The daily sentinel., 1909-07-26
YOUTH VICTIM OF GRAND RIVER
CONTINUED from page ~

and Wharton prepared to come back
10 their homes in Grand junction.
Buchanan decided TO cross the riv-
er with the two boys.
The Grand river is much higher
than 1t has been for many days owing
to heavy rains and cloudbursts up
the river. 1t was very muddy, at d
high stage and very swift yesterday,
in fact the old river was in one of its
ugliest moods.
There is a heavy cable stretched
across the river at the Cameo mine
and pulIeys from this cable fasten on
to ferry boat and III this manner,
under ordinary conditions, the stream
is ferried IN a comparatively easy
manner.
The Grand Junction boys had to
cross the river to get to their team,
the wagon road from Palisade up to
Cameo being on the opposite side of
the river.
The three boys got into the boat
and started across. The main cable
inclines toward the shore opposite
from Cameo in order to give the ferry
boat momentum. Ramey was sitting
at one end of the boat under the wire
rope or pulley that holds the boat
fast to the main cable. Wharton was
in the other end OF the boat hold ing
the rope pulley which guides the boat.
Buchanan was sitting in seat near
the middle of the boat.
All went well until the middle of
the stream was reached and then
suddenly, apparently owing TO the
great pressure against the boat and
on the cable due TO the swiftness of
the stream, the main cable broke
loose at the Cameo side, the pulleys
holding the boat gave sudden lurch
and the boat acted as if it would
turn over. The breaking of the main
cable caused all of the weight of the
boat TO run to one side. Wharton says
he yelled to Buchanan 10 move to
one side in order to keep the boat
balanced but instead OF doing this
Buchanan, terribly frightened start
ed toward Ramey, this threw the
weight on that end water poured in
over the side and the boat went clear
under
Buchanan made one wild. desper-
ate leap for the iron rope or pulley
that still was attached to the main
cable and TO one end of the sub
merged boat He missed the cable
and went into the water.
Wharton was already in the water
but was holding Onto the grass rope
pulley and fighting for dear life.
Ramey went under the boat but
manfully held to one side till he
came up and then made grab for
the iron rope and caught it. He
planned OF pull himself up by this
iron rope to the main cable, and then
work hand over hand on the main
cable to the shore.
The two local boys say that Buch-
anan seemed TO give up right at the
start and made no fight, other than
the one leap,to save himself. Wharton
says that after he first struck the
water he looked around for the other
boys and saw pair of feet sticking
upward. He grabbed the feet They
were Buchanan's. Wharton, struggling
to save himself. pulled buchanan 5
head above water and thrusting the
grass rope into his hand said, Here
for Gods sake hold on to this and
fight to save yourself, | can swim
and will make for the shore"
Buchanan, however, SO Ramey and
Wharton said, let go the rope and
sank beneath the waves and they saw
him no more.
Ramey in the meantime, clutching
to the iron rope, saw that the boat,
which had swung around and gone
under when the main cable broke
loose on the Cameo shore. was still
attached to the iron rope, which rope
in turn was attached to the main
cable, and instead of climbing on up
to the main cable, he got onto the
boat again, got it upright, held to the
iron rope and by degrees worked
himself to within about so feet of
the opposite side of the river as the
cable still kept the boat from being
swept down stream. Some men on
shore threw him a long rope. he
fastened it about himself and was
pulled ashore. He was completely
Wharton had a fearful struggle in
the water but he was game and had
no intention of giving up. His
clothes were soaked with the muddy
water and this impeded his progress.
He fought against the awful current
and although gradually swept down
stream, he kept gaining toward the
shore
On the Cameo side, to which Whar-
ton was working, was his faithful
old shepherd dog. which has been in
the family for 12 wears The doc