Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-09-08
PEAK CLIMBING.

Traveller on Pilkes's Peak
He Loses His Way in
Binding Summer
snow-Storm.
Henry NJ. Morris narrowly escaped
q violent death at Pixies Peak ten days
ago. The circumstances are thus told
by the Denver (Col.) Ne,Cs;
Mr.. Morris, who, with his invalid
wife, has been stopping at Manitou "A
few days. mounted his horse on Thurs
dav and started alone to the peak, ex-
pectine to return that even
ing. The ascent was made without ac-
cident, and he reached the tip-top at
noon. an telegraphed his wife an ''all
well.u After taking in the sights.
which. from common reports, are as
marvellous as human eye ever gaZed
upon, and chatting a while with the
Observers for the Signal Service, Mr.
NJ. started to descend to where his
horse was hitched near the timber line.
Suddenly a huge black cloud, which a
few moments before had been tumbling
about to the westward, settled down
around the peak, and the snow COM
menced to fall. Morris, fearing to stop
lest he should be belated and prevented
from reaching ManitOu that evening.
and thinking iIe could soon get below
the range of the storm. quickened his
footsteps down the mountain. But the
fall of the snow increased, and the
wind. strong at first, became tempest,
with a keen touch of winter in it.
Morris, blinded by the snow, which
beat against him in clouds, nearly TAX
ing his breath. took the wrong trail,
the one leading to the brink of the era
ter, a chasm second only to that of
Yosemite. Reaching pile of bowld-
ers, where the trail seemed to be lost,
he commenced to Chamber over them,
when he slipped, and rolled and drop
ped twenty-five feet, striking on a
shelving rock three feet wide and eighi
feet long. His head was gashed in TWO
places, his body covered with bruises,
and the blood poured freely from his
wounds. He was stunned by the fall.
but. recovering his consciousness, and
fearing to move, he braced himself
against the rock at his back, and await
ed the abatement of the storm. When
the wind lowered, and the snow ceased
falling, and the sun shone again, Nor
ris saw at a glance the awfulness of his
situation. Above him, and on both
sides of him, the rocks seemed almost
perpendicular. Below him, just under
the shelf upon which lie lay, Was
chasm two thousand feet deep, the
sight of which appalled, his senses, and
he clung to the rocks with sickening
dread, as any human would.
Mr.. Morris, however, is q man of
calm Judgment, and as soon as be re-
covered from the first shock he decided
to make the best of the situation, come
what would. He divided his luncheon,
consisting of sandwiches and cake, into
nine parts, calculating to eat one part
every day. and so prOlOng life at least
nine days. He saw no one OH the
mountain that afternoon. That night
terrific wind and hail storm occurred
The wind chilled him to the marrow,
and his suffering was intense. After
the storm the hailstones were four
inches deep against his back, Taking
from his pocket a bottle, from which
the whiskey had been spilled in the fall
he filled it with hail, and thus secured
small quantity Of water.
On Friday about noon he saw two
men climbing trail, and called to them
with all his strength, but after listen
ing a moment they passed OH and dis
appeared behind ledge of rocks
Those were the only persons lie saw
that day. That night the clouds pour
ed out torrent of rain. The rocks at
his back afforded him no shelter, and
he was wet to the skin and very cool
besides. He feared that he might be-
come delirious and jump off into that
awful gorge. So all through Friday
night he rubbed his legs and swung his
arms about his head. He knew that
to fall asleep was death,
Saturday morning about s o clocck
three men appeared on point of rocks
q short distance from where Morris was
sitting. One of the men was Dick
Templeton, famous Pixies Peak
Guide, and the others were Spencer
Harris aud Reuben Healey, residents
of Manitou, and well accustomed with
mountain trails. Dick Templeton,
leader of the searching party, had left
Manitou in the conviction that Morris
would be found, if found at all, some
where about the brink of the crater, rs
it is called. When Morris saw them
lie called to them. They heard him
and answered but his voice, instead
of coming straight to them, split in
thousand echoes, and they were at
loss to locate him. Finally, after a
fruitless search with the eyes, Temple
ton hallOoed to Morris to wave his
handkerchief and to keep it in motion,
and in this way his exact whereabouts
was detected. Morris asked them if
they had a rope, and being answered
that they had not, he despairingly
threw up his hands, and, in low voice
which was but family conveyed to
them in echoes, said 'You can't save
me without rope" But they rescued
him nevertheless, and without a rope,
though only by the hardest work.
The men, with TempletOn iu the lead,
worked their way down within few
feet of Morris, aud, by the aid of his
long, linen coat, which he twisted and
fastened under his arms, they succeed
ed in lifting and dragging him up over
the precipice. They helped him along
to the trail, and tied him to the back OF
a horse, and started down the noun
tain. Four times on the way down
they lifted him off and let him sleep
awhile. When brought to the Mani
tOu Hotel, alive, as well as could be ex-
pected, there was great commOtion
among the people. for nobody dreamed
that he could survive two such nights
as Thursday end Friday. Morris has
been confined to his bed since Satur-
day, but he is doing nicely, and is ex-
pected soon in this city, where he is
well and favOrably known.