Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-08-04
1T SURE CAN RAIN
DOWN IN ARIZONA

In the following letter from Ev-
erett Herman he tells of gentle
shower" they had at Nogales on the
evening of July 26
Nogales, Arizona, July 27.-Last
night the militiamen encamped at
this place experienced one of the
heaviest rain storms of their lives.
At 6 o'clock, just as the men were
falling out of their tents to stand
retreat" (standing at attention in
company formation, facing regi-
mental colors while the band plays
The Star Spangled Banner as is
done every evening" the sky began
to darken and large drops of rain
commenced falling. In what seemed
only few seconds after the first
drops fell. the heavens opened and
the water came down in torrents.
The men were allowed to break
ranks and go into their tents before
the storm reached its highest. The
sides Of all the tents had been rolled
up that morning to allow them air.
and the lightning-like manner in
which the men rolled them down
would certainly have surprised their
officers had they been present.
As time went by the rain fell hard
er and faster, and as the sky dark
ened flashes Of forked lightning lit
up the camps. During the storm II
anyone was to open the flap OF his
tent, even for a second, his face would
be covered with water. II was fully
IS minutes before the storm began to
subside, and when II did stop every
man was out of his tent ready to
help repair the damage that had been
done. The Second Idaho got off
easy. The only damage that was
done was the blowing over or the
kitchen and mess tents. These were
quickly put up, and then the men
who didn't gather around the large
fires that were built, went to the 9th
er camps to view the effects of the
storm.
There are only a few camps To-
Gated on the low lands, but these GER
tainly bore the brunt of the storm.
The members of the Idaho regiment
have reason to feel grateful to
some one for the location of the camp
The Second California. which is To-
Gated about a mile east of the Idaho
camp on a level stretch of low
ground, suffered as much as any
regiment. Their camp borders on the
east side of river. which was swol-
len by the torrents and for a while
1t was feared that the water would
wash away the banks of the river
and cause the tents of the company
officers to fall into the raging
stream. To combat this possibility.
the men of the regiment carried the
officers tents to places of safety
However. this was hardly necessary,
as soon after the rain stopped falling
the river subsided and all danger
was past.
1t is safe to say that more rain
fell, more flashes of lightning were
seen and heavier thunder was heard
in the short period of As minutes
than any of the men of the Idaho
regiment had ever experienced be-
fore. BY 8 o'clock everything was
running as usual and in the Idaho
camp the men were grouped about
fires singing, talking and apparently
as happy as II nothing had happened
One of the most amusing Incidents
of the encampment happened during
the storm. One of the cornet players
of the regimental band was sitting in
front of his tent when 1t began rain
ing, and with his sleeves rolled up he
was playing How Dry ! Am"
When he awakened this morning
the sky was clear and at O'Clock
the sun was shining brightly and by
noon everything about the camp was
dry.
The men of the Second Idaho are
being rapidly whipped into condi-
tion. and within 80 days every one
of them will be in tip top shape.
Ever since their arrival I'm NoRales
they have gone through a system of
drilling that will put any man in the
best of physical condition. With
breakfast at $50. and from then
until IL O'Clock there Is very little
time to loaf Then an hours rest
before noon mess and at one O'Clock
drill commences again and continues
until 3, with only a half hours rest.
This system of drilling is just what
the men need now. as they are condt-
toned. and then their minds are kept
occupied and not permitted 70 stag.