New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-02-17
Dodging Death In the Path of an
0nrushing Flood.
7HE FURY OF A CLOUDBURST.
4 Solid Wall of Water Swept tho Can.
yon. Uprootins Trees and Toying
With Huge BowIders-ExcitingR Race
In Storm on Lightning Creek.


In 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 gla-
eiers OF the Cabinet mountains and
comes tearing down through narrow
canyons heavily forested with pine and
cedar. At all times the stream is
swift. In the spring, when the ice caps
are melting, it is a torrent
July 8, 1906. fishing party of five
We're hauled from the nearest railroad
station to the end of the wagon trail
an Lightning creek, where we made
camp. The next morning the professor
and myself decided to ascend to the
aead 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.
xhere we began to fish. There were
alenty of trout. but they were small.
Lets see if there are larger ones
above the fall" my companion sug-
sested.
Agreed" | replied. and we clam.
Sered up the steep rocky walls.
Our hopes were realized. We fshed
zp the stream until past noon. when
We sat down to lunch. By the time we
dad finished eating a tiny cloud had
arept above the mountain top and
lowered over the glacier. In a few
fpined the first, then another and an
other until the mountain top was COW
cred.
1T is time we were getting out Of
Aere." | said Il believe we are in for
4 wetting"
AS if to emphasize my words fash
Al lightning quivered through the black
mass, and in few seconds the thunder
Eolled down the canyon with a roar
IKE a 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
md wait until the storm is over?'' my
sompanion suggested.
Suppose we get into more open
sountry as soon 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 l paus-
I'D and looked toward the mountain.
} saw great column of fire shoot
downward out of the clouds. The gla-
sier shivered as though struck by
some titanic force. split apart and
crashed down into the canyon. There
vas roar of thunder. and | saw the
Eater pour from the sky as if all the
'xindows of heaven had been opened.
"A cloudburst." cried. Run for
Jour life!'
Fear lent wings to our feet We
sped down the canyon. Ieaping fallen
Dgs. tearing through dense under
brush, clambering over rocks. fleeing
.h'om the pursuing flood that roared
down the canyon, uprooting trees and
Auring great powders before it AS it
came. A few rods below small ba
saltic cliff. with some stunted fir trees
in
70 entrun the water was impossible:
the cliff was our only haven.
! dashed up. with my companion at
my heels. Behind us we saw solid
column of water that bore a tangled
mass of drift and advanced with the
speed of the wind. We had only time
10 seize upon tree before the food
was upon u.s. 1t struck with grind
ing roar: the rock trembled to it's very
base: the water surged over us: we
were battered by the rushing logs.
scratched by the drift. suffocated by
the water. but we chung on desperate
Iy In a minute, at the furthest. the
Aood swept on, leaving ruin in its
wake
About the cliff the trees lay piled in
a 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 a short time we heard
she voices of our friends. They had
Seen fishing the main stream above
where the branch entered and thus
aad escaped.
There was nothing left for it but to
make our way back to the railroad sta
son. where we arrived after dark. For
months fishermen discovered articles
Of our camp equipage scattered along
the stream.-Youth's Companion.
Emulation.
Your first name is June, is it. little
9irl?"
Yes. sir: only don't spell it the