The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-06-19
MAYS HANGING 1000 FIT. ABOVE
THE KANSAS RAPIDS.

His Hair Turning White In an Hour Of Mortal
Peril His Sensations at the the Time Of the
Chsngs-A Vision Of His LOng-Dead Mother.
Charles May and his brother Robert,
in the spring Of 1870, offered to pass 60
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 large skiff provided withsix days
provisions and 200 feet of rope, wi b
which, by taking running turn around
some firmly planted object, We could
lower our boat hundred feet at time.
In this way, at the end of three days,
having set adrift many hundred ties, we
reached the entrance to the Royal Gorge
Here we discovered that an attempt to
descend the first waterfall with two in
the boat was certain destruction, and to
return was impossible. Accordingly l
determined to lower my brother down
the fall in the boat, distance of2OO feet,
gave him the rope, and let him take the
chance Of the canon (liie seemed more
certain in that direction), while | would
risk my physical ability to climb the ca
non wall, which was about 1000 feet
high.
About ten o'clock in the morning l
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 one or two
hundred feet only to be compelled to re-
turn and try some other way. At last,
about O'Clock ia the afternoon, | reach.
ed height on the broad smooth canon
wall of about thousand feet. Here my
further progress was arrested by shelv.
ing ledge of rock that jutted out from
the canon side foot or more. To ad-
vance was without hope; to return GER
tain death. Reaching upward and out.
ward, / 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 suspend
ed in the air thousand feet above the
roaring waters of the Arkansas.
At that moment looked downward
to measure the distance [ would have to
fall when the strength of arms gave out.
A stinging sensation crept through my
hair as my eye caught the strong root of
a cedar bush that projected out over the
ledge, q little Sey ond 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 ef-
fort to raise my body and throw it side
ways toward the root, so as to bring it
within my grasp. at the moment Of
commencing my effort cav my moth
er's face, as she leaned out over the
ledge, reached down her hand and took
me by the hair. Stranger, my mother
died while yet young woman, when |
and my brother were small boys, but
remember her face. was successful in
making the side leap Of my arms, when
/ diew myself upon the ledge and rested
for time. From here upward my
climbing way was laborious, but less
dangerous, / reached the top of'the ca
non just as the sun was siuking down
behind the snowy range, and ! hastened
to our camp at the mouth Of the canon,
where found my brother all safe
Charley" ," SAID he, "have you had your
head in -four sack?" Il was then | dis
covered that my hair was as white as
you see it now. ."-D Denver Tribune.