Year: 1879

the country at the timely ana CO.
pious rainfall, Carpinteria is
mourning over the sad accident
which befell the Pettinger family
early yesterday morning, Ia which
Mrs. Pettinger met horrible
death by the flood.


The Pettinger family consisted of
Mr.. and Mrs. Pettinger and two
children, boy of six and girl of
niue years Also, at the time OF
the accident there were two Span
iards living with Mr.. Pettinger,
one of whom also met his fate by
drowning. His name is given as
Gutierrez, aged seventeen, resi-
dent of Santa Barbara.


The place where this sad event
accurred is in what is known as
Pettinger's Caflon, and is probably
mile from the entrance and
like distance from the nearest
neighbor. The following is


MR.. PETTINaER's STORY.


About 4 O'Clock in the morning
my wife arose, saying that she
could not sleep; that the creek
made SO much noise. 1t was rain
ing hard at the time and the bould-
ers were running in the creek,
making a noise resembling thun-
der. Ny wife dressed herself and
kindled the fires. got up, too, but
as often heard the boulders run
before, / returned to bed again. But
about O'Clock the noise became so
great that 1 arose and went to the
door, my wife going with me. AS
we reached the door


THE FLOOD CAME BURSTING


THROUGH


The picket fence about 25 yards
distant, carrying with it trees,
logs, boulders and everything in its
way. 1 told my wife to run, and
Immediately sprang for higher
ground near by. l saw or heard
her no more. / suppose she tried to
save the children. No sooner had L
reached the higher ground than
THE HOUSE WAS CRUSHED TO


PIECES


And swept away. 1t was pitch
dark and pouring down rain, and
the din of the torrent was fearful. l
had no hope that any life could be
spared in so terrible a destruction.
I climbed the bluff and took shell
ter in corn-crib, having nothing
on but my shirt. At daybreak
again descended into the Gallon and
was surprised to find the stable
still standing;


ALL ELSE WAS GONE.


Being wet and chilled l climbed
into the hay to warm myself, but
had no sooner done SO than l dis
covered my two children in the
stable. Each of them had mounted
q horse, and were going to ride
over the hill to the house of Mr..
Knapp. / told them to come up
into the hay. AS soon as the rain
ceased we went to Mr.. Knapp's,
reaching there about 2 O'Clock.


My little girl started to go to her
brothers. bed to awake him when
she heard the noise. They were
sleeping in shed addition to the
house. AS she reached bis bed the
shock of the flood against the
house threw her to the floor, but
she caught hold of his bed with one
hand and held fast, the side of the
shed falling over the bed at the
same time. This addition came
loose from the main building and
f1oated about so yards and lodged
on an elevation, from which


THE CHILDREN ESCAPED.


The Spaniards were sleeping in
an clubhouse. THE one who escaped
was washed against big tree, to
which he clung with the grip OF
despair, and climbed out of the
water.


As soon as the survivors reached
Mr.. Knapp's the sad news began
to spread among the neighbors,
who Immediately began the search
for the body oe Mrs. Pettinger.
Men came to the creek from
all directions as the news spread
and others hunted upon the beach,
4 where an unprecedented amount OF
drift had been deposited.


THE BODIES FOUND.


The body of the Spanish boy was
found not far from where the disas-
ter occurred, and late in the eve.
ming the body of Mrs. PettiDgei
was also discovered about two
miles from where the house stood.
One of the men pulled a grain-sack
out of large pile of drift, which
act disclosed about half of one
hand, the rest of the body being
entirely covered by debris. All OF
the available force was put to work
to remove nature's funeral pile, ,and
as night threw vail of pity o'er
the scene, the body was recovered
stripped of every vestige of cloth
ing, of everything save a ring-and
conveyed, bruised and disfigured, to
the house of Mr.. Martin, at which
place appropriate arrangements
were made for the funeral, which
took place at O'Clock to-day.


In this report L have given Mr..
PettiDger's story substantially as
he related it to me last evening.
But in conversing with parties to-
day who went up the canon as soon
ss possible in the forenoon, 1 learn
that barefoot tracks of man were
seen all about the creek in the vi
cinity, from which they infer that
Mr.. Pettinger had spent many a
long hour in futile search for the
missing. And other parties with
whom he has conversed are of the
opinion that he is not entirely con-
scious of just what he did do.


THE sPANIARD WHO ESCAPED
From the water, entirely nude, was
found in the corn-crib in the even
ing, and was crazed to such an ex-
tent that it was only by the most
urgent entreaty of his friends that
he could be induced to go home
with them.


In the cafion of the Carpenteria
creek log was washed into the
honsa of Mr.. LallY and several