The National tribune., 1901-05-23
In A CLOUDBURST.
A PeriIOus Experience in the
Canyons of Southwestern Ne
vada.
By JOHN DEFREES REED.


taken advantage of the small moist spot
: where there is water sufficient for irriga
ton.
On the east rose the desert hills of th
Silver Peak Range, almost entirely bar
of vegetation at this point, its volcanic
layas and tuft beds looking like gigantic
ash-heaps in the early morning sun. II
the west rose the White Mountains.
contrast, indeed. While the foothills oi
this noble range had little vegetation. ye
they We're not lavas, black and thirsty
looking, as their brothers just across the
valley, and here and there stretches OF
green could be seen reaching out into the
burning desert sands
The White Mountains at this point rise
to an elevation of 14.2G0 feet and indeed
there are few peaks in this mountainous
western country which tower higher than
this. Mount Whitney, that magnificent
peak of the Sierra palisades. is only 600
feet higher. On the top of the range
glsten the eternal SHOWS, and it is he.
| cause of these everlasting beds that the
streams are able to defy the hot. dry air,
and flow down into the valley below, fur
nlshing water sufficient to supply the
| ranches through the dry season.
| On this particular morning Il few clouds
had begun to gather, the first seen in this
arid valley for months. 1t was just the
| day for a cloudburst in the mountains.
The thoughtful rancher with whom / was
| stopping warned me to be on my guard,
| as | started on my mule for a days jour
ney among the granite hills. | had long
| been hoping to see, from a safe distance
of course. one of these far-famed water
spouts for which this region is noted.
Half the day had passed. and L was
thinking of stopping to eat the generous
lunch which the rancher's wife had
| thoughtfully prepared, when rain began
to fall, and thinking to get out of the
wet. | guided my mule into a narrow
| canyon leading into the main gulch, whose
sides rose at an angle of nearly 60 de-
greeS.
Tying the mule to a log in the very
bed of the canyon, l took my field-glasses,
kodak and saddlebags under a pinyon tree
which jutted out at the very bottom OF
the .gulch. and sat down TO enjoy my
lunch and wait for the rain to cease, as
the clouds did not look threatening. l
had scarcely begun to eat when rain be-
gan to fall in torrents and the clouds
came rolling thick and heavy from over
the mountains. Soon / heard thunder,
and the lightning was as vivid as any
had ever seen in the East an unusual
thing for this country.
Suddenly / heard what I took to be the
loudest thunder l had ever experienced.
1t shook the very ground, and | jumped
to my feet | thought it extremely curl
Gus that | had not seen the lightning.
AS it was not raining quite so hard, | re-
sumed my seat.
A few minutes later. looking up. | saw
to my surprise little stream of water
running down the sandy bottom of the
gulch, just wetting my feet. / never
thought of cloudburst. but thought it
wafer that had drained down from above
during the heavy rain, and would hardly
have given it second thought, but at
that moment most terrifying sound
smote upon my ears. / quickly realized
my danger, and jumping to my feet /
threw the ield-glasses and my kodak up
the bank. Turning, I saw a wall of water
rushing down upon Inc only couple Of
thousand feet away. My first thought
was of my mule. There he was, poor feI-
low, tied in the very path of the torrent.
! rushed to him and cut his rope with my
lack-knife. Then, not having more time.
| left the poor fellow to his fate and
scrambled up that almost perpendicular
bank, and just in time. for | had barely
reached place of safety when the tor
rent came. and cutting down the banks,
sent the ground behind me down stream
almost as soon as | had abandoned it.
My poor mule. too frightened to run
to safety. was caught by the raging water
and turned over and over and swept down
the canyon TO what seemed certain death.
But, no; by the meFest accident he was
swept into an eddy, where the canyon took
turn, and regaining his feet he reached
the bank after a hard struggle to keep
his balance in the raging waters.
halter soon led him up that steep bank.
Now | began to congratulate myself
upon my good fortune in seeing Il genuine
cloudburst and getting out in safety.
mounted and started down what had only
few minutes before been the trail, but
A.
| came to what had been q fork from the
main canyon, and perfectly devoid Of
water in the morning. Now, down this
gulch was rushing river of muddy
water, carrying with it trees and bOuld-
erS.
Down the main canyon a still larger
stream was rushing, and here indeed was
a dilemma. Back of me rose the main
ridge right up to the snow line, impassa
BILE, of course, so. after some deliberation.
| unSaddled my faithful beast and turned
him loose, as / knew if | came back on
the morrow he would still be in the vi
cinity. Then. by hanging to the numer-
Gus willows which almost met across the
stream, and more than once feeling that
| was about to be swept down. | sue
ceeded, after a desperate struggle. in |
crossing, and started for camp. 1t was |
long tramp, % miles at the least. and / |
was already tired after my hard struggle. |
When | reached the valley what a |
sight met my gaze! From every canyon |
between myself and the ranch water was |
pouring in tremendous streams. and the |
whole western side of the valley appeared |
submerged. 1t was an extremely tire |
some trip back, for | had to wade nearly |
every step through mud and water. and |
when / finally reached the ranch it was |
to find that the whole place had been sub |
merged and nearly all of the crops ruined. |
1t appeared that an immense cloud had |
burst up among the higher peaks. and I |
had only experienced the edge of it, as at |
other points the water had come tearing |
down the canyons at a fearful speed, over
whelming everything in its path.
The next morning the water had al
most subsided, no longer was every gulch !
the bed of a rushing stream, and the
whole ranch, together with much of the
desert, was covered with
about six inches of a yellow mud silted
down as the waters became quiet and
sunk into the thirsty desert | started
though still rather high, all of the streams
country had undergone since yesterday!
bed had been visible, now I saw wide
sullies, with perpendicular sides, choked
with powders, trees and other debris
washed down by that raging torrent. On
reaching the spot where / had left nv
mule. out he dashed, so suddenly as TO
startle my own mount, so glad was he to
see his friends again. Poor fellow. so
cautious had be become, SO fearful of
Il |