Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-06-11
A Terrible Situation.

The Denver (Coi.) Tribune tells the
following story of the Grand Canon:
Charles May and his brother Robert, in
the spring of 1870, offered to pass So
900 railroad ties down the Arkansas from
the mountain source He says: 'Our
offer was accepted, when we started into
the upper entrance Of the canon with a
large skiff, provided with six days pro-
visions and 200 feet of rope, with which
by taking a running turn around some
firmly planted object, we could lower
our boat 100 feet at a time. In this
way, at the end Of three days, having
set adrift many hundred ties, we reach
ed the entrance to the Royal Gorge.
Here we discovered that an attempt 10
descend the first waterfall with two in
the boat was certain destruction, and to
return was impossible. Accordingly, |
determined to lower my brother down
the fall in the boat, a distance Of 200
feet, gave him the rope, and let him
take the chances of the canon life
seemed more certain in that direction),
while | would risk my physical ability
to climb the ano wall, which was
about 1000 feet high.
"About 10 o'clock in the morning |
shook hands with my brother, lowered
him in the BOAT safely to the foot of the
fall, gave him the rope, and saw him
no more. Then throwing aside my
coat, hat, and boots, and stripping the
socks from my feet, | commenced my
climbing way, often reaching the hight
Of 100 or 200 feet, only to be compelled
- ~,t,., 10 fry anna nthnr
way. AT length, about 4 O'Clock in the
afternoon, | reached a hight upon the
smooth canon wall of about d thousand
feet. Here my further progress was
arrested by q shelving ledge of rock
that jutted out from the canon side a
foot or more. TO advance was without
hope; to return, certain death. Reach
ing upward | grasped the rim of the
ledge with oce hand and then with the
other, my feet slipped from the smooth
side of the anon. and my body hung
suspended in the air a thousand feet
above the roaring waters of the Arkan-
Sas.
eat that moment | looked downward
to measure the distance | would have
to fall when the strength Of my arms
gave out. A singing sensation crep.
through my hair as my eye caught the
strong roo of a cedar bush that project
ed out over the ledge, a little beyond
my reach. My grasp upon the rim of
the ledge was fast yielding to the weight
of my person. Then | determined to
make my best effort to raise my body
and throw it sideways toward the root
50 as to bring it within my grasp. At
the moment of making the effort | saw
my mothers face as she leaned over
the ledge, reached down her hand and
caught me by tae hair. Stranger, my
mother died while yet a young woman,
when | and my brother were yet small
DO but | remember her face. | was
successful in making the side leap of
my arms, when drew myself upon the
ledge and rested for a time. From here
upward my climbing was laborious, but
less dangerous. l reached the top of
the canon just as the sun was sinking
down behind the snowy range, and hast
ened to our camp at the mouth of the
canon, where l found my brother all
safe. Charley said he, nave you had
your head in a flour sackY 1t was
then | discovered that my hair was as
white as you see 1t now"