West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-06-08
A Marvellous Escape.
Denver tUoll trihuneI

As muCh interest as there may n,
attached To the war between the con
tending railroads in the Grand Canor
OF Arkansas, no occurrence has trans
pired in that locality which has attracted
80 much attention and sympathy as m
accident which recently happened I,
Mrs. r. j. Malett, of Canon CITY. Mrs
Mallett Is an excellent horsewoman
and, having great confidence i'm her rid
ing skill, started out last SUNDAY after.
noon with her husband and other friend,
on horseback TO visit the scene of opera.
tions on the canon
OF all the wonderful canons i'm Col
orado the Grand Canon of the Arkansa,
Is the most awe inspiring. The wall,
are two thousand feet high at places
and almost perpendicular. Befor,
operations were begun within them b>
the railroad men no one ever attcmpted
to pass through the gorge except during
the winter, and then on ice. The labor
ers, have, however, made paths i'm the
very sides OF the immense precipices
and IL was along one of these that Mrs
Mallett and her friends were travelling
She rode trusty horse, and was as com.
posed as any of her party. They had
proceeded to n point beyond the horse
trail and were descending stcep hill
he path was n 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 Ar
kansas. IL was at this dangerous spot
that Mrs. Mallctts horse stumbled and
1ell There was no room for the least
IaIter. lhls was, therefore, a fatal step.
Mrs. Mallett, with almost incredible
presence OF mind, disentangled herself
from her horse. Below her ten feet was
a shelving rock about fifteen inches
wide. This she struck and caught with
her hands. With nerve that would
make the sterner sex proud of manhood
the lady held on to the end of the rock.
dangling in the air, gripping il with
desperation. Had she let go, her next
lodgment would have been on another
shelf fifty feet below To hold on was
therefore her only resort With all the
dispatch possible, Mr. Mallett and Others
came 10 her rescue, and succeeded i'm
taking her from her perlous situation
almost uninjured, 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 his mistress
was clinging, In falling he had turned
completely around, but there he stood
on the narrow ledge of stone. hugginp
the wall, and evidently realizing his
position, If horse ever realized ANYTHING.
tie did not stir n muscle, and hardly
breathed for an hour or more. until
ropes strong enough to take him out
were sent for and obtained at a camp a
mile distant. BY the time these arrived
nifty men or more who were engaged i'm
the canon had gathered along the trail,
and as many as could make themselves
useful assisted in lifting the animal up.
lie seemed TO realize fully that steps
were being taken for his relief, and did
not move to make resistance until he
was placed upon sure footing in the
path.
The escape Of Mrs. Mallett, under the
circumstances, is very little less than
miraculous, and that the horse should
have been saved is almost incred BILE.
The accident and the rescue have proved
prolific themesof conversation in Canon.
and the first report caused corresponding
excitement Mrs. Mallett is the wife
OF Professor Mallett, who is the propri-
tor OF the reduction works at Canon.