The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-10-11
HIS FOOLHARDY FEAT.
q Nerve Trying Climb Up the Face of
Steep Precipice.

a Steep Precipice. f
In his book, Trailing and Camping
In Alaska" A. NJ. Powell. Il ~ vern-
ment surveyor. tells how one Of his
party was led into a most hazardous
predicament. He says:
We landed on Il grassy nook at the I
foot OF PERCEPTIONS mountain spur.
After supper one of the trio tried to
rlimb to ledge of Willie spar that /
rould be plainly seen from the camp.
After an hours hard work he reached
the ledge, but 1t proved disappointing.
He then saw that he could not de
scend without eyes in his toes. If he
could ascend a few hundred feet he
might lower himself down draw by
the help of scattering alder brush. He
spent another hour In getting to that
place only to discover a precipice in
the path he had expected to descend
There was another chance left: be
might climb to the top of the spur far
above. No living man could have
chung to the face of that precipice a
minute If it had not been for the moss
that was rooted in the small crevices.
He continued climbing until about
10 O'Clock. when he paused to look
down on the campfire and the water.
more than thousand feet below him
He felt a sickness come over him. so
he turned his gaze to the rock wall, a
foot from his face.
When near the summit he found him
4 self face to face with Il perpendicular
wall about twelve feet high. There
4 appeared to be a small bench on top
! of this wall. on which be might rest
/ if he could reach it. He sat for few
moments on a large rock that lay at
the foot of the wall: then with his
knife he cut inches for finger and toe
holds. Holding on by these he climbed
/ up and dug a sort of trench through
the moss on the rim above, through
which he might draw his body. Then
he descended to the rock for n long
rest before making the final effort
He finally nerved himself to the task,
put his fingers in the inches and drew
himself from the rock which. with the
| pressure of the departing foot. said
goodby and went humping down. down
down. The man was left clinging TO
his niches-hope and life above. sure
death below.
Big drops of sweat stood on his fore
head as he steadily worked mp. up. and
held with one hand while he duG
the other into the moss above Hail
of his body finally rested on the edge
while the other half hung in space
! without a foothod. 1t seemed impos
sibie to move from that position unti
he saw an alder stem. an inch in diam
eter. that had grown on the little fla
bench. He tried its strength. 1T en-
4 abled him to pull himself up and y
on the narrow bed of moss. where b.
i thought of friends far away and hi
own folly.
q There was but one way out and tina
was along six inch shelf about 10
> feet to the westward that ended o
: the sloning ridge. Along this II ma
could edge his body by holding on
the jagged places in the rock wall. Fl
took off his shoes and set off alon
=, that sloping path. but he had to b
3. careful not to look down from h1
- dizzy height to the distant campfire.
Q The feat was accomplished safel
: and a thankful mortal lay on the greer
e grassy ridge in complete collapse. 81
anerold barometer recorded 2.140 fe'
- above the sea. and his watch told Inf
ii that it was halfpast - in the mornin