Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-04-07
Piper's Perilous Ascent of the Natural
Bridge.

OF Col. James Piper, has recalled thrill
ing incident in the life of the latter, which
is now going the rounds of the press. AS
the newly published version is in several
particulars incorrect, we re-publsh below
an account of the perilous feat as related
by Col. VIM. A. Caruthers, formerly of
Rockbridge county, fellow-student of
Col. Piper's and an eye witness Of the in
cident referred to:
81 think 1T was in the summer of 1878,
that James II. Piper, William Revely
William Wallace and myself, being then
students at Washington College, Virginia,
determined to take a jaunt to the Natural
Bridge, fourteen miles off. Having OBJ
tanned permission from the President, we
proceeded on our way rejoicing. When
we arrived at the Bridge nearly all of us
commenced climbing up the precipltous
sides, in order to lmmortalZe our names,
as usual. We had not been long thus en-
ployed, before we were joined by Robar,
Penn, of Amherst, then a pupil Of the Raw
Samuel Houston's Grammar School, in the
immediate neighborhood of the Bridge
Mr.. Piper, the hero of the occasion, com
menced climbing on the opposite side of
the creek from the one by which the path
way ascends the ravine. He began down
on the banks Of the brook so far, tina we
did not know where he had gone, and were
only appraised Of his whereabouts by his
shouting above our heads. When we look
ed up, he was standing apparently right
under the arch, 1 suppose a hundred feet
from the bottom, and that on a smooth
side, which is generally considered inacces-
sible without a ladder. He was standing
far above the spot where General Wash
ington is said to have inscribed his name
when youth.
1.-THE ledge of the rock by which he as
cended to this perilous height, does not
appear from below to be three inches wide.
and seems almost at right angles to the
abutment of the bridge; of course its ter
minaton is far down the cliff on that side.
Many of the written and traditional &C
counts state this to be the side of the
bridge up which he climbed. believe Miss
ttHOdu 6o opdVVS3 OQt ~ 10 GllOSCpuCl
mistake, as any one may see, by casting an
eye up the precipice on that side. The
story, no doubt, originated from the pre-
liminary exploit.
''The ledge of rock on which he was
standing appeared SO narrow to us below.
as to make us believe his position very
perilous one, and we earnestly entreated
him to come down. He answered us with
loud shouts of derision. At this stage of
the business, Mr.. Penn and servant left
us. He would not have done SO, L suppose,
if he had known what was to follow; but
up to this time not one of US had the
slightest suspicion that Mr.. Piper intend
ed the daring exploit which he afterwards
accomplished. He soon after descended
from that side, crossed the brook and COM
menced climbing On the side on which all
visitors ascend the ravine. He first mount
ed the rocks on this, as he had done on the
other, far down the abutment, but not SO
far as on the opposite side. The projecting
ledge may be seen distinctly by any visitor
IT commences four or five feet from the
pathway, on the lower side, and winds
around, gradually ascending, until it meets
the cleft of rock over which the celebrated
cedar stump hangs. This column stands
out from the bridge as separate and dis
tinct as if placed there by nature on pur-
pose for an observatory to the wonderful
arch and ravine which it overiooks. A
huge crack or assure extends from it's base
to it's summit; indeed, it is cracked on
both sides. but much more perceptibly o n
one side than on the other.
s'Both these assures are thickly over
grown with bushes, and numerous roots
project into them from the trees growing
or the precipice.. 1t was between these
that the aforementioned ledge conducted
him. Then he stopped, pulled off his coat
ard shoes, and threw them down to me-
And this, in my opinion, is sufficient ref.
utation of the story SO often told, that he
went up to inscribe his name, and ascend
ed so high that he found it more difficult
to return than to go forward. He could
have returned easily from the point where
he disencumbered himself, but the fact
that he did thus prepare so early and so
near the ground, and after he had ascend
ed more than double that height on the
other side, are clear proofs that to inscribe
his name was not, and to climb the bridge
ayas, his object. He had already inscribed
his name above Washington's himself, !
more than fifty feet. Around the face of