Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-07-04
A PERILOUS RIDE.
Frightened Stage Hors es Dash Down a
Mountain Side.
From the San Diego (Cal9 Union.

Mountain Side.
From the San Diego (Cal.9 Union.
The stage passengers on the return
trip from Julian two days ago expe-
rienced an exciting adventure in the
shape of runaway down a mountain
road, in which the driver was thrown
from his seat, three of the passengers
injured, and all mad mar
row escape from death on the
rocks. Outside with the driver
sat Marion Thuesher, a little blue-eyed
girl of 10 years old, and inside were five
passengers, all men. AS the stage was
coming down the steep road on Stones
Hill, between Ramona and Ballena, for
ty-two miles distant from San Diego,
the brakes gave way and the horses
started on Jump down the preclpitous
the danger, and knew that unless the
horses could be stopped within a quar-
ter of mile the stage and all its occu-
pants would be dashed to death down
the side of the cliff where the road en-
tered narrow mountain pass. He eX-
erted every effort, but the frightened
horses, with the heavy stage pressing
upon them, almost tore the relns from
his hands. They had not run far before
the wheels struck a reef on the side OF
the road, and the stage almost went over
on its side.
The driver was thrown from his seat
and dashed upon the rocky road. The
little girl chung 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 wenttearing on.
At the start the inside passengers had
not suspected anything wrong, and it
was not until they saw the driver fall
upon the roadside that they knew their
danger. Then they sprang to the open
ing to save themselves if possible. One
of them, Sam NJ. Pearce, as he viewed
the fearful prospect below, and real
lied that if the cliff was reached all
| would be doomed to death, resolved to
risk his life by dangerous Jump. The
| f1inty roadbed made it almost certain
/ that this step involved at least a broken
limb, but as the stage flew past clump
| OF bushes he threw himself into it. The
| force of his fall was broken, and, al
| though badly bruised, he was nCt seri-
| ously injured. MIR. Rich, another pas
senger, followed, but did not escape SO
easily, fer he sustained broken ankle.
! On the other side of the stage the 9th
er three passengers were clinging and
looking for an opportunity to leap, but
on that side of the road, and almost
grazing the horses and stage as they tore
| along, WIS a barbed wire fence. All
gave themselves up for lost unless the
stage should pass the wire fence before
the cliff was reached. Suddenly there
was a crash and shock which threw
some of the passengers violently against
| the front of the stage, and one or them
| to the ground. One of the horses had
| fallen, and the stage had been stopped
within a few rods of the terrible cliff.
The passengers in the stage, although
| badly frightened, were uninjured, and
returning up the road they gave assist
ance to the wounded. Mr.. Pearce, who
jumped into the bushes, had already
iimped back to the little girl and picked
her up. He found her lying senseless,
| terribly bruised, and with broken arm.
| She soon returned to consciousness, and
opening her blue eyes gave piteous lit
| tie moan, and then clinohing 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 tenderly cared for
by the passengers and brought to her
friends In San Diego, to whom she was
returning from visit to 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.