Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-07-10
SUSPENDED IN AIR.
A Thousand Feet Above the Roar
ing Waters Of the Arkansas.

Charles May and his brother
Robert, in the spring of 1870, Of
fered to pass 60, GOO railroad ties
down the Arkansas river from
the mountain source IN Colora-
do. He says:
"Our offer was accepted, when
we started into the upper en-
trance Of the canon with 4 large
skiff, provided with six days
provisions and 200 feet Of rope,
with which, by taking a running
turn round 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 adlift many hundred ties, we
reached the entrance TO the Roy
al George. Here we discovered
that to attempt to descend the
water fall with two in the boat
was certain destruction, ard to
return was impossible. I deter
mined to lower my brother down
the fall in the boat, a distance
of 200 feet, give him the rope
and let him take the chance Of
the canon-life seemed more GER
tain in that direction--while /
would risk my physical ability
to climb the canon wall, which
was about 1000 feet high.
"About 10 o'clock in the NOR
ming / 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 strip
ping the socks from my feet, I
commenced my climbing way,
often reaching the height of one
or two hundred feet, only to be
compelled to return to try some
other way. AT length, about
4 o'clock in the afternoon, / reach
ed height upon the smooth can
on wall of about a thousand feet.
Here my further progress was
arrested by shelving ledge Of
rock that jutted out from the
canon side a foot or more. To
advance was without hope; to
return, certain death. Reaching
and onward j grasped
the rim of the ledge with one
hand and then with the other,
my feet slipped from the smooth
side of the canon, and my body
hung suspended in the air one
feet above the roaring
waters of the Arkansas.
"At that instant | looked down
ward to measure the distance i
would have to fall when the
strength Of my arms gave out.
A singing sensation crept thro'
my hair as my eye caught the
strong root of a cedar bush that
projected out over the ledge, a
little beyond my reach. Ny
grasp upon the rim of the ledge
was 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, so as to bring
It within my grasp. At the mo-
ment of commencing the effort /
saw the face of my mother as
she leaned out over the ledge,
reached down her hand and
caught me by the hair. Stran-
ger, my mother died while yet a
young woman, when / and my
brother were small boys, but l
remember her face. / was sue
eessful in making the side leap
of my arms, when / drew my
'elf up the ledge and rested for
! time. From here upward my
was laborious, but less
dangerous. / reached the top
IF the canon just as the sun was
down behind the snowy
'ange, and hastened to our camp
It the mouth of the canon, where
found my brother all safe.
Charley said he, 'have you had
your head in a -four sackY 1t
vas then | discovered that my
hair was as white as you see It
low." .f1fi7