The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-30
A WILD STAMPEDE.
Fifteen Thousand Cattle Were in it, and
Twenty Seven Hundred Were Killed.
(From The Waco independently

(From The Waco independent
One of the most desperate stampedes
of cattle ever witnessed by a Texas
cowboy, says the Rev j. b. Cranhl of
Waco, occurred in 1876 on the prairie
in the centre of which now stands the
town of McGregor Fifteen thousand
cattle and twenty-five cowboys paruc-
ipated In the exciting event. Mr..
Cranfil was not 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 that night however, they
seemed to be sleeping profoundly. Then
the narrative process as follows;
THE stars We're all shining, and
there was no cause at all for the arous-
ing of the herd. They appeared to get
Up all at once with, a single purpose,
and the roar that was heard seemed to
come from single throat. The VIII
son brothers and their cowboys, who
were sleeping in the camp, rushed to
their PONIES, which were grazing with
their saddles and brides on, and as fast
as the bits could be placed in their
mouths. they mounted and gallopea to
the TANKS of the now disappearing
mass, headed in the direction of the
Brazos river
THE usual course on such occasions
is to get in front of the herd--a risky
piece of worls-and start it to running
in circle This attempt was made
in this case. Some cattle can outrun
others, and in this case there was
bunch Of about so fully twenty yards
in advance, and toward this leading
group the two rescuers rode OF the
leading group also some were faster
than others. and this group ran i'll a
diamond shape, with two immense
steers leading all. When Mr.. Wilson
and his companion reached the two
leading steers, they began shooting re-
volvers close to them, and in that way
the bunch was made to oblique, and as
the leading bunch of cattle obliqued,
the main stampede obliqued, and the
first step in milling had been taken.
BY this time the cattle were getting
tired. Nearly five miles had been COW
cred, and the breath Of the leaders
was coming short and painfully, but
they We're rushing on, because the front
cattle at this time knew as a matter of
fact that their only safety was in keep
ing up the run. Those behind were
coming, and they were in the major
ity, and the leaders were compelled to
run. There was real danger for the
forward members of the stampede.
In the invoice Of articles contained
in the regulation outfit there is always
some kind of stimulants, and but for
the stimulants contained in Mr.. Will
sons outfit, 1t is possible that the stam-
pc e would have been halted without
disaster. He had a Mexican along,
one of the best cowboys in the south
west. This Mexican and his horse all
ways reminded those who saw him ride
of the tabled Centaur. He rode far
forward and bent over, so that he and
his horse appeared to be one animal
No horse. however rugged, wild and
woolly, had ever been able to unseat
him. This Aztec had been to the little
brandy runlet too often, and had filed
and emptied his tin cup with surrepti-
tious intoxicants. so that his usual ex-
cellent judgment went aWry. When
he succeeded in getting mounted, after
having fumbled with his bride a good
deal, he was far in the rear, and the
stampede had gone past him, so that
when he overlook the rear end, he pass
ed to the front on the other side and
rode on the wrong flank. When he
reached the head Of the herd, he was
Just In time to defeat the maneuyre
then under execution Of bending the
moving mass from straight line 10 a
semi-circle. Revolver in hand, disre-
garding the other men, he began shoot
ing in the faces Of the wild steers, and
the effect Of this was to straighten the
run and bring the advance straight to-
ward precipice. This preclpice was
a wash in the prairie, forming deep
raVlne fully thirty yards wide. ana IN
a shorter time than II takes to tell Of
this contretemps, the head OF the COL
ufnn was pouring over, a horrible cas-
cade Of beef plunging to destruction
while fleeing from an imaginary dam
ger.
When Mr.. Wilson and his lieuten-
ants saw that it was impossible to save
their cattle, they saved themselves by
aeXterously turning at right angles al
full speed and riding out Of the way
They next returned to the flank ana
held a council Of war a few sec
oads decided them. and all hands be-