The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-07-04
By q Miracle.

AS much interest as there may be at
tached to the war between the contending
railroads in the Grand Canon of the Ar
kansas, no occurrence has TRANSFERRED in
that locality which has attracted go much
attention and sympathy as an accident
which happened to Mrs. E. j. Mallett, of
Canon City. Mrs. Mallett is an excellent
horsewoman, and having great confidence
in her horsewomanship, started out last
Sunday afternoon with her husband and
other friends on horseback to visit the
scene of 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 two thou
sand feet high at places, and almost per-
pendicular. Before operations were be-
gun within them by the railroad men, no
one ever attempted to pass through the
gorge except during the winter, and then
on ice. The laborers have, however, made
paths in the very sides of the immense
precipices, and it was along one of these
that Mrs. Mallett and her friends were
travelling. She rode trusty horse, and
was as composed as any of her party
They had proceeded to point beyond
the horse-trail, and were descending a
steep hill.
The path was 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 dis
turbed waters of the rapid-rolling Arkan-
sas. 1t was at this dangerous spot that
Mrs. Mallett's horse stumbled and fell
There was no room for the least falter
This was, therefore, fatal step. Mrs.
Mallett, with almost incredible presence
of mind, disentangled herself from her
horse. Below her ten feet 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 desperation. Had
she let go her next Judgment would have
been on another shelf fifty feet below
With all the dispatch possible Mr.. Nal
lett and Others came to her rescue, and
succeeded in taking her from the more
than perilous situation almost uninjured,
but of course very much exhausted frsm
fright.
Now comes the strangest part of the
story. The horse fell also and lodged on
the same shelf to which his mistress was
clinging. In falling he had turned com
pletely around, but there he stood on the
narrow ledge of stone, hugging the wall,
and evidently realizing his position, if
horse ever realized anything. He did
not stir muscle, hardly breathed for an
hour or more, until ropes strong enough
to take him out were sent for and OBJ
taiued at camp mile distant. BY the
time these arrived, fifty men or more who
were engaged in the canon had gathered
along the trail and as many of them as
could make themselves useful assisted in
lifting the animal up. He seemed to
realize fully that steps were being taken
for his relief, and did not move to make
any resistance until 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 circumstances, is very little
less than miraculous, and that the horse
should have been saved is almost incredi-
BILE. The accident and the rescue have
proven prolific themes Of conversation in
Canon, and the first report caused cores
ponding excitement. Mrs. Mallett is the
wife of Professor Mallett, who is the pro-
prietor of the reduction works at Canon.
-DenUer Tribune.