The herald., 1913-02-13
A FLIGHT FOR LIFE
DodqinQ Death In the Path of an
0nruShing Flood.
THE FURY OF A CL0UDBURST.

A Solid Wall of Water Swept the Can
yon, Uprootins Trees and Toying
With Huge Misunderstanding Race
In a Storm on Lightning Creek.
To understand what follows you
must know something of the country
where the INCIDENT occurred. Light
ming creek, famous trout stream of
northern Idaho, rises among the GA
ciers of the Cabinet mountains ana
comes tearing down through narrow
CANYONS heavily fOreSted with pine ana
cedar. At all times the stream is
swift. In the spring, when the ice caps
are melting, it is torrent.
July >, 1906, Il fishing party of hVr
were hauled from the nearest railroad
station to the end of the wagon tran
on Lightning creek, where we made
camp. The next morning the professor
and myself decided To ascend To the
head of one of the creeks tributaries.
ShOuldering our CreelS, we made our
way through the timber toward the
glacier. cleaning in the sunlight. Five
miles from camp we came tO fall.
where we began To fish. There were
plenty Of trout, but they were small.
Lets see if there are larger ones
above the fall" my companion suS-
geSted
Agreed" | replied, and we clam
bered up the steep rocky walls.
Our hopes were realized. We fiShed
up the stream until past noon. when
we sat down to lunch BY the time we
had finished eating II tiny cloud Had
crept above the mountain top ana
lowered over the glacier. In few
minutes another cloud crept up ana
Joined the first, then another and an
other until the mountain top was GOV
cred
1T is time we were getting out Of
here" | said. Il believe we are in for
a wetting."
As il 10 emphasize my words flash
of lightning quivered through the black
mass, and i'll Il few seconds the thunder
rolled down the canyon with roar
like battery of siege guns.
AS we hurried down the creek the
lightning became continuous and ter
rifying in its brilliancy; the roll Of
thunder was inceSSant. We made all
the speed we could and had nearly
reached the falls when the rain came
in a dOwnpOur.
Suppose we get under this spruce
and wait until the storm is over:' my
| companion suggested.
Suppose we get into more open
country as socn as possible. l rejoin-
ed and kept on.
Suddenly the lightning ceased. the
| thunder died away. and there was no
sound save the dashing of rain. The
sudden calm was startling, and | pauS-
| ed and looked toward the mountain.
| saw a great column of fire shoot
| downward out of the clouds. The gla-
| cier shivered as though struck by
some titanic force, split apart and
crashed down into the canyon. There
was a roar of thunder, and | saw the
water pour from the sky as if all the
windows of heaven had been opened.
"A cIoudburst." | cried. Run for
your life"'
Fear lent wings to our feet. We
sped down the canyon, leaping fallen
logs, tearing through dense under
brush, clambering over rocks. fleeing
from the pursuing food that roared
down the canyon. uproOting trees AMI
hurting great powders before it as il
came. A few rods below a small ba'
! saltic cliff, with some Stunted fir trees
growing on it. stood in an open space.
| To Outrun the water was impossible:
the cliff was our only haven.
/ | dashed up, with my companion at
my heels Behind us we saw a solid
column of water that bore a tangled
/ mass Of drift and advanced with the
speed of the wind We had only time
to seize upon a tree before the flood
was upon us. 1t struck with grind
ing roar: the rock trembled to its very
base: the water surged over us; we
were battered by the rushing logs
scratched by the drift. suffOcated by
TIE NdltT, Dul We Niull- VII
ly. In minute, at the furthest. the
flood swept on. leaving ruin in it,
wake.
About the cliff the trees lay piled ir
tangled. broken heap. We crept
down. drenched. bruised and bleeding
and made our way to camp. But the
spot where the camp had stood was
swept clean. We sank upon the water
soaked ground to consider what we
should do. In short time we heart
the voices of our friends. They hat
been fishing the main stream above
where the branch entered and thu.
had escaped.
There was nothing left for it but t
: make our way back to the railroad sta
ton. where we arrived after dark Fol
months fishermen discovered article:
of our camp equipage scattered along
the Stream-YOuth's Companion.
l-A