Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1901-08-23
A Miner Tells How IL Feel, TO be
Dead.


lican j. A. Portiere is probably the
only man in that place who ever per.
ished on the desert. aud after being
practically dead for a week, returned
to life and vigor so he could tell
about it. He says he has realized
fully every sensation OF a mau who
perishes OF thirst with the burning
sunshine beating down upon him
lie was found and resuscitated but
he had long passed beyond the period
OF Consciousness before help anne.
He was north OF the Colorado and
was going to Arizona by way OF the
Virgin river and was shown the road.
When he got down INTO the valley
he missed the trail but kept travelling
all that day and the following night.
Some time the next morning when
the sun got pretty hot and he wa al.
most exhausted. he stopped to make
some coffee. still having one caI:een
OF water left. He was holding his
mule by the bride when along came
a desert whirlwind and enveloped
them. frightening the mule, which
dragged him through a cactus plant,
and breaking away from him started
back over the trail. He followed the
mule for a couple OF miles, then gave
up the chase and started toward the
Virgin river on foot and without
water or anything else to save an I'M
quencbed thirst.
Just how long he wandered he does
not know, but before night he began
remembered nothing except the hal
fluctuations. that passed through his
mind before he became unconscious.
Ne WIS, oh, so thirsty! il seemed
like his throat was literally on fire
and he was aching all ove his body.
He tried every method he knew OF
m%oistening his throat. hut the relief
was but temporary. He tore open
the cactus plant and everything that
gave promise OF containing the
slightest bit OF moisture but his
thirst seemed to be an ever increas
inS one. He could think OF nothing
hut water.
Finally, rs his strength rave way.
pleasant dreams began to Hit through
his mind. He fancied he saw the
Niagara Falls and the yastness OF the
rapids below them. Then he seemed
tc face the broad eXpanse OF a great
fresh water lake. He could not see
across it. 1t looked so cool and re-
freshing he could not restrain him
self and waded into it clear up tn his
neck. Then lie fancird he could feel
fish cavorting about his feet. and
everything seemed so peaceful. He
was perfectly happy and contented;
diu not know whether he vas alive OF
dead. and did not care.
About Il week later when he recov
cred consciousness, he found himself
i'll the camp Of some cattlemen who
iihAh oNb'A uihl u uollb dlltI IC
lost track Of himself. His lips we're
swollen and full Of cactus thorns
where he had chewed up the prickly
pear Ill his desperate thirst. The
cattlemen said that when they found
him he was stark naked, doubtless
having disrObed and thrown his
clothes away when he fancied he was
going down into the lake. His ling.
ers were raw and bleeding from
wounds made while digging in the
sand for water.
He says the agony that IN over
one when he first begins to realize
that he IL about to perish for water is
simply indescribable, aud 1t increases
every minute till he begins to lose
consciousness. But when the body
gives up the struggle the mind seems
to become unnaturally active in it's
efforts /" soothe by seemingly fur.
nlshing that for which the body sui.
fers, and the final hours OF the thirsty
victim are hours Of sweetest nntici-