The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-23
OWED FROM PECOS BRIDGE
A COWBOYS PLUNGE or MORE THAN
THREE HUNDRED FEET,
Fred Darmon was Challenged TO no u ~
Proof OF HIS Love for = Texas GirI-hany Per-
sons who Say They Saw the Reckless Peat.

sons who say They Saw the Reckless Peat.
From the 81. Louis Globe Democrat.
FoRT CLARK. Tex. Sept. I2.-The great bridge
constructed by the Sunset Railroad across tho
Pccos River. In western Texas. IA very nearly
the %loftiest structure Of the kind In the world.
4 few days ago this pecos bridge was the scene
OF one Of the most remarkable occurrences ever
witnessed.
Miss Lena Riners. the only daughter OF =
prosperous ranch owner and cattleman In the
Rio Grande valley. is one OF the ~prettiest girls
IN western Texas and has many admirers.
Among the young men who we're attracted by
the beauty and many accomplishments Of this
very lively Texas girl none was more earnest
and persistent In pressing his suit than Fred A.
Darmon, who il a very respectable cowboy II
the Western plains. on last Sunday some NE
teen or twenty young men and young girls, the
so ms and daughters OF ranchers In the neiRh-
borhood. went TO the Pecos River bridge for the
purpose Of enjoying a picnic. Among tho gay
crowd were Lena Riners and several Of her adj
mirers. The young girl on this occasion was
In one Of her happiest moods and especially
attractive. Fred A.. DarmOn had failed 10 sa-
cure the enviable favor Of esCOrtiug the Young
lady TO the picnic grounds. but he kept Gloss
enough to her to annoy a morc fortunate rlyaI
and 1t was not long before he found an oppor-
tnnity to press his suit. Mi~s Riners herself.
~ klttN Va lt0'iN'H aiu NtNllllll lf-fl W
tells how It all happened, for she has not yet re-
covered from hcr fright
Il was in the utmost terror" she SAYS. FOR
a long time after the dreadful occurrence,
for fear that Fred had suffered some fatal
injury. II he had been killed | know .hatl
never could have recovered from the shock.
Tor my conscience would have accused me y
having been the cause of h~ death. II was all
brought about BY a Jest. loved fred-l9yed
occurred To Inc that the proper moment had
arrived for me To admit the fact TO him lie
was always accompanied by such a woe-beguns
look that somehow ! fooli-hly enjoyed his
great perturbation. Fred and | had strayed
away from the crowd. and while ] was asking
questions about the great bridge he vas con-
stantly. annoying me with earnest p%rotcstl-
mock anger I said. oh, Fred. can't YOU talk
about something elseE You boys are all alike.
You have the same old story to tell Why
don't YOU do something TO prove all this stun
you are continually talking abOuti
" hat shall do?' he asked 1 replied: on.
| don't know. There are no lions here 10 XIII.
Go to war or jump OFF of that bridge up there
4 we'll remember now how he looked, though
| thought nothing OF it at the time, when lie
jump of that BRIDGE ] unthinkingly an
sweTed. 'Of course / would At that moment
our chaperon called rs 10 come to camp. and /
thought no more OF the matter until we missed
Fred. Upon looking around one Of our party
exclaimed. Why. yonder II Fred, up OH he
bridge. A prCmOnltiOn OF something terrible
at once arose la my mind and | felt a choking
sensation in my throat.
Al eyes were nj once turned TOWARD ths
dizzy heights OF the bridge, and YOU can I'M
agine our feelings when We saw lred throw
Of his coat and hat and step up on the railing.
saw him waving hs hands ana throwing
OF his form a. he plunged headiong thrui IN
the air. My eyes closed in terror and ! fell
upon the ca ia senseleSs,
Another member of the party. MIR. John
Addison, who was present, tells the remainder
Of the story He says: Il saw Darn on jump
from the bridge. | supposed that he had sud
denly become insane and ! stood Iaralvyed
with terror. standing on the railing more than
one hundred wards above the water he looked
like a little boy . or 8 years old. In descending
through the air his body appeared TO double
M and for a second or more assume the ~ ape
Of a bal, A. be n ne, ID ne Mates q Tie teGos
most, with the palms Of his hands together
in front Of his, head. after the manner Of al!
accomplished diver. ] ran tow ard the bank Of
the river, which was only a few steps away.
and reached the brink Of the stream just in time
10 ace the desperate boy disappear beneath the
dead and I supposed that his body would be
simply a liIfe mas ., Of ,ms sr% 4Iocs feb sbo and i. broken
in depth. While | was hurriedly throwing on
my coat and shoes, to my. utter amazement
plunged into the stream. hoping to rescue him
II possible. A. long jump and two or thres
strokes brought me to his side Just in
assistance, and we easily dragged the body of
nnT friend 10 inc HnOTP. ne WIS apparently
IiYTeless, hIt we ali fell to rubbing him, and, after
a few minutes he gasped for breath. in the
course Of some invent give OF thirty minutes
thing about Miss Lena Riners. The love-sick
scamp had spoiled our picnic, and, being mad
enough e. him D TO have s ts5sdh SI h sga,! ! Ta Mi,S
a laugh. -are talking Of giving Fred medal for
being the greatest bridge jumper or high diver in
ton for being the biggest fool in western TeVas.'
The two lovers recovered their senses about
the same time and there was a httle scene that
them. Miss Riners was greatly and certainly
most agreeably surprised when she found her
self able TO sit NJ and was told that Fred was
alive and unhurt. HE must have wings. she
said. The foolish lover was as persistent AZ
ever, though he was hardly able TO move When
were; will you marry me now. 1ena?' Every
body heard the reply: Yes, am readyto marry
you at any moment, bu,, trrd' am AFRAID ma,
who know him best say that he Il a very sensi-
bic Young man. He Is industrious; temperate
and honest. and in every way worthy NJ the 80
Unable Young lady whose heart he had won
long before he made his foolish jump from the
pecOs bridge.
When the story Of this extraordinary occur
renee was first reDeated in Del Rio and other
towns near the, Pecos, .peonle laughed about
II an treated II with Indifference. but since
then Mrs. Merry. the chaperon of the picnic
party. and other estimsble ladies and gentle;
men who witnessed, Mr.. D9rmon's won,erfnl
make an am 'avit substantiating the facts as
they have stated them. There IS no room 70
doubt the word Of such people. Fe1eriCk
A. Darmon most certainly jumped from The
Pe,os bridge into the river and he II alive 10
tell the story Of his foolish feat.
From the ground below n full grown man
stan'ing on top ~ the Pecos bri &c looks Ike
"A small boy. Railrosd trains run very SLOWLY
while crossing the lofty structure an few
people are capable Of summoning s%uftCient
courage to take a second look from the windows
Of the passenger coaches. With the exception
Of the stone pillars upon which the great steel
columns are placed, the whole hri &c Ia COM
pose I OF iron and steel. II is one Of the sights
Of the Sunset road and travellers from every
part Of the world often stop 10 look az II. Great
engineers regar1 II "a one Of tho grandest
triumphs of mechanical genius TO be credited
10 the nineteenth century, IL is believed that
II will Withstand the action Of the elements for
many centuries.