The San Francisco call., 1905-06-07
Charles A. Bailey of Oak
land Falls in Trying to
Reach Top of Ell Captain
BODY is RECOVERED
Visitors to Yosemite Horri-
fled by Fate of Wealthy
Lover of the Big Valley
Special Dispatch to The Cali.

YOSEMITE, June Sword was
brought to the village late last night
by J. C. Stats of Mount Vernon,
Ohio, that Charles A Bailey OF Oak
land. and a prominent Sierra Club
member, had fallen OF a precipice TO
his death.
Bailey and Stats tried to make a
record climb up the face of a cliff
west of Ell Captain They started early
this morning up the almost perpendicu-
lar face of the cliff where there is no
trail and where man has never placed
foot before About o'clock they had
feet of ascent and had halted for
breath. Bailey was sitting on a mar
row shelf and Stats was clinging to
the face OF the rock below. Suddenly
Bailey began to slide. He shot down
ward few feet to Stats left. and fell
headlong out of sight, striking his
head several times before he disap-
peared.
Stats was rror-stricken, but gath
ering courage he climbed down to a
point where he found Bafley,s hat and
a blood-bespattered rock. Further
than this he was unable to go. and he
could not gain sight OF the body. By
almost superhuman efforts he made his
way to the top alone and at last
reached the village Stats was al
most prostrated by the physical and
mental strain when he arrived here,
but he wanted to return at once.
I Early this morning Warden Harlow
and DIR. Martin H. Fischer Of San Fran
cisco. with a large force Of smen,
started with Stats for the scene OF the
tragedy.
This is the first fatality to a tour
list ever recorded here. Bailey had just
returned from a fourteen months trip
around the world. during which he
had climbed the Matterhorn and other
mountains He has visited Yosemite
for sixteen consecutive summers and
was the discoverer of Sierra Point. He
was an Indefatigable mountain
climber, though SO years Of age Stats
is about % years old
The party searching for the body OF
Baily located 1t at IL o'clock to-day. j.
A Smell Of Calistoga and H. Spauldtng
and F. Curry, of Palo Alto, were lowered
by a rope 600 feet and by 1 o'clock had
brought the corpse to a point where 1t
could be taken by others. The body was
badly mangled and most of the larger
bones were broken. II Is being embalmed
and will be sent to his home In Oakland.
OAKLAND, June e--Charles A.
Bailey who met a sudden death while
was one of the best known real estate
dealers of Alameda County for many
years. He was a native of Wisconsin,
and came TO California in the early
sixties. From 1861 to 1873 he held the
position of cashier for Huntington,
Hopkins & Co.. of Sacramento. In the
latter year he came to this city and at
once invested his entire fortune in
Berkeley real estate. which. as 1t in
creased in value, gave him an ample
competence.
He was an enthusiastic lover of the
Yosemite Valley He wrote several
articles descriptive of its beauty. and
there is now awaiting publication
book on the valley written by him.
Bailey began his last trip to the VAL
ley on May 81. He had often, despite
his age, expressed a desire to scale the
face of Ell Captain. AS yet ii Is not
known whether he lost his life In an
attempt to do so.
Bailey resided with his family at 1887
Harrison street. He leaves a widow.
Mrs. Alice B. Bailey. two sons, Ray
mond and Bryant, and daughter, Miss
Cora Bailey.