Arizona republican., 1919-11-29
NIGHT IF TERROR BOYS NEAR
 IN FLOOD
Mesa Youths Find Refuge in Tree But Few Inches Above Raging Waters Would-Be Rescuers Be- come Marooned

Marooned on a dwarf cottonwood, the branches of which swayed above the raging waters of the Salt river, Truman Paisley and George Shrine, Mesa boys, shivered Thanksgiving night away, and prayed aloud and un- ashamed that the icy waters which swirled about their knees might rise no higher. They were taken to shore in a boat late yesterday afternoon by rescuing party. Both were in an exhausted condition as the result of their narrowing experience.
 Trapped in the river bottoms south east of the Salt River Indian agency while hunting on Thanksgiving morn ing, Paisley and Shrine, 16 and IA years old, respectively, found them- selves cut off from both the north and the south shores by the floods of water rushing down from Granite Reef and the mountains above.
 Forced to higher ground by a river which rose steadily during the after noon at the rate of foot an hour, the two boys soon found themselves on an island which was evidently doomed to | complete inundation.
 Refuge in Tree
 By twilight only a few square yards of ground remained to them, and they took refuge in the highest tree they could find, a small cottonwood. Within a very few hours after nightfall, the island was covered with five feet of water which boiled around the trunk of the tree and washed their legs as they clung desperately to it's limbs. At times it seemed to them that the force of the current would uproot the tree and send them bobbing to destruction The river appeared to be rising stead l fly. too, and both of them prayed fer vently for daylight and rescue. With room for but one of them to stand, while the other sat on the lone limb strong enough to support their weight, they took turns standing in the water Word of the plight of the two boys reached Mesa, Tempe and Phoenix late Thanksgiving night from companions of the pair who had escaped. Relief parties were on the scene shortly after | daylight.
 Many Attempts at Rescue l Throughout the day yesterday va rious attempts to reach the boys were made without success. At 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon, Ellis H. Johnson | and Roy Serrine of Mesa, the latter a l brother of one of the marooned boys, made an attempt to take advantage of i the recding waters and land a boat on the island which had now reap 1 peared in the center of the stream.
 Their boat was capsized in mid channel, however, and only by dint of strong swimming in the swirling stream were the two themselves able to re- gain the island and join the boys they had sought to rescue.
 At about the same time an attempt was made by large party of Mesa people to reach the island from the south bank. Three boats which had been made that morning in Mesa were hauled to the shore opposite the isl and and B. o. Pitinger, "a blacksmith and G. H. Glover, Lehi rancher, SC; forth in one of them.
 Second Boat Capsizes
 This boat, too, was capsized, and the two men were cast up on another isl and about 100 yards east of the island on which the other four were ther isolated.
 Glover and Pitinger built fire witf matches which they had managed tt dry, and shouted to the shore that they were all right, and safe until morning They spent last night on the island beside roaring fire. and will be taker