The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-08-08
OVER A PREc|P|cE
Climax to the Reckless Ride OF
Fear ess Horseman.
HIS WILD LEAP IN THE DARK.

Hundred and Fifty Feet to the Rocks
and Water Below, Yet the Man Lived.
Perhaps the most extraordinary fan
that a human being ever survived Is
that described by ThOrmanby In bis
Sporting Stories" The lucky man
was Colonel William Yorke Moore. a
British officer. who rode his horse In
the dark over sheer precipice 247
feet I'm height and came out alive! IL
seems incredible that such a fearful
experience should result In anything
but instant death, yet here are the
facts, which once again confirm the
adago that truth Is more wonderful
than fiction:
Colonel Moore, who commanded the
troops at Dominica, lost his way one
evening after sunset. In complete
darkness he endeavored TO make his
way home. Two or three times he
had difficulty In making his horse
cross obstacles, and at last they came
to something that the horse would not
face.
Colonel Moore was fearless rider
Again and again he rode his horse at
full speed against the unknown obsta-
Gle, but I'm vain. At last, Urged fierce
ly by whip and spuR, the terrified ami
NAL, with a snort Of terror. cleared the
low hedge-for such the obstruction
proved to be-and went over the cliff
Colonel Moore says that during his
flight on horseback through the air
every event OF his whole life seemed
10 pass In luminous panorama be-
fore him. Suddenly there came ter
rife concussion, which deprived him
Of his senses and left him with his
legs In the sel and his body on the
rocks apparently dead
He must have lain there stunned for
some hours, for when at last the lap
ping water am the cool brecZes restor'
cd him the moon was shining brightly
In midheaVen. and It's beams fell upon
the upturned, gHtturlng shoes OF his
gallant horse which lay dead and
mangipd beside him.
As soon as h. had collected his scat
tered wits Colonel Moore coolly began
to examine himself 10 ascertain what
injuries he had sustained He found
that he was everely cut about the
body and hend, that his right ankle
was dlslocated and that his back was
benumbed or paralyzed by the concus-
sion OF his fall
When the SUI rose IL shone upon his
bare, bleeding head with such intol-
erable heat that as a protection from
its rays, he ti"d his cotton handker-
chief about hi forehead. Above his
head projected the two ends of the
knotted bandage stained crimson with
his blood.
After lying in horrible pain for sew
eral hours he spied boatful of ma
tives rowing to yard the spot where he
lay. AS they came near he hailed
them I'm n faint voice. but the mo-
ment they saw the CHASTITY figure of
the colonel, with his bloody hcaddress,
they set up a yell and rowed away as
IL 10000 fends were after them.
After some time a single black man
came clambering over the rocks, In.
tent on catching fish. He was within
few yards OF the colonel when the
latter hailed him. The moment the ne
gro caught sight OF the bleeding head
and the blood stained bandage he, too,
uttered fearful yell, flung down his
rod and line and scrambled or over
the rocks as fast az his feet and hands
would carry him.
The colonel now began to resign him
self to the prospect of lingering
death. but fortunately his English
servant, alarmed at his masters alb
sence, went In search Of him and, fol
lowing the horses tracks at last came
to the edge of the precipice.
The sudden disappearance OF the
hoof prints near the low hedge fence
convinced him that or accident had
happened He ran to the barracks and
got out boat. which party of sol
diers rowed TO the foot OF the cliff
Very tenderly and carefully the sol.
diers lifted the colonel into the boat
and brought him back TO the barracks
For some months he lay In great pain
and danger. but In time the paralyzed
muscles OF his back recovered, and
eventually he was restored to complete
health. Not even the slightest touch
OF lameness remained 10 remind him
OF his fall