The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-10-25


v v and fright at the canons
which yawned beside him
as he went up the trail haunted by an
uncomfortable impulse 10 fling him
self into the abyss, Horace y. Seayer
found himself physically and mentally
unable to undertake the descent Of
Mount Wilson, and was put under the
influence Of an anacsthetic and carried
down on a litter Seaver is a graduate
Of a noted Eastern university, stu
dent Of geology and botany, lover OF
the sublime In nature, but withal a
very modest as well as a very nervous
young man.
On Saturday. August 10, Scayer
started up the trail astride a burro.
For the first five or six miles OF the as
cent Seaycr's love Of the picturesque
and the scientific was abundantly re
litcd. Climbing higher. there came
upon his senses that peculiar G.ddiness
that the rarcfcd air OF great altitude
produces on some delicately organized
temperaments The trail began TO mar
row and wind its tortuOus way about
the sheer wall OF mountain, and be
meath yawncd canons gaping out like
pits OF death.
II was here that Scaycr began to ex-
Derience that strange phenomenon Of
the mind which frequently lays hold
upon those who stand on the dizzy
Drccipices, impclling them to fling
themselves into the depths beneath.
Pursued by this terrible desire, reel
ing with dizziness at the depths which
opened ut his side and trembling in
every limb, Seavcr clutched his saddle
bows With his face avcrted from the
chasms ne chung with might and main
10 his burro, and was carried the two
remaining miles into camp by the sure
footed beast, suffering the while all
the mental torture and agOnics Of
which an imaginative mind is capable.
Even on the pleasant plateau, with
It's white tents and their cheerful Oc-
cupants, Seavcr's compOsurc failed to
return. Every view tended To lnten-
slfy the strain upon his oyerwrOught
nerves. by Sunday afternoon his con
/
knew that IT would be physically i'm
possible for him to undertake the
downward journey alone. Guides
were available ut the. camp, but he
could not bring himself TO endure the
mental torture Of looking once more
upon the sights that had wrought such
havoc upon his Imagination. The fear
| that the dreadful impulse to leap into
4 space would seize upon him once more
! and lead TO his sclf-destruction was
ever present in his agitatcd brain.
1t was while confronted with these
conditions, yet realizing that the de-
scent was inevitable sooner or later,
that Soaver hit upon the most novel
of recorded plans for escaping the
dreaded danger while in transit.
Word was sent to the foot of the trail,
and telephone message forwarded
to Pasadena summOning DR. Charles
Lockwood TO the mountain ton and re-
qucsting him to bring the necessary
hclD to carry man down TO its base.
II was late in the evening when the
doctor received the call, and it was i'm
possible to go up the trail before the
following morning. other men were
communicated with and requested tc
supply the men and a stretchor
Early Thursday morning Dr. Lock
wood and three assistants started M
the Wilson trail upon burros, packing
upon one beast litter such as is used
10y the Red Cross ambulance corps. At
the top OF the trail ana before enter
ing the camp, the litter was left out OF
.ght. SO as to avoid causing any sen
sation among the people.
After brief talk with SCayCr, DR.
Lockwood administered to him suili
cicnt dose OF ether to rCudCr him par
TALLY unconscious. He was taken 10y
the arm and quickly led out of camp
but by the time he had reached The
litter the drug had taken effect and h,
collapsed. His limp form was placed
upon the StretCher. and. with n Stronl
man holding the handles 81 either en-,
he was carried down the first two miles
of the trail The way was steep anC
the burden heavy. but the third maj
altcrnated with his fellows at the han
dies. and good speed was made.
After that part of the way whiCl
had made such an impression upoi
Seavcr's mind had been passed he wa
allowed 10 come out from under tn,
influence of the anaesthdc. The dru'
seemed to have quicted his nerves. an,
he was able to sit up and soon L
walk. With man on either side o
him he walked down the remaining
miles of the trail and was driven 4
this city.-San Francisco Call