Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-06-21
No Such Thing as Bursting cloud-s Simply
A Heavy Rain.

A Heavy Rain.
I, c. Knowles In Ainslee's Magazine.
1.-THE most destructive form of noun.
tain storm is the so-called cloudburst.
when the riprling brook suddenly be-.
comes a roaring river, carrying death
and destruction in its path. The noise
made by o cioudburst has no parallel,
Above the rumble and roar of mass Of
rushing water is heard grinding,
gioaning sound Of falling trees, Of slir.
ping earth and rolling boulders, while
the banks Of the stream far above the
danger line tremble as If in an earth.
quake The senses are numbed by the
awful cataclysm, and IL seems to the
spectator, although he is on the high
banks and out of actual danger, as il
the very foundations Of the earth had
hurst and Judgment Day was come.
The food losses about mighty trees and
rocks as If they were sttaws, the banks
of the stream seem to dissolve tefore
his eyes, and feeling of awe at the
irresistible power of nature steals over
the observer. Once witnessed, cloud
burst is never forgotten.
..In point of fact, however. there 10
no such thing as the bursting Of q
cloud. The term 'cloudhurst' is a con-
renient expression by which the result
Of very heavy rain is designated.
Nearly all the surface Of the earth in
the mountain region is made up either
of rocks or adobe soil. The latter, In
most cases, has never been broken to
cultivation, and is almost impervious
to sudden heavy downpour Of rain.
The consequence is that the mountains
are cut up with aroyos, gullies and
water courses, and in the course Of
unnumbered ages into mighty canyons
which astound the tourist In an I'M.
usually heavy rainfall. the great mass
Of water spread over a large area,
instead of sinking into the ground, ID
quickly accumulated In the beds of the
streams, which rise many feet In a
short time. When this accumulation
is rapid enough, and the LAY Of the
land is just right, the water PUSHES
down the bed of the stream in solid
wall, and lie called cloudburst. The
same precipitation in an omen country,
or in one in which the soil has been
broken up by cultivation, would be
called heavy rainfall, and would do no
damage unless continued long enough
| for the streams to rise out Of their
banks and food the country.
Zone of the most destructive storms
| of this nature, go far rs It's manifold
consequences are concerned, took place
| In the spring OF 1864. when oloudburst
occurred at the headwaters of Cherry
Creek. This is small stream, dry
most of the year. but notorious for Its
eccentricities. 1t flows through Denver
| and empties into the Platte River,
within the confines of the city. Just
at nightfall the water swent down this
dry creek in wall said to have been II
feet in height, carrying everything
before 1t. Many people we're drowned,
and many buildings were washed away
All night long the creek flowed bank
full of water that was thick with wreck
age People were rescued during the
night on RATS and improvised boats
The most serious loss was the Git,
Hall, which was swept away by TIT
water, together with all the records OF
| file there. These records included mo-
| only those of tho State and city, bu
also the United States land filings
The flood was followed by an era o
jumping, and good many of thu
present fortunes in Denver date from
that ,event. The safe of the City Hal
was never found, although some relic
Of the food, including portion OF tn
| press Of the Rocky Mountain News, nr'
now in the rooms Of the State Histori
| ral Society. WI