Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-05-16

4 SERIES OF EXPLOSIONS SHOOK THE EARTH.
in case Of row. The engine house we
made our fort. and 80 men behind Its
loopholed walls would make a good
fight Of It. But yet we had something
more than powder and lead to depend
upon. If the Yaquis came through the
mountain pass. they would approach
the works two miles distant, by way
OF two Fayines which led quite to our
doors In come places these ravines
were only six or seven feet deep. in
others over 30. with stone walls on
either side. Under the direction OF q
civil engineer powder and dynamite
charges were hidden away in these
walls and buried In the earth and wires
connected with the power house and
an electric battery.
Had 1t been possible to buy the
friendship of the Yaquis we should
have attempted 1t and thus secured
our safety. but we knew they were
pot to be tempted hy anything we
could offer. We had been working
full force for three months. with an
alarm now and then. when we learned
why we bad not been disturbed by
raiding parties. The whole fighting
force of the Yaquis, numbering be-
tween 1000 and 5000. was gathering
for grand effort to sweep across the
mountains aud clear the country to the
Rio Grande. This had been the dream
of the chief for years. and bis people
bad been treasuring up rifles and am
munltiOh. When the force was finally
ready to move. the Mexican govern
ment was powerless to stop 1t except
on the north. and 1t was too late to
send out anything like a general alarm
The 1000 well armed savages. know
Ing no mercy. fell upon prospector,
freightef, bunter, miner and yillageP,
and not a man escaped from their
hands. Almost by accident we got
word OF the movement, and the mine
was closed. the poems were sent away,
and we prepared for a siege. Look
outs were established along both ra-
vines. and we had four days in which
to hear the tales of panic stricken
fugitives who passed our way.
The Yaquis had no pity for age. sex
or condition. They found the people
llmost defenseless. and when they had
captured village every man. woman
and child was put to the torture. Ev-
cry habitatlon was burned. live stock
was slaughtered. and even the dogs
and cats were killed. The Idea was to
leave nothing alive behind them. The
army did not push forward at swift
pace. but dallied along and spent hours
witnessing the torture of Its victims.
We knew when the Indians finally en-
tered the mountain pass, headed
straight for us. and il was half an hour
before sunset one evening when we
sa W the first of their force debouch on
the plain and begin a close survey Of
our situation. We were ready for
them, but we knew that no attack
would be made before morning. They
would have had a long march and be
fatigued. and they would wait until al
| their force was up. An hour after sun
| rise next morning we witnessed n spec
| tacle that made the flesh creep a bit
| Fully 1000 Yaquis gathered in com
| pact body between us and the mouth OF
| the pass AMI chanted a wild and saw.
| age song, and we were only 80 against
| them. They sent no flag of truce to de
| mand a surrender They may have
| even hoped we would show fight, as
| they had met with no resistance as yet
| AS we had hoped and planned for, th'
| Yaquis adcanced by the rayines. A
body Of about 500 was told off for each
| ravine, sklrmishers were sent on ahead
| and the main body looked on. Thirty
| men with Winchester rifles inside OF o
! stone fort are no mean foe, but we sooI
| realized that In this case we were al
| most helpless. SO swiftly and steadily
| did the Indians advance and so hot was
| their fire at the loopholes that we soor
| had FIVE men killed and could not reply
| except at great risk. Their advance
was within n stones throw of us III botl
rayines when we resorted to the cleo
tric wires. Few men Will ever witness
[, the sight we did. There was series
| of explosions which shook the earth FOL
| miles around. with bursts OF flame ano
smoke leaping to the clouds, and aftel
| one fearful yell there was silence II
both rayines. 1t was half an hour be