The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-30
ADVENTURE IN THE PARK.
Gallant Tourists Endeavor to Sc
cure a Lady's Watch From
the Water.
BY Loosing His Foothold He
Tumbled Down Into the
River.
Drawn by the Swift Current Into q
whirlpool Battling for Life Under.
meath the Water.

SAN Francisco, Sept. 29.-The San Jos
News says that III. r. Hodgson. of Sai
Jose, recently returned from a trip full o
adventure TO Yellowstone park. Mr.. Hodg
son was accompanied from Leavenworth
Kan. by a party of five friends, two ladiel
and three gentlemen, and the tourists On
ioyed a camping trip through Yellowstone
park.
The Journey to the park WAS made b,
way of the Rio Grande, and it was DURING
this portion of the trip that an adventure
occurred. One of the ladies, while look
ing over a precipice, dropped her gold
watch from a pocket on her breast, in which
she carried it loosely. Ths watch dropped
into a clear, deep pool OF the edge OF the
river, where it could be plainly diseerned
from above as it lay on the bottom. One
Of the party, an active man named u. ).
Crosby. immediately determined to go
down and get the watch.
The undertaking was not an easy one,
however. for the bluff extended in an al
most unbroken line along this portion of
the river, and it was some distance before
a point was reached where a descent was
at all practical. There the precipice was
lower and more shelving. The rsins were
then removed from the harness of the
horses. and by tying them together and
piecing them with rope they were made
long enough TO aid the others in the party
in lowering G. osby to the sandy bank Of
the river.
There was still mneh trouble. however,
In reaching the pool in which the watch
had fallen. Numerous steep rocks had to
be scaled and in some places it was neces-
ssry to wade deep pools of water.
where there was no sandy shore be-
tween the steep bluff and the edge
of the river. At last the gallant
Iescuer of the time piece from its
watery grave reached the spot and easily Sc.
cured is by diving down. The ticker proved
to be in much deeper water than was sup
posed, and tbs fall through the yielding
fluid to the sand prevented it from being In
the least damaged. The watch was still
running when it was lifted dripping from
the pool.
MI. Crosby then had before him the diff
foult task of returning to the point where
he had been lowered in order that he might,
with the assistance of the rein. again reach
the path on the top of the bluff. He feared,
however, to carry the watch back, rs it
might fall out of his rocket in the rough
scrambling that he was compelled to do
over the boulders. Accordingly a cord was
lowered from above, whore the ladies of the
party had remained, and after tying the
end of it to the timepiece the latter was
safely pulled up to it's owner.
1t now remained for MIR. Crosby to re-
turn to the place whence he came in order
TO make q complete success of the rescue of
the watch. He was not SO fortunate, how
ever, in his return to the shelving rock as
he had been on the trip away from it. In
In lowering himself from one boulder to
another, his feet slipped at the same time
that some sharp edges of rock compelled
him to loosen his hold with his hands, and
he fell with a splash into the river. But
Mr.. Crosby is a n expert swimmer, and
he was not hut in the fall the mishap
would not have been a serious one if it had
not been for the fact that a swift current
carried him Immediately to q point where
there WAS a whirlpool.
Crosby was we'll known to be q .remarka.
BILE swimmer and his mishap did not cause
the least alarm among his companions who
beheld it from the bluff above. In a mo-
ment. however. they we're Mortified to see
him disappear from sight in a pool that az
peared from above to be almost still. So
clear was the water, however. that they
could see the swimmer seemingly rendered
powerless in his efforts and drawn as If by
some force into the center of the bottom of
the pool and then out of sight. 1t was evil
dent that there was opening into which the
unfortunate man had been sucked seem
ingly to his death.
With as much expedition rs possible the
two remaining men III tho party clambersd
to the point on the river opposite to where
Crosby disappeared. During the hasty
scramble one of them fell, spraininR his
right ankle and b~ruising his right arm con-
siderably. They made their way along the
rive.'s edge as rapidly as possible, but they
saw nor heard nothing of Crosby till they
had reached a point about 100 feet below
where he Disappeared. A low moaning
attracted their attention. 1t came from a
point in the river that was hidden from
them by a boulder.
With difficulty the searchers reached the
boulder after wading several deep pools of
water, and lowering each other at various
points with the rein that they had fortune
ately brought with them. Before they
reaehsd the boulder the moaning that they
had heard ceased, and upon looking over
the steep point of rock they beheld Crosby
almost unconscious. but still ~clinging to
the boulder. They reached him just in
time. In another second his hold would
have loosened and he would have been
dashed to death against a rock by tine
swift current.
otco1y Wac AcW sHOOSuiCbs AHA liz
helpless, and it was the work of hours be-
fore the party finally reached the camp
above with their unfortunate companion.
That night when lie fully recovered con-
seriousness he gave an involuntary shudder,
the horror of his situation and narrow es-
cape having produced a terrifying impress
sion on his mind When he told his story
it was little wondered at by the hearers
that he was 10 badly frightened even at the
thought of his narrow escape. Certainly
few men have come so near q horrible
death without meeting it.
IL seems that after entering the pool he
WAS sucked into a winding passage through
the rocks. So suddenly was Crosby rushed
into this terrible situation that the fright
almost threw him into insensibility. but
his excellent swimming Instincts led him to
exert himself just sufficiently to avoid strik-
ing against the rocks HI he passed through.
Like many good swimmers, he was ablo to
keep his eyes open and see under water, and
the faint light derived from occasional
openings in the rock above enabled him to
discern the various windings in the passage.
After emerging from the opening Crosby
prasped the rock to which he was found
clinging by his companions. After telling
his story he declared that the more he
thought about his adventure the more terri
flying 1t seemed to him, as in the hurry and
eXCltement of the mamept nf ito o.o,rrano,