William J. Trevarthen
Arizona Silver Belt
May 27, 1897

Richard Trevarthen received a telegram last Friday, conveying 
the deplorable news of the drowning of his youngest son, 
William J. Trevarthen.  The message from from Mr. Trevarthen's 
son Dick, then at Yuma but gave no information further than 
that Will was drowned on May 11.

The Yuma Sun of the 21st gives a detailed account:
"On the 9th of April Calvin DuTurk and Will Trevarthen who had 
been employed as miners at Fortuna, left Yuma for a pleasure 
trip by boat to the Hardy Colorado Hot Springs.  They reached 
the springs in safety and spent a month hunting and fishing 
in that vicinity and then started on the return trip. In order 
to save time they decided to return by the cut-off through 
Padrones Slough, but meanwhile the spring freshet had set in 
and they found the slough which has a rapid descent, a raging 
torrent. Ignorant of their danger, Trevarthen and DuTurk 
started on the homeward voyage and found their oars were 
useless in most places.  They had reached a point about 65 
miles from the springs by river where Trevarthen met his death. 
He was standing up in the boat, attempting to catch some 
willows near to hand when he fell overboard into the rushing 
waters.  He was swept under by the current and his body was
seen by his companion only for a brief moment , 40 or 50 feet 
below.

DuTurk spent two days in fruitless searches for Trevarthen's 
body and having employed Cocopahs to drag the slough and 
continue the search, he resumed his journey and with great 
difficulty reached Yuma and related his sad story.  

R.H. Trevarthen who is employed at Fortuna, was notified of 
the drowning of his brother, and went to Yuma to see if 
anything could be done but hope of recovering the body was 
abandoned.

The news of the disaster was a severe shock to Mr. Trevarthen, 
the father and Mrs. Wm. Mill Williams, sister of the deceased, 
who have long been residents of Globe.

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