The morning news., 1888-06-10
A PERILOUs RIDE.
Frightened Stage Horses Dash Down q
Mountain Side.
From the San Dlego fCal) Cnton.

From the lSan Dlego fCai) linton.
The stage passengers on the return trip
from Julian two days ago experienced an
exciting adventure in the shape of a run
away dOxn q mountain road, in which the
driver was thrown from his sea t, three of
the passengers injured, and all had a mar
row escape from death on the rocks Out
side with the driver sat Marion Thresher, a
little biue-eyei girl Of - years old, and in
side were five passengers, all men. As the
stage was coming down the steep road on
Stones hill, bet wesH Ramona and Ballens,
forty-twO miles distant from San Diego,
the brakes gave way and the horses started
down the precipItOus mountain path The
driver realized the danger, and knew that
unless the horses could be stopped within
quarter Of mile the stage and all its oc-
cupants would he dashed TO death down the
side Of the cliff where the road entered
narrow mountain pass. He exerted every
effort, but the frightened horses, with the
heavy stage pressing upon them. almost
tore tho reins from his hands. They h d
not run far before the wheels st uck reef
On the side Of the road, and the stage almost
went over on j, side.
The driver was thrown from his seat and
dashed upon the rocky road. The little girl
clung with both hands to the seat rail and
kept her place upon the careening stage, but
as she looked down upon the maddened
horses tearing down the steep path to the
cliff and chasm below, she lost all hope.
Soon another reef was struck, again the
stage almost went over, and this time the
strength Of the child was not sufficient to
withstand the shock She was dashed out
upon the stony roadbed, and lay there
bruised and senseless while the horses went
tearing on.
At the start the inside passengers had not
suspected anything wrong, and /. was not
until they saw the driver fallupon the road
side that they knew their danger Thea
they sprang TO the opening to save them
selves is possible One OF them. Sam NJ.
Pearce, as he viewed the rearful prosp ct
below and realized that If the cliff was
reached all would be doomed to deat1, re-
solved TO risk his life by dangerous jumr.
The hnty roadbe1 male it almost certain
that this stop involved at least broken
limb but as the staga flew past clump OF
bushes he threw himself into it. The force
of his foil VISA broken, and, although badly
bruised, he was not seriously injured. Mr..
X .ch, another passenger, followed but did
not escape so easily, for he sustained a
broken ankle.
Ga the other side Of the stage the other
three passengers were clnging and looking
for an opportunity to leap, hut on the SIDE
OF the road, aud almost grazing the horses
wire fence All gave themselves up for
lost unless the stage saould pass the wire
fence before the cliff was reached. Sud
denly there was crash and shock which
threw some Of the passengers violently
against the front OF the stage, and one Of
them TO the f1round. One OF the horses had
fallen, and the stage had been stopped
within few DDS OF the terrible cliff.
The passengers in the stage. although
badly frightened, were uninjursd, and re-
turning up The road they gave assistance to
the wounded Mr.. Pearce who jumped
into the bushes, had already limped back to
the little girl and picSed her up. He found
| her lying senseless, terribly bruised and
with a broken arm She soon returned to
Consciousness, and opening her blue eyes,
gave a pleous little moan, and then
| clinching her teeth, refused TO give any
further signs of her suffering The driver
although badly bruised, was not disabled
and the stage was rugged up TO proceed on
the journey. The injured child was ten
derly cared for by the passengers, and
brought to her friends in San Diego, to
whom she was returning from a visit 10 the
country. The thrilling adventure of that
terrible stage ride is an experience which
will never be forgotten by those who came
dashing down the rocky road.