The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-06-13
A TERRIBLE SITUATION.

The Denver (COl) Tribune tells the
following story of the Grand canon:
Charles May and his brother Robert, in
the spring of 1870, offered to pass go, 900
railroad ties down the Arkansas from
the mountain source. He says: sour
offer was accepted, when we started into
the upper entrance of the canon with
large skiff, provided with six days pro-
visions and two hundred 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 adrlft many hundred
ties, we reached the entrance to the Roy
al Gorge. Here we discovered that an
attempt to descend the first waterfall
with two in the boat was certain destruc-
ton, and to return was impossible. Ac-
cordlngly, / determined to lower my
brother down the fall in the boat, dis
lance of two hundred feet, gave him the
rope and let him take the chance OF the
canon Qife seemed more certain in that
direction, while would risk my phys
ical ability to climb the canon wall,
which was about two thousand 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. Throwing aside my coat, hat and
boots, and stripping the socks from my
feet, commenced my climbing way, of
ten reaching the height of one or two
hundred feet, only to be compelled to re-
turn or try some other way. AT length,
about 4 O'Clock in the afternoon, /
reached height upon the smooth can
on wall of about a thousand feet. Here
my further progress was arrested by a
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 upward and
outward, 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 my arms gave
out. A singing sensation crept through
my hair as my eye caught the strong
root of cedar bush that projected 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 eff
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 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 young woman, when and
my brother were small boys, but 1 re-
member her face. / was successful in
making the side leap of my arms, when
drew myself upon the ledge and rested
l for time From here I1nuCar6 INV
climbing way was Iaborious, but less
dangerous. / reached the top of the
cannon just as the sun was sinking
down behind the snowy range, and has
tened to our camp at the mouth of the
cannon, where 1 found my brother all
safe. Charley said he, have you had
your head in flour sackP 1t was then
discovered that my hair was as white
as you see it now"