Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-15
A TERRIBLE FALL.
Mrs. Johns Goes Over a Preci-
pice in the Yosemite.
Goes Down 300 Feet, Landing on a
Narrow Ledge.
Heroic Rescue Party With Difficulty
Save Her.

yosemite Valley, Cal, July 14.-Mrs
Johns of New York city, who has beef
staying in the valley for a few days
was found, today, in a deep crevass
back of Sentinel Dome.
| Yesterday, she started from GlacIe
Point Hotel to walk to Fissures, located
some two miles from the hotel and die
not return, last night. Searching par
ties started out, today. and one O
them made a discovery which filled tn,
spectators with horror.
Far down the Sentinel fissure, whose
crevasses drop in some places for thou
sands of feet, suspended on ledge thai
1utted out from the steep side, the al.
most lifeless form of Mrs. Johns was
| round by Mr.. Potter, a hotel clerk
| She was too weak to speak, but was
| able by signs to make Potter under.
| stand she still lived. Potter tried In
| vain to work his way down the noun
| tain side to her, but he was forced to
go to the hotel for help.
Provided with plenty of ropes and
carrying stretcher, a party of eight
made it's way back to the crevasse
where the work commenced of trying
to extricate Mrs. Johns from her dam
gerous situation. DR.. Maurice A..
Brown of Alameda, accompanied the
relief party, and will render any assist
ance possible.
Mrs. A. e. Johns is a woman of some
prominence in New York City, where
her husband is now. She expected to
start soon for Japan
The relief party found Mrs. Johns
position to be critical in the extreme.
Her escape from a frightful death had
been nothing short of miraculous. She
had fallen a distance of 300 feet from
the crevasse walls and had partially
broken her fall by catching at juniper
bushes and scrub trees as she plunged
through their branches.
After the ropes We're lowered, Mr.
Potter descended to examine the ground
and to get Mrs. Johns from her peril
Gus position. There, lodged upon two
foot ledge, with her clothing torn to
fragments and her flesh scratched and
bruised, lay Mrs. Johns, weak from ex-
haustion and lack of food and benumb-
ed by the frosty night.
With difficulty the rope was secured
around the womans waist and an effort
made to help her to the rim above. This
proved futile because of Mrs
Johns weight. BY leaning over the
abrupt edge of the precipce Mr. Potter
could discern another and larger ledge,
100 feet below, from which there was
a sheer drop of hundreds of feet. He
determined to try this plan of rescue.
Giving the order to those above to lower
the rope Mr.. Potter swung the inami-
mate form of Mrs. Johns out from the
tiny strip of rock upon which she had
braced herself for Is hours and by
swinging the rope to and fro, Mr.. Pot
ter was able to lodge the body of Mrs.
Johns on the larger ledge.
He then went down himself. Calling
to one of the mountain guides above.
Mr.. Potter had him descend by the rope
to the ledge upon which he and Mrs.
Johns We're resting. Then the two
picked the woman up and together made
their way around the dangerous lodges
and overhanging precipice beneath,
until, almost worn out they finally
reached the rim above once more.
Mrs. Johns is suffering much from
nervous shock, but no bones were frac-
tured and she will doubtless recover.