Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-05-31
A Marvellous Escape,

AS much interest as there NAV be at.
tached to the war between the contend
ing railroads in the Grand Canon OF
the Arkansas, no occurrence has trans.
pired in that locality which has at.
tracted so much attention and sympa.
thy as an accident which recently hap
pened to Mrs. Z. j. Mallett, of Canon
City. Mrs. Mallett is an excellent
lion - rVIl, sslIl, l.,ss.4.5 6IOssU
dence in her riding skill, started out
last Sunday afternoon with her husband
ard 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
1000 feet high at places, and almost
perpendicular. Before operations were
begun 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 COM
POoNu oo VI lCl uCN Hdu
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
Arkansas. 1t was at this danger
Gus spot that Mrs. Mallett's horse
stumbled and fell. There was no room
for the least falter. This was, there
fore, fatal step. Mrs. Mallett, with
almost incredible presence of mind, dis
entangled herself from her horse. Below
her ten feet was a shelving rock, about
fifteen inches wide. This she struck and
caught with herhands. 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, grip
ping it 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 re-
sort, With all the dispatch possible
Mr.. Mallett and others came to her
rescue, and succeeded in taking her
from the perilous situation, almost un-
injured, but of course very much ex-
hausted from fright.
Now comes the strangest part of the
story. The horse fell 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, hugging
the wall, and evidently realizing his
position, if ever horse realized any
thing. He did not stir a muscle, hard
ly 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
fifty men or more who were engaged in
the canon had gathered along the trail,
and as many 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 die
not move to make resistance until he
was placed upon sure footing in the
path.
The escape of Mrs. Mallett, under tn,
circumstances, is very little less thar
miraculous, and that the horse should
have been saved is almost Incredible
The accident and the rescue hav,
proved prolific themes of conversation
in Canon, and the first report causeC
corresponding excitement. Mrs. Nal
lett is the wife of Prof. Mallett, who i
the proprietor of the reduction work
at Canon.-DenUer (COl.) Tribune.