Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-02-15
A GEORGIAN A"LITTLE OFF,
A Dentist With a Mad Mania
for scaling PrecIPices,
Athens. "a. Banner.

Athens. Ga, Banner.
DR.. Hape, an account Of whose
thrilling adventure at Tallulah falls
we yesterday published, is we'll known
to many OF the people OF Athens. He
IS a dentist by profession. and the
town Of Hspeville, near Athens, is
named after him, at which place he
has fine fruit farm. The doctor was
a gallant Confederate soldier, and
during The war was completely riddled
by balls. He is without fear, and was
always a ready volunteer when a cool
head and daring was needed. At the
close of the war, having no opportu
mites to indulge his love Of danger on
the field of battle, be turned his taste
to more peaceful avocations He
delights to wander among wild and
rugged scenery, and to accomplish
teats that no one else would
dare attempt. Several years
ago he made an ascension in
Atlanta, and when nearly out Of sight
the balloon exploded and started
downward at a frightiul velocity.
Any other man but DR.. Hape would
have become paralyzed with fear aud
been killed. But not SO with him.
lie was as cool and collected as il
walking on the street under an um.
brella. Reaching out his hands he
grasped each side of the silken bag
and thus formed a sort of parachute
that permitted him to descend safely
in tree top, and from thence he
dropped into briar patch. The only
injury he received was q slight scratch
on the nose.
This, it seems, would have given
the Doctor a surfeit of adventures,
but not so. We next hear of him be
ing lowered down the precipitous
side of Stone mountain by lope,
when he united it from his body and
permitted his friends to draw it up.
1t seems that he landed on a mar.
row shelf Of rock, with a per-
pendicular wall above and below.
but he conceived the idea that he
could work his way around. Without
any notification to those above he be-
gan the perilous task and succeeded.
BY looking up from the above it does
not seem that anything but a fly could
cling to its smooth surface; but the
doctor found crevices here and there
by which he secured foothold, and
thus made his way entirely around the
mountain, returning safely to the hotel.
His friends waitod patiently for a sig
nal from him, and hearing nothing,
decided that he had been killed ana
began anxious search for his mangled
remains Hours were spent in the
search, the foot of the mountain was
visited, and they finally sadly wendell
their way hotelward with the sad
tidings that DR.. Hape was undoubtedly
killed. You can judge their surprise
when they discovered the doctor
quietly sitting on the piazza enjoying
a cigar. His friends came near muir
dering him on the spot for the fright
he had given them,
From a gentleman who has Just got
in from Tallulah Falls, we learn that
DR.. Hape, in his wanderings, came to
place that he could not pass, and
decided to get around it by working
his way up the precipice. At one
point he saw a shelving rock just
below him, and thought, by reaching
this point he could take the passage.
SO, swinging off by limb, be made
the descent in safety, but Judge the
doctors dismay when he found him.
self imprisoned on a narrow shelf,
with no avenue of escape. Tue limb
had flown back out of bis reach, and
there he was, with night coming on
and his voice drowned by the roar of
the falls. Fortunately he found
match in his pocket, and from the
scanty vegetation that grew around
him managed to kindle fire. But he
had to be very saving with his fuel. and
used only a few shavings at a time.
The night was cold and stormy, and Tor
the mist you could not see your hand
before you. Besides, the shelf was so
narrow that he had to remain in a |
stopping position upon his knees, and |
afraid to move lest he slip and fall |
upon the rocks $50 feet below. The
FIRST search party had given him up
and returned TO the hotel, but Con.
duotor Luke johnson, knowing that
it would not do to leave man in the |
gorge all night, organized a second |
expedition and started out. The |
search was fraught with great danger
for the fog was binding and the pre-.
cipitous paths wet and slippery.
While peering over the brink near
Lovers Leap. Mr.. johnson thought
be saw a reflection upon the waters,
and called the attention OF the others
to it, Cautiously working their way
down the precipioe, its flashes were
seen more distinctly but they con.
cluded it was only lightning. At last,
a point was reached when in the dim
distance upon the side of the precipice
a small spark was seen, not larger than
the Pickering Of candle. To this
point the searchers slowly and
worked their way, when
they saw the form of DR.. Hape crouch
ing over small blaze. He was hailed, !
bat their voice could not reach him
Every effort was made at his rescue,
but it was soon found to be impossi-
BILE. At 2 o'clock large fires were
kindled in the chasIl, where the dar.
ing explorer oould see them and know
that he was not forgotten, negroes
to watch them all night,
when the party returned to the hotel.
Next morning by daybreak the entire
village of Tallulah was at the spot,
when Mr.. - ohnson succeeded in climb.
ing to within fifty feet of the doctor
and received his note. His rescue
was made as described above about 8
o'clock.
But the doctor was not daunted by
his narrow escape from a frightful
death, and after eating hearty break
fast and taking a nap, started out
afternoon with the ayowed
Of completing his explora-
ton of the falls We have not as vet