The evening times., 1898-07-25
A NAahoW ESCAPE.
The CapsisiuHs q = Dsat In m Ala
Kan RlyertI1peaaSlS = Man.


The CapsistuG 81 = Dsaf In m Alas
kan nleiversIMDssaSisa . Man.
New York. Jdiy A-Ffpm Seattle.
WASH, comes the remarkable story OF
the escape 3rom death of Al. Pope. of
Illinois. 3ae was impftsoned for three
days. ustA no$aise - sax 9TH granite
wallis 1.6oG feet high aboveSflu. Pope
went to yaiedes. Alaska. last March, and
lost hisNoutfit by the upssstinE of a boat
in the Tasalena River: On returning to
valedes he hired Quito United States
army officers. WIN party of soldiers
who were trying TO find a summer route
to the Inferior he5 struck East until he
reached Lou Riv a swift stream not
stream. and finally came to a canyon
six miles long and walled up high.
At p. n1.,- on, May q. the exciting
ride down tie unknown canyon COM
menced. For two miles they shot
along at a terrific speed. passing hair,
raising curves and having narrow ess
capes from death on sharp rocks. Sud-
denly they saw rock-studded rapids
ahead They could not stop their raft.
and. banging, up against the rocks 1t
was swept over.
At the foot of the rapids was q 16-f.o.
jump. The raft plunged into the pool
and was dashed upon 4 big rock. II
turned over completely and broke. The
men were thrown into he water. All
save Pope succeeded in catching places
of the broken raft.
An undertow kept Pope under longer
than the rest. and the raft, with the
soldiers clinging to 1t. was far down the
stream when he came to the surface, all
but drowned.
Pope succeeded in reaching the ledge of
rock that was q few feet long and just
wide enough to give a foothold. The day
was dismal. and Pope was drenched with
icy water. Granite walls lowered above
him. 1,500 feet, with hardly foothold
IN the rock for the first hundred feet
above his head.
To plunge into the stream was madness.
Pope paced his narrow prison. Night
brought no relief. He was afraid to lie
down for fear OF falling into the stream.
All night he tramped up and down the
five feet of rock.
Day found Pope in a worse plight than
before. Hunger was added to his other
troubles. Night brought a cold rain. He
waved his arms and stamped his wet feet
to keep up circulation. At noon on the
third day in the canyon II ray Of sun
light gave him hope. He determined to
try once more to climb the wall. He had
attempted II time and again. only to fall
back bruised and bleeding. He began
hacking at the bushes which nature had
left on the rocy ledge. He tore of ten
bushes, and with his suspenders lashed
them together. He was weak from loss
of sleep and lack OF food. For seventy
feet the rock went up almost perpendic-
ularly Pope himself cannot explain how
he hung his ladder on the jutting points
of rocks and clambered up. A single slip
of the ladder or a misstep. no matter how
slight, meant death.
At times ne was forced to make fright
full swings, but the ladder. made with
nervous haste, never failed II took him
more than an hour to reach the top.
When he finally got out he was so weak
that II was hours before he was able to
commence the thirty-mile walk TO
Valedes.
Great was his surprise when. week
after the accident he finally reached the
soldier camp to find all the bluecoats
there uninjured. They had been thrown
up on the opposite bank. about 200 feet
below the rapids. Hard climbing brought
them to the top OF the canyon in safety.
and early next morning the reached
Valedes. They thought Pope was drown
ed.