Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-12-07
From the san Francisco Chronicle, Nov. TO-
PERILOUS ADVENTURE OFALADi
IN THE YOSEMITE VALLEY.


Valley. with the "HOn. Mrs. 1elVer-
ton. now Lady AvOnmOre, Tor the
heroine, appeared yesterday IN amor
ming contempoTy, and having reason
from that simple fact to disbelleVe III
its accuracy, a Chronicle reporter called
yesterday upon Lady Avonmorei st
her place Of residence in this city anu
had the correctness OF his theory con-
firmed. The item as it appeared was
incorrect, and Lady AvenmOre there
fore kindly furnished US with the cor
rect version Of her serious and almost
fatal adventure among the Yosemite
SHOWS.
Charmed by the beauty Of the see
merry in the valley, and tempted by the
deliciousuess of the climate there
Lady AvonmOre had put OF from time
to time her departure from the Gose-
mite valley, where she had been stay
ing for some months. The applOach
Of winter and the menaciDg snow at
last gave such unmistakable warnings
Of what she might expect did she de-
Law her Journey any longer that she
at last reluctantly made arrange
ments to depart. As it happened,
I Lord Harvey. the "HOn. Strut
{ (son Of Lord Pelper) and Cyril Flower,
NJ. P, were staying at the hotel and
having, of course, made Lady AVON
mOre's acquaintance, offered her seat
in a carriage which they had engaged
to meet them at Clark & MOore's'
! telling her that they were also going
to leave the valley Immediately she
I did not accept the seat IN their car
I riage, but was glad Of their escort out
/ Of the valley, and accordingly on sun
I day morning, November 8, the party
started. Lady AvOnmOre, however
I discovered that she had not been pro-
vided with a proper saddle and order
ed it changed. 1t was arranged tnaS
1 the three gentlemen were to ride on
[ taking with them her luggage, eloaks,
I &c, and that she should OveTtake
I them. They rode on, and the wealth
i er meanwhile assuming q more threat
[ enfng aspect, their stout and ehival-
I rous hearts Of british Oakn failed
I them, as their ancestors hearts have
y failed before on American soil, and
/ they rode faster and faster. Owing to
some little delay in changing the sad
die, it was some time before Lady
/ AvOnmore was mounted and on the
road again. The gentlemen and the
I guide, q man named Coulter being
then out Of sight.
I Lady AvonmOre, however, did not
: distress herself very much at this, as
\ it had been ARRANGED that the party
| should stop at Inspiration Point
I eight miles from the hOtel-and have
/ lunch; and so, though her horse was
I proving himself poor one, she felt
I sure Of Overhauling them there. She
therefore urged Rosinante forward,
] the coming storm rapidly gathering
I its forces meanwhile around the
mountain tops and giving warning
dashes of chilly rain. Before she
reached Inspiration Point the rain
u hail and snow had begun, and when
n she at last rode up to the expected
Y rendezvous she saw, to her dismey,
that the party had not halted but
u had pushed on. Then commenced the
4 struggle with the storm
| Thicker and thicker came the snow.
The wind began to rise, and, howl
inc dolefully, swept Whirl-winds Of
snow across the trail, now almost
obIitsraied by the flakes. At last the
, track was completely hidden. The
storm ragged in its fury. Lady Avon
more urged her horse. He was panic
stricken and refused 70 move an inch.
She dismOunted and eOaxed him 70
20 forward. Mounting again, be
would 20 forward, and then, tremb--
j ling, stand again, not 70 be moved
either by harshness or kindness. lt
mattered little, however, now Whettl-
er he moved or not; the track was
\ deeply covered with snow, and Lady
AvOnmOre had lost its bearing en-
tirely; darkness was already closing N
, upOn the scene, the storm was una
I hated, and il became apparent that
, night in the snow was the only alter
native left for her. Almtst with the
; last rays Of the departing day she
> perceived an old cedar tree, nolioW
with age. into this she crept, and,
j clad in herthin riding habit, sat there
, through the night, holding her horse
n bv the bridIe. The wretchedness OF
such a night needs no description
\ Let any one imagine the bowling
wind. the sweeping storm, the dark
ness, the cold and the loneliness ana
i he cannot fail to appreciate the nor
. rors of that long vigil.
THE morning came at last, bringing
} with it but little hope. Ihe morse
was useless, utterly demOraized, his
rider was numb with cold, faint with
: hunger. having eaten nothing for
, twentv-four hours, and despairing OF
ever finding the track. Abandoning
the animal, which was now worse
} I than useless, Lady AvsnmOre set out
} on foot through the deep snow on q
: last search for the hOmeWard path,
knowing well that failure meant death
As she proceeded on her way along the
edge of a steep deelivity she heard
noise like the snort OF horse.
ttHumph, - came the sound again
She hurried round the rock from be-
? hind which the sound proceeded and
!. found herself face to face with grlz-
= zly bear. He made no attempt 10
7 mOlest her, being almost II not qJlte
: as astOnished as she was The sudden
apparitiOn, however, forced from her'
D a erv Of horror and starting back she
lost her footing and rolled over anu
over down the declivity, and finally
J fonnd herself living bruised and bleed
ing in guleh.
DespeTation expedited recovery and
{ urged her to further efforts, and once
!: more she started on her almost hope
D less search. She was rewarded BY
view Of the valley in the distance be-
= meath her. and she found trail, but
e IL was the Heights Cove trall-not one
]; that would be of any use 10 her.-
!, Boldly she then resolved to descend
, the pFecipitOus rocks, and she com
E commenced her descent. A false step,
: a slip, and down she went sheer tortS
j feet fby actual measurement after
: ward. Some bushes at the bottom
e saved her from death, but her fall
- brought the blood gushing from her
nose and mouth, and for some time
how long is not known Of course
4 she lay insensible.
: Oft defeated but net vanqulshedl
! Lady AvOnmOre once more started
n through the snow to renew her des'
n cent. During the time thai she lay
: insensible her clothes had frozen stiff
. upon her. She came to a very long
r tree, which had fallen down the steeE
: deelivity, and, leaning on its smooth
4 trunk, che slid perhaps l5O feet down
a the slope, and then fell again. The
!, struggle was over; she could do no
. more, and she lay insensible where
n she fell. BY a wonderful coincidence
: a Mr.. Leidig, who keeps q hotel IN
:. the Yosemite, had chosen that day
y and that trail for leaving the valley
: In passing along he noticed the track
. of Lady AvOnmOre's slide down the
; tree. Struck with curiosity he ap-
preached it, and, to his astOnishment,
saw what was evidently the print OF