New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-09
A MEMORABLE STAMPEDE.

A MEMORABLE STAMPEDE
FIFTEEN THOUSAND CATTLE WERE IN IT. AND
TWO THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED
WERE LOST
From The Waco Tex) Independent
One Of the most desperate stampedes of cattle
| ever witnessed By 4 Texas cowboy, says the
Rev. j. Il. Crannl Of Waco. occurred in 1876
on the prairie in the centre of which now stands
the town Of McGresor Fifteen thousand cattle
and twenty. five cowboys participated in the ex-
citing event Mr. Cranhll was not a, participant,
but he tells the story as he got it from an eye
witness Late In the afternoon Of July there
had been lively thunderstorm that made the
cattle nervous. At 10 O'Clock at night, however.
they seemed to be sleeping profoundly. Then
the narrative proceeds as follows
The stars were all shining. End there was no
cause at all for the arousing Of the herd. They
appeared to get UP all at once, with single
purpose. and the roar that was heard seemed to
come from single throat The Wilson brothers
and their cowboys, who were sleeping In the
camp. rushed TO their ponies, VINO were grazing
with the saddles and brides on, and as fast as
the bits could be placed in their mouths they
mounted and Gallolcd to the TANKS of the now
disappearing mass, headed in the direction or
the lIrazos River.
THE usual course on such occasions is to get
| in front Of the herd-a risky piece OF Work-and
start il TO running in "A circle This attempt was
made in this case. Some cattle can outrun
others and in this case there was bunch OF
! ABOUT HItN 1UlN twenty yatuS II any, anu
toward this leading group the two rescuers rode.
OF the leading group also some were faster than
others and this group ran in diamond shape'
with two immense steers leading all. When
Mr. Wilson and his companion reached the two
leading steers they began SHOOTING their re-
vovcrs dose to them. and in that way the
bunch Was made To obli1ue, and as the leading
bunch Of cattle ohlipucd the main stampede oo-
liqutd. and tho first step in milling had Oeeh
taken b. this time the cattle were getting
tired Nearly five miles had been covered, ana
no N Of fh,.l
painfully; but they were rushlnS on. because
the front cattle at this time knew as matter
of fat their only safety was in Keeping up the
run Those behind were coming and they were
in the majority, ana the leaders were coihpeNe1
TO run. There real danger Tor the lorWaru
members Of the stampede.
In the invoice articles contained III the resu-
latinn outfit there Is always some kind OF sum
ularts and but for the stimu'ants containen ID
Mr. Wilson'S outfit ii is possible that the stain-
ped would have been halted without disaster
lie lad 4 Mexican along, one OF the best cow
boys in the Southwest. TINS Mexican anu ms
horse always reminded those who saw him ride
Of the tabled Ccntaur. He rode far forward
and bent over. SO that he and his horse appeared
70 be one animal. No horse, however rugged,
wild and woolly,' had ever been abe 10 unseat
him This Aztcc had been 10 the little brandy
rurlct too often and hal flied and emptied MS
liz. cup with surreptitious int"xicants, SO mat
lis usual excellent judgment went aWry. Wnen
Lc st.ccecdcd in getting mounted after having
fum',lcd with his bride a coed deal. he was far
in the rear. and the stampede bad gone past
him so that when he overlook the rear emu ne
pasrcd to the front on the other Sld", ana ioue
on H.. wrong flank. when he reached the head
II The herd he was just in time 20 deleat tle
manUuvrc then under execution OF bcndinS inc
moving mass from straight me 10 semi
circl, Revolver In hani diSregarding the other
men, he began shooting in the faces oi the wa
efcors and the effect OF this was 70 straiShten
the run ard bring the advance straight toward
a rrccipicc This prccipicc was WASH IN tn'
rrairic forming 4 decD ravine fully thirty yards
wide and in shorter tine man II 'akns u nri,
~ this c0ntrctemps. the head OF the column was
pouring over. horrible cascade or peer punSins
madlv TO destruction while ieeins from ar
imaginary danger.
"V-h,n Mr. Wilson and his lieutenants saw
the, il WIS impossible to- save their cattle they
saved themselves by dexterously turning at right
~ giles at full speed and riding out OF me way
Tho y nnyt returned to tin tiark ana heli I coun-
I'll az var \ few sccon ds decided them ana
all hands commenced shooting into the nero, the
object now being To bui.d nrcastworH % car
casscs and save The rear era from 'he desUuc-
,ion thai had overtaken thu front. The gully was
nearly full Of cattle 10y this time. They were
sucrtiug ard believing crashing and tearing,
and still hcaping up: ard when the flrihg n"Eah
the wounded ones tumbled over on inc others
and IN a short time the gully. like the sunhrh
road at Waterloo. was hr.dged by carcaSses.
The herd surged up in pillows. Ike an ocedi'
and lent now because il could not % other-
wise The semi-circle was formed ana wilson
and his men crossed ,ho gully below and rode
around the opposite side and recrossed; ana Iii
short time they had the cattle halted, forming
an inconpete letter q. and there they STOOD
blowing. below ing and :hivcrine Al hauus r.
ruaircd on watch all night, and in the morning.
when count was made il was ascertalned INA.
700 head were missing. There were atter"aru
1OA rairs Of horns taken from that gully IL
WAS called Stampede Gully ior Hti,y yr1IS
aft,rward ard perhaps will always. with some
peonlc be remembered 10y that name
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