Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-06-07
Sht Daily fress aud gatotaiau
YANkTON DAKOTA
Saturday Evening, June 7, 1879.
A TERRIBLE SITUATION.

The Denver (Col.) Tribune tells the fol-
lowing story of the Grand Canyon: Chas.
May and his brother Robert, 10 the spring
OF 1870. Offered 10 pass 10000 railroad ties
down the Arkansas from the mountain
source. He says: "Our offer was accep-
Ted, when VIC started into the upper en-
trance of the canon with q large skiff, pro.
vidcd with six days provisions and 200
feet OF rope, with which, by taking q run.
Ming turn around some firmly planted OBJ
lect, we could lower our boat a hundred
feet at a time. In this way, at the end Of
three days, having set a drift many hun
dIed ties, we reached the entrance to the
Royal George. Here we discovered that
an attempt to descend the first waterfall
with " in the boat was certain destruc.
ton, and to return was impossible. Accord
ingly. l 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 chance Of the canon Qife seemed more
certain in that directory, while I would
risk NY physical ability to climbtthe canon
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 fool 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, l
commenced my climbing way, often reach
Ing 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, | reached a height upon the
smooth canon wall of about q thousand
feet Here my further progress was arrest
ed by a shelving ledge of rock that jutted
out from the canon side a foot or more.
10 advance was without hope; to return,
certain death. Reaching upward and out
ward. l krasped the rim of the ledge with
one hand and thea with the other, my feet
Slipped from the smooth side of the canon
and my body hung suspended in the air a
thousand feet above the roaring waters of
the Arkansas.
AT that moment l looked downward to
measure the distance l would have to fall
when the strength of my arms gave out
A singing sensation crept through my hair
as my eye caught the strong root of a cedar
bush that projected out over the ledge, 9
little beyond my reach. My grasp upon
the rim of the ledge was fast yielding tc
the weight of my person. Then l deter
mined to make my best effort to raise my
body and throw it sideways toward the
root so as to bring 1t within my grasp. A,
the moment OF commencing the effort l saw
my mothers face as she leaned out owe
the ledge, reached down her hand ant
caught me by the hair. Stranger, my mo,he
died while yet a young woman, when l AM
my. brother were small bows, but l remem
Der her face. was successful in maxim,
the side leap of my arms, when l drew nv
self upon the ledge and rested for a time
From here upward my climbing way wa
laborious, but less dangerous. 1 reached
the top Of the canon just as the sun wa.
sinking down behind the snowy range, anc
fastened to our camp at the mouth of thu
canon, where 1 found my brother all safe
Charley said he, have you had your hcat
In a flour sack? q l. was then that | discov
cred that my hair was as white as you Sc,
il now"