Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-09-19
AWFUL DESERT THIRST.
RecoIIcctions OF n Man Who Expert
cnccd the HORRORS of Dcnth.

enccd the Horrors of Death.
]. A. Portcric is probably the only man
in Phcnix who ever persisted on the des-
ert and after being practically dend for
a week returned to life and vigor 80 he
could toll about it. He says that he has
realized fully every sensation OF man
who pcrishcs OF thirst with the burning
sunshine beating down on him. He was
found and resuscitatcd, but he had long
passed beyond the period of consciousness
before help came.
1t was in the summer Of 1877. and Mr..
Pofterie was working at tho Grand
Guch copper mine on Grand Wash, as 1t
is now called, north of the Colorado on
the Supa plateau, in the northwestern
part OF this territory. The mines are
being worked by Mormon company
from st. George, Utah. The company
could not get the proper iuxes 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 90 back to Utah except Mr.. Porterie,
who desired to come south into central
Arizona. lie knew there was n good road
down the Virgin river and to Mineral
Park, but il was some distance west Of
Grand Wash and over desert country
he had never travcrsed and was not ia
miliar 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 winter half way
along the trail, at n woll known spring.
He sndded up his mule and with two
cantcens 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. Some time
the next morning, when the sun got pref
ty hot and he became almost exhausted,
he stopped to make some coffee, having
still one canteen Of water left. he was
holding his mule by the bride when
along came desert whirlwlnd and envel-
oped Them, frightening the mule, which
dragged him through 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 again started toward the Vir-
gin river on foot and without water or
anything else save an unquenched thirst.
just how long he wandered he does not
know, but before nj ght he began to get
delirious, and after that he remembered
nothing except the Authorizations that
passed through his mind before he be-
came 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 every method
he knew OF moistenng his throat but the
relief was but temporary. He tore open
the cactus plants and everything that
gave promise OF containing the slightest
bit Of moisture, but his thirst seemed to
DO ..f
think Of nothing but water.
Finally as his strength gave way pleas
mt dreams began to fit through his
mind He fancied he saw the Niagara
falls and the "astness Of the great river
that flows away over the rapids below
them Then he seemed to face the broad
expansc Of a great fresh water lake. He
could not see across it. 1t looked so cool
and refreshing he could not restrain him
self and waded into it clear up to his
neck. Then he fancied he could feel the
fish cavorting about his (eet and every.
thing seemed so peaceful. He was per-
fectly happy and contented: did not know
whether he was alive or dead and did not
care.
About 4 week later when he recovered
consciousness, ne found himself in the
him some hours after he lost track OF
himself. His lips were swollen snd tull
Of cactus thorps, 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 disrobed and thrown his
clothes away when he fancied he was
going down into the lake His fingers
were raw and bleeding 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 10 perish for water is simply
indescribable aud it increases every min
ute till he begins to lose consciousness.
But when the body gives up the struggle
the mind seems to become unnaturaly
active in its efforts to soothe by seemingly
/ furnishing that for which the body suf-
fers, and the fna. hours Of the thirst
victim are hours of sweetest anticipate
Arizona R"pUhIic.