The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-05-31
4 miraculous Escape From
Death.
Denver, Col. Tribune.

AS much interest as may be at
tached to the war between the con-
tending railroads in the Grand
Canon of the Arkansas, no occur
renee has transpired in that locality
that has attracted so much sympa-
thy as an accident which recently
happened to Mrs. E. j. Mallett, of
Canon City. Mrs. Mallett is an ex-
cellent horsewomaD, and, having
great confidence in her horseman-
ship, started out last Sunday after
noon with her husband and other
friends on horseback to visit the
scene of other operations in the
canon. Of all the wonderful canons
in Colorado the Grand Canon of the
Arkansas is the most aWe-inspiring.
The walls are 1900 feet high at
places, and almost perpendicular.
Before operations were begun with
them by the railroad men, no one
eyer attempted to pass through the
gorge except during the winter, and
then on ice. The laborers have
immense precipices, and it was
along one of these that Mrs. Mallett
and her friends were travelling. She
rode q trusty horse aud was as COM
posed as any one of her party.
They had proceeded to q point be-
yound the horse-trail, and were de-
scending steep hill.
The path was q narrow one, the
walls of the canon shooting far up
toward the blue, clear sky, and
down for hundreds of feet until they
dipped into the disturbed waters of
the rapidly flowing Arkansas. 1t
was at this point that Mrs. NAL
lett's horse stumbled and fell. There
was no room for the least fslter.
This was, therefore, q fatal step.
Mrs. MalIett, with almost incredible
presence of mind disentsngled her.
self from the horse. Below her was
shelving rock, about fifteen inches
wide. This she struck and caught
with her hands. With nerve that
would have made the sterner sex
proud of manhood, the lady held on
to the end of the rock, dangling in
the air, gripping it with despera-
ton. Had she let go her next lodge
ment would have been upon ledge
fifty feet below. To hold on was
therefore her only resort. With all
the dispatch possible, Mr.. MalIett
and others came to her rescue, and
succeeded in taking her from the
more than perilous situation, almost
uniniured, but of course very much
exhausted from fright.
Now comes the strangest part of
the story. The horse fell also and
lodged on the same shelf to which
the mistress was clinging. In fall
ing he had turned completely around
but there he stood on the narrow
ledge of stone, hugging the wall and
evidently realizing els position, if
horse ever realized anything. He
did not stir q muscle, hardly breath
ed for an hour or more until ropes
strong enough to take MIN out were
sent for and obtained at q camp q
mile distant. By the time these ar
rived fifty men or more who were
engaged in the canon had gathered
along the trail, and as many as
could make themselves useful as
sisted in lifting the animal up. He
seemed 10 know fully that steps
were being taken to rescue him, and
did not move to make any resis-
lance uutil he was placed upon sure
footing in the path.
The whole scene would have
made one for an artist. The escape
of Mrs. Mallett, under the circum-
stances, is very little less than mira
culous, and that the horse should
have been saved is almost incredi-
BILE. The accident and the rescue
have proven prolific themes of con-
versatioH in Canon, and the first re-
port caused corresponding excite
ment. Mrs. Mallett is the wife of
Professor Mallett, who is the pro-
prietOr of the reduction works at
Canon.