,ing g debris but they were powerless to ren. der any aid as she water was between three and four feet and running qui :s saift.
 As soon as the storm was over every man in town turned out to scar oh foi the bodies. Tae first Co be recovered was that Of Mrs. Ashburn who wal found about 8 half mile below town on dry land with her arm clutchiDg ( fence post, but dead. In a short time afterwards the body Of Mrs. Zeek wal found about . quarter of . mile beyond in hole, just enc foot prosruding and the head down, the hail packed firmly around so that It required the effortt of strong men to pull the body out.
 Although there has been . constan, search for the bodies of the children they have just ct this writing, 6p. m., succeeded in another. that oi MT Zeek's youngest child, little Clyde three years old. He was found buried m tho sand about one and . half miles below town,
 The funeral of Mrs. Zeek and Mrs Ashbura was held today, Rev. Roberts oBciated and every body in ,hs little village surned out to pay their respects to the dead.
 There were six persons drowned in