The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-07-27

patch that was sent out to the ooun-
cry Friday night In regard to the accl.
dent that occurred that afternoon on
the ouray range OF the San Juan noun
tains. in the heart OF the Rockies,wh
by one person lost her life and Two
others were injured,
The dispatch referred TO gives no
sort of idea whatever of the character
of the accident, nor OF the clrcum-
stances under which tt occurred. It says
nothing about runaway down the
mountains, over narrow road cut out
OF the rocks at height OF four hundred
feet above the bottom OF the canon. nor
OF the fact that the unfortunate team
was one OF several that We're at the
time winding their way down q road
that had declivlty Iof two hundred
and Afty feet 10 the mile. and that the
descent was a unique and picturesque.
but somewhat perilous feature OF a trlp
OF 1000 miles which was that day near
ing It's completion.
Inasmuch as the Associated Press has
thought worth while to send you some
account Of the accident, might as well
employ little OF my enforced leisure Ia
give you the straight OF It, TO several Of
US who were strictly In It, II seems u
marvel In the way Of a h3tr- breadth es-
cape. But OF that fact your readers
shall Judge for themselves when give
them some OF the details OF the occur
renee.
Friday last was the fourth day OF
grand excursion over the Denver and
Rio Grande railroad There were one
hundred and twenty-five in the party,
occupying n Pullman train OF ten cars,
and dining and kitchen car In add
ton. They had been doing the noun
tains and most Of the scenic features OF
the Rio Grandc system In n way that
was novel and highly interesting In
fact. this was the pioneer excursion OF
i It's kind over the line. All had gone
well until the town of Ouray. In the
southwestern part OF Colorado, was
reached, where the eNcurslonists tenn
porarily left their quarters In the cars
for q stage ride over the famous toll
road" rs II Is called-so called because
II was built by private enterprise to
connect Ourny on one side OF the
range, with Siiverton on the other side
distance Of twenty miles, and be-
cause the tolls charged to the mining |
teams and travellers were perhaps the
highest ON record,
The excurslouists arrived at ouray |
early In the forenoon Of Friday, and at
ter visiting the famous Box canon OF
the Uncompahgre river, on the outskirts |
OF the town. took an earlylunch and pre- |
pared 10 mount the stages, wagonettes
and other vehicles which had been |
a. mo-
up the toll rond. along the verge OF the |
Bear Creek canon. 90 Ironton, point !
on the range 1000 feet above Ouray and |
Just at the foot Of peak known as Red |
mountain. halfway between Ouray and |
Siiverton. The procession OF rolling |
stock, as It moved out Of the little cove |
In which Ouray is situated, presented n |
unique appearance with Its old-tlme |
stage, drawn by six gray horses. hand |
led By famous driver. at Its head. |
This was the regular mail stage, and It |
was followed by another Of like charac- |
ter, save as to the color OF the horses. |
Then followed one or two yellow color |
ed open-bodled aud topless stages, and |
after them a string OF wagonettes and |
carriages all strlnglng out for n half
mile, as they took their way up the toll
road
A Dangerous Outlook.
As saw the young and giddy and
more yeHturesome portion of our tour
lists crowding tho stages, inside and on
top. and even the hind boots, the vehi-
Giles seemed to me decidedly overload
ed, and l said to myself that l would
much prefer TO look down into the ca
IaF TNaETh md fFdFn |
behind a less multltudlnous team.
reasoned thnt II slx-horse stage was
safe, when thus loaded, n four-horsc |
wagonette, not crowded, was safer still, |
and so took passage with a number |
OF other old fogy looking people In the |
hindmost vehicle Of the procession, !
black, wide-guagc wagonctte. presided /
over by a sober looking driver OF mo
ture years. and drawn by four stanch |
looking bays. who were displaying no |
anxiety whatever TO be gone on the |
tourney, rs were some Of the stage |
horses. but rather to be hoping that |
their services would not be required |
and that they would be returned 10 the |
stables How dcceitful are appear
anccs; how vain our reasoning from !
first imprcsslonsl As the result turned |
out that afternoon. we had better by |
far have climbed on top OF the mall |
stage, whose white horses were prnnc-
Ing and paving the earth IN their Gag
erness TO get away, and taken seat |
on the top-helyy coach. on the canon !
side OF II. among those who were np-
parently counting Instead OF stunning |
the hazards OF the expedition. That |
was, after ati, the place Of safety, de-
spite all appearances to the contrary, na
compared with the place we selected.
The thing that remember most DIS
tinctly going UP the mountain was o
conyersation on fate and destiny that
started inside The vehicle, az germnno
to our ride. between lady from Puob.
10 aud some other passenger, and that
was participated IN by the Rev pr ~,
lott. Of Philadelphia, whom 1 did not
then know, even by name, going up, |
hut with whom was most literally nnl
Intimately thrown together on our way
down The Pueblo Indy had with her,
under hrr chnperonngc, the young
lady from Illinois, who was Killed on
thnt fntcful descent of ours, and she
was telling NJ her bciicf In The theory |
that all things were appointed to az
hero below our lying down and our
tlslnf upland that, therefore ahe gave
herself no concern on Journey llko |
thla. aa 10 what might happen for good
or evil Or Elliott combatlcd her
ytewa somewhat, being . Methodist !
minister, ana therefore n disciple " free
ngercy. but iherc was no heat of nrgu.
inont whatever when I cmcfgnd from
the wreck " the waRoncttc four houtH
later aud raw poor Dr. Elliott covered
with blood, lylng w tho mud nnd rain
IN he middle VI that mountain tund,
Al