St. Landry democrat., 1891-07-25
TERROR ON THE SIERRA.
A TRAVELLER TELLS OF HIS
TERRIBLE RIDE.
a Sle:7.irg Driver and Frightened Horses
on the Down Grade of y Mount
ain Road-A FerilOuS
Leap in the Dark.

Leap in the DARK.
-
C,o n;uht T v-.,- c,o..inr the Sierra
ko,-.1,, j., :, .t.,oa ,y,s tho only
passenger. aboard. and hence had a
io,ol, and l,.,.,,. nfrht of if The |
! lnnr Slow nuu ri thn ascent had con-
,.,,,7,d oil H.. for. ua,.+ of tnc nioht
.,,l ,,,,nh nf ,h. ,,'.,,. mann II was
aho,,+ :, o,.lccr, saws q written in the
D1rnit Crnc pi.n,s when the summit
vos ra,chnd. all unawa,es to either
,,v.o,f ~. thn driver IN front-for in
tha +adio,;.nn.s nf the lnn~ climb, and
the .i1rnre and >clitarincss of the sur
rn,rdinr We bad fallen fast asleep.
| SuddonI,- there WAS = sharp rolling
nf t,c wheel. = violent i0stlinr OF the
.oats and we both "vok. to the cou-
-ciousno.. tj,,;t VIC wore going down
;hn maintain III 4 most frimhtful gait
q ,,,navaz. team in front.
When The down Grade had been
st,ncL III. extraordinarily IA careful
and yipila,,t mna-w;ts 50 fast asleep
that h,~,ljn5 were not applied as
nromn1lv -, necessary; and the horses,
| 5indinr lint tnry were not. under con-
troll with the heavy stage rushing up
on them. became at once frightened
and fled in frantic speed down the
stenn descent.
when the driver first awokc and
raalizod the sitna1ion he was in mid
air having been violently thrown
from his seat. lie had had the lines
vrapned about his hands and wrists,
and holdinv fast unr0nsciouslv he was
heinr inrLol forward in the furious
loans Of the tenn. Yet it was but a
moment or two until he struck the
,-,ognd edo. below the roadway, and
discovered NV situation as | heard
him u1tr, = horrible shrek, and then
, low moan 4, of one in the death
.nonv Nv This time the lower wheels
of 1hr stara were Off the roadway; the
c+orn its.lf was on the edge of the
fo,,frl ,,ro,inicn and thc axle of the
rebi.!a hainn draoue1 along over the
atono wall that supported the lower
.idn of tho road he'd
rho scream Of horror piercinr nv
o.,,.., o,o,,h,siyol the frightful situa-
t;on for tho driver. WAS not ONLY being
doshod to his death as 7 sunposcd. in
, tho d,,l,ne.s below hrt there was the
! s'-r,,1 ,,ossil,;li+, that in tha newt mo-
, n,ont the staon and the horses would
E ro ovo,. the brink and in the dismal,
E Unknown ,bvss of canvon beneath.
c Tho d,;vo,. wa. nu1]ing with all his
> ,,oigbt in tho direction of that ABYSS.
The ha1f-upset stage and the vlgor-
ous forks of the frightened team in
f,,,nt hronoht additional horrors to me.
+ Nevertheless determined to make
! 49,, o4rort IA cav. INV life If possible in
= :, law ,,nw.rd So spranr out oil
!. tho staoa in y dcspcIate lump from the
y l;rbor o;do 7 ~r,chcd the ground in
= .,fntu 1nt not q moment too soon.
-. Tho ct,rs vera hrioht overhead anG
4 ,hrourb an onaniup in the forest trees
g aro,,n6 on aithcr hond I saw the
9 ..,o,1e,.s,, Of tho team making a des
a nor,+e effort TO avoid being pulled
o,,a,. Ill.,, n,.ar;nica the lines still i;
a +ba hands Of the driver below, the mar
n ,liro;nr ia the ribbons with the clutch
# Of death: and the rough stone edge
# ne tho lovcr wall of the roadway hav
incr h1nl,an the speed since the axl,
b,1 to be dranped forciblv over tn,
uneven surface. With swift decision
l. If wind en,v what must he done t.
" ct,v the traoady. 50 jumped to tn
f,oT,+ sa;znl tho loader nv the bridl
ri roin and at once pulled his fac
souora IA tho MINER bank. I thu
!. a4n,,rod tho borcas and kent the stag
~ -, 10 rood
e. R,1+ vbore was the drivero Thi
ge 49,, b,,ror,i,o 4hourh4 now in m
vivid for the mans cries were hushed
IS 1 T an;od aloud for him hut no answe,
he 49, roioo o.,,a in ra,,1v no sound wa
ok baord eva +ha acbo from the opposit
a. ,rnn of tho convo, bavond and tn
Nv f,;l,h+f,,1 nontinr of the trembIin
ho7,.os NOW we'll in nv hands. Apai
and ,na;n criad-loude,. and wide
III ana d.,ono.;n NV distrcss Rut T hea,
10 10Th mo in resnonse save the mockin
ooboos ,nd tho haaviro sound of tt
NJ hoaviro horses II WAS the most te
n;hlo n7omnnt Of INV Hfc-terrible b.
!. 100 a.-;o1,
,e,. '01l(e s,l, ,+,.o,,oo,. fo,, tho navt MI
,l4 ,,o ,1o+bo1, and ctill anoth.
lieiiI S'ilio ''Ho''!'l ''i''' ''A'l
ca with vital cncrrv and a RAILING stru
-, gle. Soon the driver cfa"leo' LID
dead up ,he ps'l't, ous ''t fa U'ls nd ~
nc seclleo ~ pe VI' '.ln, 'o,' "n =
ter only TACT TIC 'i'l!e''pc ~ "pp, o ~, =,
is was MS courage III l'oio-ne? oit -,
g. ilnea N1'i't 'it - w. rnnl,s below,
dragged ABOUT Oh VIC IoSho poio"'