The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-07-18
IN RAFTING RIDE.


Clear Creek Is miniature river that runs
through the canon of the same name. 1t
descends upon down grade Of 400 feet per
miIe, with here and there fall over a rocky
precipice fifteen or twenty feet III heiSh'
Large boulders, forty and fifty leet III u'-
ameter. and weighing thousands ol TONS
impede its dashing progress every two or
three hundred wards, while its curves are
80 sharp and frequent that the stream can
nowhere be seen for the distance of thous-
and feet Granite cliffs two or three miles
high project over it on either side, and give
a frightGully romantic and dangerous ap-
pearance to the rushing torrent beneath
just below Black Hawk, on the side of
the stream, small reservoir has been con
stIucted i'll which is kept an ordinary skif.
Last Sunday two little sons OF MAJ tin +.
Walker, aged respectively ten and twelve
years, got into the boat and were sp!ashing
in the water with a stick, when the fasten-
ing gave way and the boat weuC drifting
towards che rapidly running current. The
little boys soon discovered their danger
but were poworiess to avert it, and they
clutched hold of the side of the boat and
with pallid countonal C S awaited their
doom. Soon the boat was caught by the
current and began descending at a fearful
rate. On she went, the boys hat S blowing
off and their hair Standing straight up
over Black Hawk rapids tn pa scd like IN
arrow, clearing distance Of sixty feet III
single dash. Lighting again on tie to =
rent surface, the boat seemed to lave gain
ed new impetus, and shot by t. boulders
and around the rocky points with the celel-
Ity OF sunbeam. AT distance of about
SIN miles below the starting point, CoudIrc-
tor Gibbons, who was standing on .he rear
platform of the down c. c. train. saw the
boat coming, and Immediately stopped the
train. All hands repaired to the waters
edge, and did everything in their power to
arrest the flying boat, but past them She
went like bullet from a rifle, and was out
OF sight in moment. The conductor then
ordered the engineer to put on a full head
of steam and follow rs rapidly as possible,
which be did, constantly sounding the
alarm Of danger He did not get another
glimpse Of the boat, but the alarm brought
the employees at Beaver Creek Station to
the look out, ard quickly making a slip
moose they sought to throw it over the bow
of the boat as she came under the bridge.
This they succeeded in doing, but could
no more hold it than they could have held
thunderbolt, and over Deaver Greek Falls
she went with the speed of lightning The
falls are about thirty feet high, and at the
front are number of large boulders. but
the velocity Of the boat was such that il
cleared them easily, and struck the water
some twenty feet beyond. From here no
mortal eye saw the boat OF its living freight
until it reached point one hundred miles
below Denver. Through Golden into the
Platte river and under the Denver bridges
she went, unnoticed nor slackened her pace
until she lodged in drift, the distance be
low Denver above mentioned. The Platte
does not run very rapidly, but the boat had
acquired such wonderful speed in its de
scent from the mountains, that it far out
rode the current. \ Mr.. Welsh. who lives
on farm near the drift where the boat
lodged, discovered the boys III the boat.
which was nearly full of water, and took
them to his home. They were restored to
their ovelJoyed parents the following even
ing, after having accomplished the most
perilous journey in the quickest time ever
before made by any human being who es-
capped alive. The distance travelled was
hundred and forty miles in two hours. but
how it was ever done, or how the boat es-
capped being dashed to pieces upon some of
the huge boulders or rocky cliffs which
everywhere intercept tue course of Clear
creek, Is nothing short of a proyidcntial
miracle Probably not again in a thousand
years could the journey be made with the
best appliances, and by the most skillful
mariners.-Central City (Col) Coach.