The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1905-08-25
TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE
Ola Family Deceived BY a Mirage
and Lost on a Bar
rem Desert.

Wrecked ana iOSt OF lne ueSeTt lS
told by George l.. Hunter. a Utah
mine owneer, who contributed a wag-
on and horse to assist the unfortun-
ate in their extremities. while other
miners were equally generous, ac-
cording to the extent. of their pos
sersions.
Manuel Espulviada, his wife and
three children, one child Of four
years. had set out for Uvada. Utah.
to journey by wagon to Searchlight.
All went well until after the family
left Moapa Then heavy winds and
rains surrounded them and in seek
ing shelter they lost their road.
For two days the family searched,
when just at sunset on the second
day, their hopes arouse by Espul-
viada imagining that he had just
made out the outline of train far
off on the horizon. If they could
get back to the railroad they knew
they would be saved. and. assured
that their dilemma was past, they
urged their jaded horses. calculating
to reach the railroad before morning
and find nearby shelter from the
days heat.
Mile after mile they drove. The
object Espulviada had described as a
train had been swallowed up in the
night. He wondered why he did not
'reach the rails, but only when the
flush of morning opened before him
sea of trackless sand on all sides
would he admit that he had been de-
ceived and was in worse plight than
ever.
He found himself and family far
out on the scorching desert. the sun
already above the eastern horizon,
and not a sign of shelter in sight.
8 How they pulled through that day,
which was blistering hot. the man
cannot explain. He and his wife en-
dured the pangs of hunger and suf-
locations without a murmur, both
fearing TO touch drop of the pre-
cious supply of water for fear the
children might need il.
Latein the afternoon their hopes
we're again raised by the sight of
clump.of trees and lake. They
could see the surface of the blue
sheet of water ruffiing beneath the
breath of wind. and it almost seemed
that they could feel the cool breezes
For fear that they were deceived.
he held the four-year-old child in his
arms and, pointed towards the PIC
ture. asked: What is there?'
Water" was the reply. But the
perceful lake was too ethereal to last
and had soon faded away in rolling
pillows of heat, which few minutes
afterwards looked much like an inn
mense drove of sheep. and Espulvia-
da, in horror. realized that these
fascinating pictures before them
were but the deceptive work of the
heat, and that probably the tr ain
which had led him so far was of this
same character.
That night they were again caught
in violent storm, which sosked
them throught. but replenished their
water supply, and undoubtedly saw
ed them from perishing of thirst.
Next day they kept the children
wrapped in rain-soaked blankets as
protection from the heat, and that
afternoon another electric storm
arose. ard when Mt its height the
horses became frenzied with fear.
and, running away, wrecked their
wagon
Only when the wagon was upset
and broken and one horse had been
SO badly injured that it was useless
did the runaway stop, and then it
was found that the smallest child
was missing. Distracted with grief
the father set back afoot to find it.
and after wandering aimlessly was
found by two miners. They guided
Espulviada back to his wrecked wag-
on. and assisted the family to camp.
and were preparing to take up the
search for the missing child when
another Mexican arrived.
He was worked to high pitch of
excitement and told how he had