Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-08-07
AWFUL DESERT THIRST,

AWFUL DESERT THIRST.
RecOllections Of an Arizona Man
Who Experienced the Horrors of
Death.
J. A. Portiere is probably the only
man in Phoenix who ever perished on
the desert, and after being practically
dead for week returned to life and
vigor so he could tell about it. He
says that he has realized fully every
sensation Of a man who perishes of
thirst with the burning sunshine beat
ing down on him. He was found and
resuscitated, but he had long passed
beyond the period Of consciousness be-
fore help came.
1t was In the summer Of 1877 and
Mr.. Porterie was working at the Grand
Gulch copper mine on the Grand Wash,
as 1t Is now called, north Of the Colora-
do on the Supai plateau in the north
western part Of this territory. The
mines are being worked by a Mormon
company from st. George, Utah. The
company could not get the proper
f1ukes for its ore and therefore did not
make success Of the enterprise. 1t
closed down the mine and all who were
employed there wanted to go back to
Utah except Mr.. Porterie. who desired
to come south into central Arizona. He
knew there was good road down the
Virgin river and to Mineral Park, but
1t was some distance west Of Grand
Wash and over desert country he had
never traversed and was not familiar
with. He was taken up into a high
mountain by an old man named Pierce
and shown the general direction Of the
road to the Virgin river. He was told
where he could find water half way
along the trail, at well-known spring.
He saddled up his mules and with two
canteens Of water started out alone.
When he got down into the valley
he lost the trail, but kept travelling all
that day and the following night.
Sometime the next morning, when the
sun got pretty hot and he became al
most exhausted, he stopped to make
some coffee having still some water in
his canteen. He was holding his mule
by the bride, when along came des-
ert whirlwind which enveloped them,
frightening the mule, which dragged
him through a cactus plant, and break
ing away from him, started back over
the trail. He followed the mule for q
couple of miles, then gave up the chase
and again started toward the Virgin
river on foot and without water or
anything else save an unquenced
thirst.
Just how long he wandered he does
not know, but before night he began to
get delirious, and after that he remem-
bered nothing except the hallucina-
tions that passed through his mind be-
fore he became unconscious. He was,
oh, so thirsty! 1t seemed as If his
throat was literally on fire and he was
aching all over his body. He tried ev-
cry method he knew Of moistening his
throat, but the relief was but tempo
rary. He tore open the cactus plants
containing the slightest bit of moist
ure; but his thirst seemed to be an
ever-increasing one. He could think Of
nothing but water.
Finally, as his strength gave way,
pleasant dreams began to fit through
his mind. He fancied he saw the Nj
agara Falls, and the vastness of the
great river that flows away over the
rapids below them. Then he seemed to
face the broad expanse Of great fresh
water lake. He could not see across 1t.
It looked so cool and refreshing he
could not restrain himself and waded
into it clear up to his neck. Then he
fancied he could feel the fish cavorting
about his feet, and everything seemed
so peaceful. He was perfectly happy
and contented; did not know whether
he was alive or dead, and did not care.
About a week later, when he recov-
cred consciousness, he found himself
in the camp of some cattlemen who
had found him some hours after he
lost track of himself. His lips were
swollen and full Of cactus thorns where
he had chewed up the prickly pear In
his desperate thirst. The cattlemen
said that when they found him he was
stark naked, doubtless having disroo-
ed and thrown his clothes away when
he fancied he was going down into the
lake. His fingers were raw and bleed
ing from wounds made while digging
in the sand for water.
He says that the agony that comes
over one when he first begins to realize
that he is about to perish for water Is
simply indescribable, and it increases
every minute till he begins to lose con-
seriousness. But when the body gives
up the struggle the mind seems to be-
come unnaturally active in its efforts
to soothe by seemingly furnishing that
for which the body suffers. and the
final hours of the thirst victim are
hours of sweetest anticipatior.-Arl-
zona Republican.
CAPTAIN Richmond P. Hobson de-
liyered an address at the Monona Lake
association assembly. before 5000 per-
sons. at Madison, Wis, last FRIDAY,
taking for his topic THE American
Navy" The address was a vigorous
and eloquent appeal for stronger
navy. Every congress. he declared,
should appropriate at least S2o0 0oo'ooo
for new war ships. The United states
was destined to become great worid
a