The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-16
THE EDGE OF |EqHRuITY.
A Moment of Fearful Peril
For Six Gay Young
Tobogganers.
SAVED BY PILOT SHERWOOD.
Dashing Down the Winding Road
Near Pohlmann's, They All
But Went Over the
Precipice.

A horrible accident was narrowly
averted on the Heights yesterday after
noon. A tobogganing party consisting OF
half dozen young men and women
came within an ace of dashing down
precl pice 100 feet high and being mangleo
to death on the rocks beneath. The cool
ness and presence OF mind of the young
man who was plotting the crude tobog-
gan alone prevented the catastrophe.
The recent cold spell has frozen hard
the snow which has accumulated on the
winding roadway which runs from
franklin street on the Heights to the fool
of First street. Hoboken. This roadway,
which has been used by vehicles in as
cending the hill, became as smooth as
glass, making IL impossible for vehicle S
and the proprietors OF the elevators, 1ol
teams did a rushing business.
The small boy was not long In discover
ing that the roadway made an admirabl G
spot for robogganing.
THE PERILoUS COURSE.
The adventurous youth would start
from Franklin street down the hill for q
distance of fifty yards aud then turn
down another stretch for a hundred yards
and then turn again, when he would land
Ken. The dexterity with which the
youths turned their sleighs. and i'm
promptu tobOgganS, caused hundreds TO
tand and watch them with bated breath.
But il was very dangerous sport. A1
the second turn there WAS ledge. and II
the course OF the bob" was not dexter
ously turned the sleigh and its occupants
would go over the precipice alongside OF
Pohlman's Hall, which meant sure death
Yesterday afternoon q mcrry party
consisting of three young men and three
young women went on the Hill for sport.
They had big tobogganiand John Sher-
wood of No. 3lS Central avenue acted as
pilot. They made couple OF trips down
the hill without any mishap, but they de
cided TO take one more ride and 1t came
very near being their last.
The bob" started down the hill with
the party of young ladies and gentlemen
, Rbo ard. AT the first turn a high rate { 1
speed was developed, and away the bob
dashed down TO the second turn.
MOMENT OF HORROR.
Nearing the turn the ''Dob" overlook a
the small boys term, and the pilot OF the
bob" was compelled to alter its course u
little. As the ''bob" reached the curve 1t
had attained fearful speed and
the pilot seemed to lose con-
troll OF it. Realizing that
If the "bob" was not quickly stopped it
would 60 over the precipice. Sherwood.
the pilot. threw his arms about great
rock near the edge The young ladies
screamed. and the lnerrymakers on the
hill stood frozer,wlth horror. The 'bob''
was on the extreme edge Of the precipice,
but Sherwood, with his teeth clinched
and the blood squirting from his fingers,
did not relax his hold on the rock and the
"bob' was stopped.
A crowd of people soon gathered. One
of the young ladies, Miss Ssbina Martin,
tainted. but soon revived. Sherwood was
congratula ted on all sides for his pluck
His fingers had been torn by the edges OF
the rock but he was otherwise uninjured
Several of the merry makers after the
accident atte npted to repair the broken
fence which formerly protected the edge
of the precipice. but l. is still in dan
gerous condition.