Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-07-30
A Rattling Ride.

Nleur cTcek ID immature river
that runs through the canon of the
same name. 1t desoends upon down
grade of 400 feet per mile, with here
and there fall over a rocky preci-
pico, fifteen or twenty feet in height.
Large boulders, forty and fifty feet in
diameter, and weighing thoulands of
tons, impede its dashing progress eve
ry two or three hundred yards, while
its curves arc so sharp and so frequent
that the stream can nowhere be seen
for a distance OF q thousand feet
Granite cliffs, two and three miles
high, project ovor it on either side
and give frightful, romantic and dan
gerous appearance to the rushing tor
rent beneath. Just below Black Hawk,
on the side of the stream, O small res
ervoir has been constructed in which
is kept an ordinary skiff. Last Sun.
day two little sons of Martin +. Walk
er, aged respectively ten aud twelve
years, got into the boat and were
splashing the water with stick, when
the fastening gave way and the boat
went drifting towards the rapidly run.
ming current. The little boys soon
discovered their danger, but were
powerless to avert il they clutched
hold of the sides of tho boat and with
paid countenance awaited thoir doom.
Soon the boat was caught by the cur
rent and began descending at fear
full rate. On she went, the boys hats
blew off and their hair stood straight
up; over Black Hawks rapids they
went like an arrow, clearing a dis
lance of sixty feet at single DASH
Lightning gained new impetus and
shot by the boulders and around the
rocky points with the celebrity of a
sunbeam. At distance of about six
miles below the starting point, con-
ductor Gibbons, who was standing on
tho rear platform of the down c. G.
train, saw the boat coming and imme-
diately stopped the train. All hands
repaired to the waters edge and did
all in their power to arrest the flying
boat, but past them she went like
bullet from rifle, and was out of
sight in a moment. Tho conductor
then ordered the engineer TO put on
full head OF stoam and follow us rap
idly as possible, which he did, con
stantly sounding the alarm of danger.
He did not get another glimpse of the
boat, but the alarm brought the en-
ployes at Beaver Creek Station to tho
lookout, and quickly making a slip
moose sought to throw it over the bow
Of the boat as she came under the
bridge. This they succeeded in do
ing, but could no moro bold it than
they could thunderbolt, and over
Beaver Creek Falls sh, went with the
speed Of the lightning. The falls are
about thirty feet high, and at the foot
are number Of large boulders, but
the velocity Of the boat was such that
it cleared them easily, and struck tho
water some twenty feet beyond
From here no mortal eye saw tho
boat, or its living freight, until it
reached point one hundred miles be-
low Denver. Through Golden into
Platte river, and under the Denver
bridges she went unnoticed, nor slack
encd her pace until she lodged in
drift at the distance below Denver
above mentioned. Tho Platte does
not run very rapidly, but the boat had
acquired such wonderful speed in its
descent from tho mountains that il far
outrode the current. A Mr.. Walsh,
who lives on farm near tho drift,
where tho boat lodged, discovered tho
boys still in the boat, which was near
Iy full of water, and took them to his
home. They woro restored TO their
overjoyed parents the following oven.
ing, after having accomplished the
most perilous journey, in the quickest
time ever before made by any human
being who escaped alive. The dis
tance Travelled was one hundred aud
forty miles in two hours, but how this
was done, or how the boat escaped be-
ing dashed 10 pieces upon some of tho
huge boulders or rocky cliffs which
everywhere intercept tho course of
Clear Creek, is nothing short Of
providential miracle. Probably not
again in thousand years could the
journey bo made with the best appl.
ances and by tho most skillful mariners.
Centre City (COt) Coach.