The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-11-09
Has Reached the Western Coast
B. Roberts Gives the Second Log of Interesting
Overland Journey.
Los Angeles, Cal, Oct. q, 1916.

J1AAhGg SINCE my ldSlt ITOLu mdChi
Colo, would interest you, so here goes
for our second log ON our trip.
Having written you of our misfor-
tune, By way of rain and impossible
roads at this point, will only add here
we were able TO travel on Thursday,
4 Oct. 8, after lay over of four days.
Thursday about $50 a. m, the rain
having ceased and sun shining once
more, two other cars in addition to
my own, started across the desert
n found between Mack and Green Riv-
\ Ell. Utah.
Five men were with the three cars,
one little Hupmobile two passen-
ger with two men, no other load. The
other a five passenger, forty horse
Hudson, two men and about one hun
dred pounds of luggage. While |
brought up the rear with the Ford,
my wife, two girls and all our equip.
ment, five gallon water bag filled
with water, five gallon can of gaso.
line and sheet iron stove having
been added to our load
The sun dries the roads here in
remarkably short time, but the rain
makes the washes very bad. Often
leaving the banks perpendicular for
tie nto fifteen feet, where washes are
to be crossed.
Torrents OF water coming down
these washes during or directly after
a r.a3Y syglO frh &c " |
burst in the mountains" make it |
nearly impossible to build bridges |
over them.
For this reason tourists are eau
toned to carry pick, shovel, block |
and tackle or such equipment that
they may make a road crossing, or
shovel car out when stalled in the
mud.
We five men made good use of our
shoyels that day, being the first and
only cars to cross the washes. Max
ms new approaches on either side of
them and filling in smaller bitches
and holes on the other part of the
road, which let me add. follows, old
railroad grade for many miles.
In many places We found fairly
good going, it having dried sufficient
to be dusty, while in other spots we
would run over soft roads looking
dry, yet when on them one would
soon discover they were pulling very
heavy. Closer observation would re-
veal a dolby" mud with traces of al
kali rolling on the wheels. /,
Sixteen miles out of Mack, Colo,
about one mile from the Colorado
Utah State line, we came to the first
wash Here we viewed the rmains
Of what was, Sunday morning, a Ford
car, the owner leaving Mack about an
hour ahead of our arrival at that sta
ton. Having tried to cross the
wash which had some three feet of
water running in it, which striking
above the carburetor, killed the
mans engine. :,
Before the car could be pulled out,
as no other car or teams were near,
about an eight foot flood coming
down from the mountains with drift
wood, trees, etc, hit the car, wash
ing it down stream some eight or ten
hundred feet, completely demolishing
the car and all We could see of it was
rear truss rods, axle housing and I
hubs. Every spoke was broken off ,
clear at the hub and had disappeared,
and the entire car with exception of ,
parts uaeltioned was buried in the
sand.
The little "Hup" left US at Cisco, ;
Utah, saying he had had enough.
making Just forty miles.
The Hudson and / went on to
Thompson Station, arriving about I
$50 p. m.
Dark was coming on so | decided
we would camp as we did not run al.
ter dark. We had made just sixty !
two miles, but five hours of our time {
was spent in building roads. The 1
gentlemen in the Hudson decided
they would drive on to Green River
as one of them had to be in Salt ,
Lake City on Monday and night driv-
ing was a necessity with him.
On cur arrival at Green River some
three days later We found his car in
the garage, he having had to leave
it on account of rain overtaking him
about midnight the same evening he
left us
Rain commenced to fall soon after
we camped at Thompson and coutin.
ued Thursday night and Friday, Oct
9Th. clearing up Saturday morning Il
Roads looked passible by noon so We
started from Thompson about 12:45
b. m, driving some seventeen miles
the first forty minutes over sandy
grade. Here we again struck mud
fiat which we pulled through success
fully, again striking old adobe road
bed.
Running along same some q mile
was weeling how lucky we had been
To get through such a mud hole when
all at once car commenced to slide
on the old grade. we having hit a
little soft spot, and we soon found
wheels, axle and all buried in mud.
! worked three and one-half hours
9h0vnling out of this hole only tn run