The herald., 1897-01-27
4 PROSPECTOR'S PERIL
The Terrible Ordeal of William
Strathearn
DEATHS DESERT TOkTURES
Story Of q Trip Between Randsburg and
Mojave
When Reason Fled His Dreams Were of
Water. But There Was
None.

The Oakland correspondent of the San
Francisco Chronicle writes:
William Strathearn, the prospector
who was lost last September on the Mo-
jave desert and nearly suffered death,
arrived in Oakland last night. He is
now at his residence, SIT Castro street.
Though four months have elapsed
since Mr.. Strathearn was picked up on
the desert he still bears evidence of the
terrible experience, and though enjoy
ing good health now he is still
emaciated. When seen this evening he
talked freely about the ordeal and said
that during the past twenty years of
his adventurous life he never endured
anything with one-tenth of the horrors
of that ocean of sand. He has always
been an adventurer, and has spent the
the greater part OF his life searching
for treasures in Alaska, India, Africa
and South America. Just prior to the
trip which nearly proved fatal he had
crossed the Bakersfield desert and the
Caressa plains where Young Horn lost
his life. Though it was an arduous
journey he arrived at Randsburg full
of hope and immediat tely started out
on prospecting tour.
Il did not meet with much success,
and when good reports came from the
st. Elmo camp decided to try my luck
there said Strathearn. II was also
anxious to be where l could get medical
attendance, as / had fallen a few days
before and broken several ribs. Thus
handicapped 1 started with a canteen
of water to walk twenty-five miles
across the burning sands without path
or track to guide me on the way I
ND
directly away from my objective point
when discovered.
Il left Randsburg for st. Elmo Friday.
September 26th, and all went we'll until
Sunday, when my water gave out This
was at o'clock n the morning, and at
that time l founo road which l believ-
ed would lead me 20 st. Elmo. In reality
it was the Death Valley road leading to
Mojave. l followed yhis until gave out
and was found near it. AS we'll as 1
could discern from the surrounding
landscape l reckoned that it was but a
short distance to st. Elmo, and that if
my strength would but hold out for a
few hours 1 would be where there was
water, and to secure water was my one
idea. Feeling my strength fast leaving
me, I discarded my coat and canteen,
leaving on them note telling the di-
rection in which l was travelling, and
asking any one that might come that
way to follow me as l was greatly in
need of water. By this time my tongue
had grown rough and little later it, a
we'll as my throat, began to swell Only
with the greatest difficulty could make
my way from one bush to another, and
they We're not very far apart. I would
lie down and rest for few minutes and
doze or half sleep and dream always of
water. Sometimes it was flowing rivers,
| at other times the ice fields of Alaska,
| but always water. I felt consciousness
| leaving me and made great effort to
| retain reason. / started to the next bush
| but was unable to reach it and retraced
my steps,
Il resolved to make another effort to
gain civilization after nightfall. hoping
against hope that some one would come
to my rescue. When the prospectors,
Silver and Hughes, did come upon me, 1
could scarcely believe that beheld real
human beings. They cared for me very
kindly, and when they placed water
to my lips it was with extreme difficulty
that I could swallow. They, too. were
short of water, and we had to be content
with a quart can of tomatoes until we
reached Mojave.
"While l was lying under the last bush
I realized that it was very doubtful if
I would ever see human face again
and wrote on a slip of paper my name
and the names of several of my friends.
1t was three days after 1 had been at
Mojave before my mind became clear,
and even after that there were times
when everything seemed hazy, and it
yas almost Impossible for me to realize
where l was SndI how I came to be there.
mo, shall never prospect on the des-
| ert again. The experience of those three
| days is enough to last me for lifetime. y
Strathearn's wife is in delicate health
owing to the shock consequent upon
| learning of her husbands conditions at
a time when it was not thought he could
| live.