The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-04-15
soeslnc AN EAGLES NEST.
-. psnrerons Adve.ssve nj = Naturalist
In the Alps

- dangerous Adv~assve nj Naturalist
In the Alps
A. Grohman. an Englishman. was
...xinr his annual vacation In the Ty-
M when he was told that pair Of
-,Iaen eagles had been ravaging one
y the Valleys and were supposed 10
AVE their eyry on n certain mountain.
.sir Al the first opportunity he SCI
.wr.d the services Of several wood-cnt-
,srs and started BE- fore daylight. mean
,r~. II posi- BILE 20 secure the young bird
| whieh was believed TO be then in the
a,<t. They assembled the mountain. and
| cooking over the edge OF the perpendc-
| ujar elf could see a ledge about a hun
| iresi feet below them. The party con
| .steI ~ nine men. including Mr. Groh-
. man. One Of them remained Mt the ton.
While the other eight lowered them.
..Ircs II the ledge by means Of rope.
Here they fastened the fifty-fashom
talf-inch rope TO the stump 81 a tree,
6red a block 81 wood against the edge
IL THE clin for the rope 20 run over.
fa>-rncd m iron hook in crevice 81
TIE rocks. and prepared 10 lower Mr.
Grnhnan - the eyry, which could be
.een FAR below them
strong lether belt was fastened
ronrsl III, waist. with an iron ring In
irur ,hrou-h which the rope passed
~ the end Of the rope n stout piece
y r,rd was knotted. and on this Mr.
Grotfnan seated himself astraddle.
with rifle on his back. a revolver ir
hs pocket big knife in his belt. and
slonE pole IN his hands. he was ready
n start. Five men took hold Of the
nrc. while the other two lay Nat upor
the rocks. rides in hand. looking over
'he edge ~ the cliff. n the old bird
shorld attack the intruder. his life
would depend on those two rifles
~ lad been on such expeditions be
farc- hut a lie swung of into space,
,he prndigious height had nj first sort
II paralyzing effect upon his mind
Little Nv little the feeling wore off, anc
non he was really enjoying the sensa
slNn ~ hanging on rope scarcely big
rer than mans finger over an abyss
Yearly Thousand feet in depth.
The descent lasted ten or fifteen min.
s'eS- Then he found himself opposite
the eagles ledge. and jerxcd the signal
line. lie was ten or twelve feet from
tie ledge. but with his pole. which had
hook At one end. he was able 10 draw
himself in. and presently was looking
cautiously over the edge Of the nest
which. to his astonishment. contained
r9t one eaglct. but two.
One If them. not without some live
iFetforts, he put into the canvas bag
which he had brought for the purpose:
'he other he finally managed to secure
~ running a moose over its feet lie
tri the bag 10 the signal-cord. ar
ragged himself on his wooden seat.
;pox the second bird in his left hand
ani gare the signal
The men on the ledge above. contrary
~ ir~trrctionS gave vigorous pull.
which vrenched the pole ont Of Mr.
s,ruham's hands. and sent him away
'rpm the cliff At frightfuI pace. The
retr,-ralc movement was likely &c
lash him against the rock with deadly
| force
There was but one thing 10 do. and
" had presence 81 mind enough 70 dc
NJ He tilted the upper part 81 his body
backward and his legs forward. and
. struck the rock with his feet. with nc
| worse result than a paralyzed feeling
. nhis legs and witching sensation in
| his back and loins.
Just then = dark object flashed past
him. ~ near that he felt the rush Of air
| rrdrced BY its fall He supposed II tc
y stone: but presently he perceived
that instead Of being drawn upward he
va quite stationary. One hour passed.
ihen two hours. and still he swung
there at the end Of the rope. The day
vas far advanced: the old eagles were
likely 70 return at AIRY minute. To add
y his misfortuneS- sharp thunder
sorm came on, we.ting him 10 the
SIN. and nearly binding him with
Erhtning.
AZ last. when he had thus hung be.
tseen Heaven and earth for more thar
'aree hours he felt = tug upon the rope
znd in fifteen minutes was 1t the tor
With his two prizes
u turned out that the falling object
vas the block over which the rope had
I'M This Il was necessary 70 replace.
~ the rope should be cut BY the sharT
sa<e Of the rock. and the long delay
lad been occasioned BY the necessity
q sending the one man 1T the tor
Gown 20 the base Of the peak 20 fell .
sQung tree, and make second block.
lie was returning with the BLOCK
Wien the thunder-shower overlook
~ fash Of lightning struck
e'wlser close by. and threw him sense
~ 70 the ground II the lightning
al struck him instead Of the bowlder.
NJ 6rohman's situation would have
pfrn serious indeed Probably the
.nole party would have starved e