New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-10
THE EAGLES NEST.

W
tains on both sides OF the river, north ana SCUM,
rise to such height that one must " look twIce
10 see their tops. But down near Wasllhg ool .o
inclosing mountains are not vertical as are uie
walls of rock up where the river breaks down
Irom the main range of the high Serras. ~
there the waters Of the IlVer tnuhder alone pe
tween perpendicular walls hundreds OF 1eet In
il is above this mighty canon that the waters
of the river were, In the early Gays tutncI amUo
what was then known as k1dds Dltch-1 sup
pose the same that is now called the oouOh lup"
Canal In constructing this ditch IL was neeeS-
sary TO carry through the canon large hume;
This nume had TO be carried along tie Verucal
south wall OF the canon for q great distance, at
height i'll places, of from 300 TO 500 1eet above
the bed of the river, and from 2V0 70 oOo Ieeg
below the top of the wall, from which at several
points lumber and timber were Lowered oy means
Of ropes. -. ,,uoo,,..s. ho,.s
for which were drilled in the face of the chn by
men suspended on platforms like those useu Dy
housepainters These platforms were iSWeIe S
from above by means OF strongly ahchoIeu VIII
lass 10 construct hume thus IN mi9-alI was i q
costly and perilous work, but Tor goid men Will
venture all things-even life; =. tina h.oor,o
The men working on the Hume IN i rlis epeUt no
the dangers that beset them In the MlOe "1 Oh
only two or three lives were lost. lhough tnc
employed upon the hume seemee t L ~
to such business could with difficulty nerve MIN
self TO venture near enough TO the awIui ch"s s.
TO look down to where the river DOlleu aloDs l'S
bottom. . 4A,orrl
Owing to the swiftness of the current through
the canon and TO the many Jutting ledgeS Oh rocH,
bowders rapids swirls ana s~asneS' Sne from
was everywhere churned into foam; seen lIon 9
the top of the cliff, the water IN the chahhel VI
the river looked as white as mix. -,
One experienced very peculiar SENSATIONS s, W.
looking down upon the boiling ana roaming
waters-a very creepy, unpleasant teeIng. III
looking into space above one feels all rlghV' p9o
on gazing into space below all IS WRONG on'
head seems turning upside down. 49,.
Resides this there was in the scene something
weird and unnatural But what was IL IT,
emily it occurred TO one that what mace 'e srcnr
unc9nnv was the silence-the absence OF the roar
that should accompany waters vislbly so tuInut-
tuousy tossed and agitated Instead OF Ihe ue al
ening roar and swash natural to sucn scehe, We
only caught now and again, as DrOu9hI near vi
waited afar by the shifting winds, fSlnt anu
monotonous mHrmur-the one note into which was
merged and blended all the pouring i piuhglns'
splashing and dasbing far away DeloW
To stand on the brink of the chasm ana looN
down upon the wild whirl of waters al us DotVJln
gave a man about the same uncanny leeilhs ~ no
would experience were he TO see walls anu JUN
inps falling on all sides of him, without prou9Ins
more sound than if they were walls ana pulluihsS
Of air-the structures of dreamland
II required Rreat nerve to move to the bFlnK Oh
the precpice and look down upon the white Line
that marked the windings of the river NO pc
gnner could endure to stand so 1or many % @
paring for leap into the abyss, and III spite Oh
all the resistance his head could make would soon
plunge his body into the chasln, unless ne At uict
turned away. This feeling begins with sort OF
Iiftin% and tbrobbng motion in the ground ap-
parently, and tickling sensation Ill the soles OIL
the feet that is very unpleasant .,... 49, no
One Sunday while the work OF carrying Ihe pl3
Nume through the canon was in progress went
With n marty of half a dozen miners ana others
from the town of Omega TO see II. we hau he9Iu
en- ranv wonderful stories about the great under
taking the difficulties that were being overcome,
and SO on that we were all anxious TO see wlth
our own eyes what was pe1hg done. y, - o,,rohorce
Some of us obtained on the trip such surcharge
40 tho ncculiar sort of sensations which l nave
tried TO describe above that we have never Since
had any hankering after repetltlona Oh Iic
In going to the point where the nume-DulloI IN :
WAS in nropress we procured horses and took the
main ridge above the town, Where we hao Iol
nearly the whole distance wagon roa1Eene De@i
valley road I believe il was called. When oppo-
site where the f1ume going in we lett the ROAD
and taking to the forest, zigzagged down tne Iace
Of the mountain TO the camp OF Ine WoIS ,t;tL
There not another uWellnB VI any NIL" "A0i
in ten miles of the spot.
Reinq all young and full of fun we charged
down upon the quiet camp like band OF Wllo IN
dams and soon had the place In a consloeraot
stoto ~ commotion for we were received in about
Tie same spirit as we exhibited by all who wer'
visible about the camp. Then an Hrupuon o
visitors was not an every day occurrence. ,
With our party went 11r. Van Nrankin, IN
botel-keeper of the town of Omega. he was I'M
hero of our first adventure, as he came near penn
niunged head first into the abyss On our aIrlva
~ tie camp we had dismou--ss and tied GU
horses TO some trees near the boardlng-house INA
is all except Van VranlIin who being 9ioer INA Hi
hoTes had Jagged behind executing numerou
elaborate zigzags on the face of the mountain =,
When Van arrived we were al ouu neaI III
,,orre az the chasm. Seeing us with caTpente
Who was an old acquaintance, van rode dlrecti
NM 70 orr party Shaking hands with his friend h
5ismonntcd. and stood talking with his bride o
"is van had n shepherd dog he highly priced an
This dog had come with him on the TAP, as n
and te horse Van rode were lnsepaIaoI@ oonlpaII
lons Had the dog been left at nome TIC "0ui
nave cried his heart OUT
Now il so happened that there were. two 0
three COWS kept at the camp; ana one OIL tnese M
calf that was kept IN W. PED pen near and d 9%
6Sntod his dog began prospecting the camI
HIont tho first thing that attracted his attentlo
was the calf, and he went 70 the pen TO see ~, m
No sooner however, had he reached the pc
han bc was discovered by the mother OF the cal
Tbe cow charged with snort OF wrath, ana tt
,nS turned tail and fed toward his friend u
Seeing the yelping dog coming with the cow
hill chase the horse was startled ana tnroW! ~
bis head M began backing dlTecuY toward VI
rink If the precipice. The more Van pulled u
ngher the horse threw his head ana 1e rs lr% n1
backed. In running eackward tne lids Us sP;dir
along on the carpet Of pine needles, quite una"a
of the near proximity of the preoipice.
@Look out! " Let 90 the horse :" Look out +
the canon!" cried dozen voices, YET van me ne
on Having been engaged in CONVERSATION 1ro
the moment of his arrival, he had not look'
about him. and little thought he was so near We
teal preclplce over seven nunuIeu iect hleH
NOT needing the bs bel of voices roaring at hiI
Van still pulled at mis- horse. which caused u
animal 10 pull back all the more stubbornly, goil
souarely 10 the edge pf the chasm.
Let 90 the horse for Christ's sake!" ye'
she carpenter at the same time making rush I
Van and grabbing him by the coatrtails At Q
very instant he did so the horse went over .
brow of the clin, the bride luckily slipping o
of Vans hands
The horse seemed to cling to the brink fra
tion of a second by his fore feet, and then disa
peared No sooner had the horse tumbled IN
Tho abyss than the dog ran TO the verge and wit
ont an instant's hesitation leaped over after hi
All was over so quickly that Van hardly rel
lied what had happened and would have r
To the brink of the chasm 10 look after his hoT
and dog had not his friend the carpenter held hi
and told him of the danger Van said afterwa
he thought all the time the fuss was about sol
little gully