Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-09-18
a MOMENT OF FATE.
What Charles May saw in the Grand
Canyon of the Arkansas when He
was Falling.

The Denver (Col.l Tribune tells the fol-
lowing thrilling story of the Grand Canon
of Colorado: Charles May and his BROTH
er Robert in the spring of 1870 offered to
pass 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 running turn around some
firmly planted object, we could lower our
boat hundred feet at a time. In this
way, at the end of three days. having set
adrift many hundred ties, we reached the
entrance of Royal Gorge. Here we dis
covered that an attempt to descend the
first waterfall with two in boat was GER
tain destruction, and to return was i'm
possible. Accordingly, l determined to
lower my brother down the fall in the
boat. At distance of200 feet I gave him
the rope and let him take the chance of
the canon, (life seemed more certain in
that direction) while I would risk my
physical ability to climb the canon wall,
which was about 2, 900 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 height of 100 or 200 feet only
to be compelled to return to try some
other way. At length, about O'Clock in
the afternoon, 1 reached height on
the smooth canon of about thousand
feet. Here my further progress was ar
rested by 4 shelving ledge of rock that
iutted out from the canon side a foot or
more. To advance was without hope; to
return certain death. Reaching upward
and outward, grasped 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 thousand feet above the roaring
waters of the Arkansas.
At that moment looked downward to
measure the distance l would fall when
the strength of my arms gave out. A
stinging sensation crept through my hair
as my eye caught the strong root of a
cedar bush that projected over the ledge
just beyond my reach. My grasp of the
ledge was fast yielding to the. weight of
my person. Then I 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 moment of
beginning the effort [ saw my mothers
face as she leaned out over the ledge,
reached down her hand and caught me
by the hair. Stranger, my mother died
while yet q young woman, when | and
my brother were small boys, but re-
member her face. l was successful in
making my side leap of my arms, when
drew myself upon the ledge and rested
for time. From here upward my climb
ing way was laborious, but less danger
Gus. [ reached the top just as the sun
was sinking down behind the snowy
range, and FASTENED to our camp at the
mouth of the canon, where found my
brother all safe. Charley said he, Ehave
you had your head in a flour sack?' 1t
was then that I discovered that my hair
was as white as YOU see it now.''