The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-09-09
CANON CITY BOY
DROWNED WHEN|
CAR IS CAUGHT
IN HEAVY FLOOD
Mike Mellick Meets a Tragic
Death in Chandler Creek
Body Recovered.


A telephone message was received
at The Record office at 1880 o'clock
this afternoon from the Wolf Park
mine saying trat the body Of Mi'iick
had been found in the Arkansas river
a short distance below where chand-
Ter creek empties into the parent
stream. The body will be brought
here to be prepared for burial. The
remains were discovered six miles
from the place where the food over
took the unfortunate man. The body
was dlsvoered by some boys walking
along the river bank at point three
and quatrer miles below the Pixies
Peak river bridge near Florence.
Mike Melllck OF this city, a machine
runner at the Canon. or Wolf Park
coal mine. was drowned in Chandler
creek. between McCumbes hill and
Rockvale. six or seven miles south.
west OF town, about 4:s0 O'Clock Mon
Gay afternoon when a terrific fiood
came down the creek and carried him
TO a watery grave. Up to noon today
his body had not been found. although
large number OF men and boys be.
gan 3 search for Il al daylight this
morning Mellick lived ON Hazel ave
nue.. near Mt 81 schoiasticas Acad.
sms, anu leaves a widow and family
Ailiucks In company with Peter
Blyth and Phil KAarney. lett here In
the formers automobile Monday eve
ming for the coal camps. Ga reAca-
ing Chandler creek they found a con.
siderable qgSntity OF water In the
channel. resulting from cloudbursi
In the foothills of the Greenhorn
mountains short time before, and
hesitated TO crcNs lest some accident
should befall them. After waiting a
few minutes thex decided to 20 ahead
and take the chance. Messrs. Biyth
anu .>sarney statiored themselves on
the Aanning boards OF the machine 10
hold the car down. IL possible. and to
be In readiness to Jump II anything
happened. For some reason or other
The car stopped momentarily la mid.
stream. and while Mr. Milliek was en-,
assyoring to start Il great wall of
wat.r. four or FIVE feet in height,
s~eit down upon him. Blyth and
Kearnes managed TO get TO place Of
safety before the flood reached them
bur Mr.. Miliick remained in his seat
In the car. trying IN extricatr the vs
hicle.
one Of the men on shore ran 70 !
nearby house ana procured rope.
which was thrown TO the taaTnoned
driver. but. 1t IL was stated, he de
ciined 10 take hold OF Il. being s-o
busy IN his efforts To Eef the machine
out OF the predlcament. which threat
ened IT'S destruction. A few seconds
later the food came down the creek
in increased volume with q mighty
roar. sweeping everything before Il
Mr.. Miilick jumped from the car when
he realized that II would be suicide 10
remain. but he was too late and was
carried down by the freshet to find
death in the swirling food. boulders
mad and saad a; some unknown poin;
below.
About the time he jumped a BIZ
boulder rolled down the mountainside
into the creek and struck the help
less car, which was practically cut ,E
two by the force of the impact. The
car WAS then loosened from its place
IN tne stream ana WAS rOiled ana
tumbled down the creek for about 100
yards, where It finally lodged against
great rock, where IL was found by
a rescuing party after the flood had
subsidized. The machine IL said to be
a hopeless wreck
The Canon mine was closed down
this morning in order that the force
of men employed there might join in
the search for Miliick's bondy. whic'
Is believed to be buried in the sand,
More than 100 people. men, women
and children. devoted themselves to
the task of finding the body this morn.
Ing. but no trace of II has yet been
discovered so far as we have been
able to learn.
Mr.. Miilick is a son-in-law OF Lout
Pierce of Prospect Heights. and wa
well respected by his associates. He
had only been working at the Wolf
Park mine for two or three months.
Before that he was employed at the
Chandler mine. His death is one of
the most tragic that has taken place
In this vicinity for some time and has
awakened the sympathy OF the COM
munity for the bereaved wife and fam
tly.
LEFT MONDAY TO