Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-03-15
SOME FAMOUS LEAPS.
Strange Adventures of Horsemen keeOs ded
by an En- giish Chronicier.


'Lambert's Leap near Newcastle
on-Tyne. has been the scene of three
strange adventures, the place taking
its desig lat on from the name of Mr..
Cuthbert Lambert. who first made it
famous in the year 1853. That gentle
man, the son of DR.. Lambe of Pill
grim street, was riding along Standi-
ford Stone lane, when his mare took
fright, and, on reaching the bridge
which spans the burn below. jumped
on to the battlements. three and half
feet high. and sprang toward the oppo-
site side of the burn. the width OF
which was forty-siX feet. The depth
TO the water was thirty-six feet. An
old ash tree broke the riders fall, and,
according to some accounts. he chung
to one of the boughs in hi, descent-at
any rate, he was unhurt; but the mare
was killed, and an examination showed
that every joint in her backbone was
displaced by the shock. Mr.. Lambert
died in ITO, and in the next year
precisely similar accident occurred at
the same place. This time the rider
was groom in the service of Sir John
Hussey Dclaval. whose horse. on the
road to Newcastle from Seaton Delaval,
took fright, and. running along Standi-
ford lane, reached the aforementioned
bridge, where some foot people en-
leavored to stop him. The attempt,
however, was in vain. and the horse
sprang over the battlement of the
bridge. Unlike Mr. Lambert, the
groom did not keep his seat; but. ac-
cording to the account, came to the
bottom first, and-this is the strangest
part of the story-alighted between
two large stones. The horse came
down Immediately afterward, but,
being wedged in between the stones,
did not crush the rider. who was able
to ride another horse home One is
not surprised to learn that the Jump
ing horse was subsequently shot
In these two instances the riders
escaped and the horses died; but in
1927 matters were reversed; the horse
escaped and the man was killed. Mr..
Nicholson, surgeon of Henzel, was
riding over the bridge, when his horse
suddenly SHE'D and in jumping over
the side knocked over the stone in
scribed: "Lambert's Leap 1t is GER
tainly strange that three accidents
should have occurred at the same spot.
ha 100 hot
similar leap was recorded to have
taken place near Whitehaven. A Lam
caster. gentleman was riding a horse
which was upset by Il post-chaise dash
ing by. Thinking that the horse would
settle down if allowed to 90 in front,
the rider, quickened his pace, and,
trotting on. repassed the chaise; but
'the trot became a gallop soon" The
horse ran away, and, on reaching the
middle of Egremont bridge, jumped
on to the battlements, which were four
feet high. and appeared to have been,
ut any rate, wide enough to have af-
forded mOmentary standing-room; for,
says an account, 1.-the rider, fearing
that the horse might topple over side
ways, had the presence of mind to spur
the horse and SO cause him to jump,
which. he did down the substantial
drop Of twenty. feet. alighting safe and
sound in foot of water" The horse
was unhurt, and the only injury sus-
tanned by the rider was a sprained foot,
which confined him to his room for
three days.-.St. James GazeHe.