Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1879 — In a Water Spout. [ARTICLE]

In a Water Spout.

Through the promptassistanceof the managers of the South Park road, the damages done to the track in the Platte Canyon and near Buffalo by the water spout, are speedily being repaired, and the customary travel on the road will be resumed very soon.' The telegraph wires are still down, but a statement of the true condition of affairs has been obtained through the medium of the passengers who were delayed in consequence of the storm. In conversation yesterday afternoon with a gentleman who was stopping for a few days at the boarding-house, near the saw mill at Thompson’s, the informant said: “We had a terrible hail storm shortly after 3 o’clock, and stones as big as eggs fell thick and fast. While we were standing at a safe distance from the windows, for nearly every pane of glass was broken, we saw a most remarkable phenomenon, accompanied by a dull, heavy, roaring sound like distant thunder. A large volume of what we afterwards found to be water,, was seen at the top of tne mountain, Coming closer and closer like an immense funnel. As it approached, the noise became almost deafening, and one old gentleman who was standing in the door, for? we had all assembled in and around the doorway, exclaimed, “It’s a water spout?” Out of the house and up the opposite hill we ran as fast as possible, to almost the summit. One of the parties, who was furthest down, in terror t imed around and beheld the water rushingand tearing down theopposite side, carrying with it huge boulders, uprooted trees and all sorts of debris. It struck the house and the saw mill simultaneously and carried them away like straws, not a vestige of either remaining. We stood there n terror for a long time, hardly daring to speak a wind, but finally becoming more used to the scene we began to look around us and take in the situation. When the heighthof the excitement had abated some little, an anxious mother missed her infant child, and instant search Was made for the lost little one. After an hour spent in the water and mud one of the gentlemen discovered the child in a pool of water, and .the strean. still coming down the mountain side, lying close up by a rock which also supported a large bureau, Under which the liitle one sat in the apartment intended for a lower drawer. Tne child was not .a bit frightened, but seemed to be rather pleased with its situation, and, strange enough, had hardly a scratch upon . it. The joy of the distressed parent can easily be conceived when 'the wet youngster was placed safe and sound in her arms. The water continued to rash down the gulch for several hours and we had to prepare places to sleep on the side of the mountain. Early the next morning I joined a number of men who desired to reach Denver as soon as possible, and started to walk to the train, seven miles distant. When we reached there we found it was a wrecking train with a coach attached, and after being delayed several hours for the wreckers to prepare the track, we started on our way home. In the' canyon the track was also gutted out in spots, and a good bit of it at other places had the bedding washed out and the rails twisted. Temporary bridges are being constructed to facilitate the running of the trains. An engine was run into a ditch a short distance this side of Thompson’s in consequence of the weakened condition of the road bed. Three flat cars were also carried away some forty feet, with three men on them, wonderful to relate, were not at all injured; they only receiving a thorough drenching and a big scare.—[Den ver Tribune.