Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-09-16

Former AblIeneite Nearly Killed IN
the Hills.

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inc over cliff on the rocky sides Of
Mount Elinor, near Lake Cushman'
lis body bounding from crag to crag
and tumbling down the steep SIDES
81 the mountain for a distance q
zoo feet or more until caught by W.
j Patterson, and yet escaping without
4 broken bone or serious injury -
the experience that Fred J. Baker
resident Of this city but formerly
~ Abilene underwent last Sunday
afternoon. BADLY battered and bruis-
ed from head to foot with his head In
6andages and suffering much pain
Mr.. Baker was brought to this CITY
Yesterday afternoon in Mr.. Patter-
sons automobile and his injuries at
tended to by a physician.
Last Sunday morning an Aberdeen
marty consisting of Mr.. and MIS-
James Fuller, Mr.. and Mrs. Baker
Miss May FIenner of Abileui, MT.
Paterson ana Cyrus and H. j. full-
or started from the hotel az Lake
Cuehman to climb Mount ElinoT, 500
feet in height. For a portion OF the
distance the climb was comparatively
easy but the latter part OF It was
steep and precipitous and when with
in a few hundred feet of the top some
Of the party gave up the climb after
making arrangements to meet the
others, retraced their steps, while Mr..
and Mrs. Baker, Cyrus Fuller and Mr..
Patterson pushed on toward the sum
NIT which they reached about S:4O
O'Clock.
After a stay Of perhaps 15 min
utes at the summit the descent was
begun. AS they slowly wended their
way down the mountain Mr.. Fuller
took the lead, followed by Mr.. Pat
terson, with Mr.. Baker and Mrs.
Baker bringing up the rear In the
order named.
on the sides OF the mountain there
are great deposits Of soft shale and
while passing through one OF these
Mr.. Baker attained too great mo-
mentum and finally pitched forward
on his face. Both Mr.. Patterson and
Mr.. Fuller who were in the advance,
saw the fall and stiffened themselves
to catch the body. A second after
ward, however, they were Mortified to
see Baker strike a projecting rock
and with the momentum which he
had gained his body rebounded and
plunged backward over a steep cliff,
Hastily scrambling to the edge Of the
cliff Mr.. Patterson saw Baker
tumbling down the mountain, rolling
over and over and bounding from
crag to crag like an inert mass.
Dropping his camera, Mr.. Patterson
plunged over the precipice and land
ing on soft bed of shale literally
Jumped down the mountain, all the
time gaining on the tumbling body
in front until, lust as Baker shot ont
onto a long expanse Of shale where
he would have sped downward like
a pIummet to almost certain ami
hilation he was seized by Mr.. Pat
terson, who caught Bakers clothing
and dragged him to safety.
Baker was unconscious but no
bones were broken. BY the liberal
application of snow Mr.. Baker was
revived and after a, short rest Mr.,
Patterson compelled him to walk
down the mountain until the remain
ing members Of the party we're reach
ed and finally the entire party reach
ed the hotel, where the injured man
was attended to and such aid as
could be given him administered.
Early yesterday morning the party
left the hotel for this city, arriving
here about 4 o'colck yesterday after
noon. 1t was found necessary to
take several stitches in the scalp
wounds OF which there are three.
Mr.. Bakers arms are literally beaten
black and blue and there are several
deep gashes in his left arm and in
fact all portions Of his body. That
he was rendered unconscious by the
first fall is probably due his escape
from broken bones as his body was
inert and thus bounded harmlessly
from the crags 1t struck.
Mr. Bakers escape from death Il
regarded as miraculous.
A letter from Miss May Flenner
who is visiting in Aberdeen says that
the above account is correct and thai
1t was almost a miracle that Fred es
capped death.