Arizona republican., 1905-12-18
VICTIMS OF STORMS
 IN ARIZONA MOUNTAINS
Many Fatality Which is Never Re-
 ported.

It lIldS bt SGl lONu ciS el IulNs NAi'S
 every big storm in Arizona, either in
 summertime or in wintertime carries
 with it more or less loss of life, even
 though the facts are not always re-
 ported. Many no doubt have lost
 their lives by drowning in the floods
 or by the severity of storms in the
 mountains in the wintertime, who are
 never heard of and whose fate is not
 even suspected. This is due first to
 the fact that in no country is there q
 relatively larger part of the population
 drifting about with no immediate
 friend or relative following their
 movements. Secondly, it is a land of
 paradoxes. Both floods and drouths
 are frequent and intense heat on the
 deserts follows bitter cold seasons in
 the mountain regions. It is no criti-
 cism of the climate in any one place
 either, for the climate is much to be
 depended upon if one stays still long
 enough to make it's acquaintance, but
 if he moves around as so many AriZo-
 ma people do, he can get more kinds
 of climate and more varying conditions
 within the territorial limits than any
 where else in the world. These condi-
 tions are hazardous for careless people
 and in every pioneer land there arc many careless people.
 During the last general and very un- usual storm, that swept over this en- tire territory, there was no fatality reported for several days, but that sev- eral lives were lost is now pretty we'll demonstrated and a few of the facts are getting into circulation. At Clifton
 the early reports were mo loss of life"
 A later report, though, describes tho
 drowning of a Mexican who fell into
 the turbid water while trying to sava property It is not unlikely that others of the Mexican settlements along the rivers were similarly lost. There was one instance of an object seen in the Salt river, believed to have been the body of a man, and quite likely it was
 It was supposed a few days ago thai it might have been the body of Frank Fisher who it was feared was lost in the PaysOn country. but that proved to be not so. Mir. Fisher, though, had a very narrow escape. MT. Fisher, who ! is 2 brother of Walter Fisher of Paw son, wandered into the storm and was sought for several days by his brothe' and a posse. After trailing him for many hours the posse of friends who | searched the country for miles in all directions about the point of his dis | appearance found him on a small | flat in a deep ravine. few miles from
 the Allen ranch, his original destina- ton.
 When found he was almost crazed by | the exposure he had undergone, but was still rational. His clothing was 1 drenched and he had had no fire to temper the blasts and no food for five days. He had worn a path around the ! little flat where he had halted in his efforts to keep his blood in circulation. and his feet were frost bitten.
 He was nearly exhausted when found but revived rapidly on being talk
 en to Lazear's ranch and receiving proper attention. It is thought that he will entirely recover.
 The Globe Silver Belt says of ar- other man who it is feared was lost | in the storm: "A bundle of bedding was found in the channel of Pinal creek after the last storm, near the Black Warrior companys pump house. Or examination it was found to contain some clothing and correspondence which was. addressed to M. C. Williams. | There was also a private detectives g l badge bearing his name and shield engraved American Detective Asso- ciation." The badges were brought to
 the Silver Belt office with hopes that some trace of the owner might be discovered. It is barely possible that
 the man is safe. though his belongings
 were swept away by the flood, but dil- 1 igent inquiry has failed to glean any
 knowledge O. the man, his where abouts or antecedents."
 A Yuma paper tells how D. M. Lynch, aged 50 years, who was caught by the rise in the Colorado, saved himself by grabbing a barbed wire fence, and pulling himself, hand over hand along the fence until he reached a tree on
 which he remained for twenty hours before he was rescued more dead than alive.