Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1878-06-15
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM
DEATH.
[Denver (Col.) Tribune. !

AS much interest as there may be at
tached to the war between the contend
ing railroads in the Grand Canyon of the
nrkansas, no occurrence has transpired ia
that locality which has attracted so much
attention and sympathy as an accident
which reccntley happened to Mrs. L. J..
Mallett, of Canyon City. Mrs. Mallett is
an excellent horse woman, and having
great confidence in her horsenanship,
started out last Sunday afternoon with
her husband and other friends on horse
back to visit the scenes ofoperationsi in the
canyon. OF all the wonderful canyons i'll
Colorad> the Grand Canyon of the Arkan-
sas is the most awe-inspiriug. The walls
are 1000 teeU high at places, and almost
perpenuicular. Before operations were
begun within them by the railroad men,
no one ever attempted to pass through
the gorge. The laboreis have, however,
made paths in the very sides of the i'm
mense precipices, and it was along one of
these that Mrs. Mallett and her friends
were travelling. She rode d trusty horse,
and was composed as any of her party.
They had proceeded to Il point beyond
the hosre trall' and were descending Il
steep hill.
The path was !; narrow one, tho walls
Of the canyon shooting far up towards
the blue, clear sky, and down for hund-
reds Of feet, until they dipped into the dis
turbed waters of the rapid-rolling Arkan-
sas, 1t was at this spot that Mrs. Nal
let's horse stumbled and fell. There was
no room for tho least falter. This was
therefore, Il fatal step. Mrs. Mallet. with
almost incredible presence OF mind, dis
cntangled herself from the horse. Below
her ten feet was u shelving rock, about
fifteen inches wide. This she struck and
caught with her hands. With nerve that
would have made the sterner sex proud
Ct manhood, the lady held oD to the
end of the rock, dangling i'll the air,
gripping it with desperation. Had she
let go, her next lodyment would have been
on another shelf fifty feet below. TO hold
| on was, therefore, her only resort. Will
all dispatch possible Mr.. Mallett and 9th
ers came to her rescue, and succeed II
| taking her from tue more than pcrllous
situation almost uni nj ured, but OF course
very much exhausted from fright.
Now comes the strangest part of the
story. The horse fell and also lodged OF
tho same shelf to which his mistress wa:
clinging. In falling he had turned com
pletely abound, but there he stood on th
narrow ledge Of stone, hugging the wall
and evidently realizing his position, i
horse ever realized anything. He die
not stir Il muscle, hardly brcathed for al
hour or moro, until ropes strong cnouSl
TO take him out were sent for and Oh
tanned at a camp milo distant. BY th'
time these arrived fifty men or more, wh'
were engaged in the can yon, had gather
ed along the trail, and as many of them a
could mako themselves useful assisted IL
lifting tho animal up. lie seemed to real
izc fully that steps were bci"S taken TO
his relief, and did not move to make an.
resistance until he was placed Oh u sur
footing in tho path.
The whole scene would havo made on
for an artist. The escape of Mrs. MalIett
under the circumstances, is very littl
less than miraculous, and that the hors
should have been saved is almost incrcdi
ibie. The accident and the rescue hav
proven prolific themes of conversation il
Canyon, and the first report caused cor
responding eNciteme mt. Mrs. Mallc
is the wife of Professor Mallet, who is th'
proprietor OF the Reduction Work at Can
yon.