10085. Frank Leslie's Newspaper Illustrated Newspaper, June 29th, 1867, Deluge At Canon Water

Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper June 29th, 1867 DELUGE AT The following account of the Arizona is taken from a letter by the lieutenant in command: My command were all in camp , loose and herded together by 1 CANON WATER. sudden freshet at Cafion Water , describing the scene, and written the wagons in park, the animals P.M. It had been cloudy and cool all the morning, but I had no idea of rain, as since I have been in this country I have often seen the clouds , as dark and numerous as at this time, suddenly disappear, followed by great blasts of wind, but no rain. About five P.M. there was thunder and occasionally lightning. The thunder was continuous and rolling, but not loud: soon followed by slight drops of rain, then by small hail, and then by rapid, thick, fast—falling hail of the largest size I have ever seen, as large as the horse—chestnuts in the Eastern States: this con— tinued about five minutes. The frightened animals all ran up the s.ide of the mountain to take shelter from overhanging rocks. The rain poured down furiously about ten minutes, when a stream of water came rushing down the Caåon. The men turned out with spades, thinking to change the current, and keep it from their tents, when suddenly great waves came tumbling down the gorge , six, eight, and some of them over fifteen feet high, one after another in quick succession, like so many cataracts chasing each other, covering up the whole valley, and transforming it into a large—sized river. Nothing could withstand this irresistible force. Large Government wagons, heavily loaded, were swept down the stream, broken, and the contents scattered for two or three miles away from the scene. The water began to subside in about an hour's time, and it was not over two hours after its first onset when it had almost entirely disappeared, all having sank into the sand. Fortunately no lives were lost, although several were in great peril. The wagon containing the rations was saved by almost superhuman exertions: had they been lost we might have perished in the Colorado desert before relief could have been obtained. Smaller floods occur frequently in this region: but one on so gigantic a scale I am told is unprecedented.