The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-09-29
OVER A pREC|P|CE
Climax to the Reckless Ride OF
a Fearless H0rSeman.
HIS WILD LEAP IN THE DARK.
Il Carried Horse and Rider Past the
Edge Of Sheer Cliff to Fall Of Two
Hundred and Fifty Feet to the Rocks

Hundred and Fifty Feet to the Rocks
and Water Below, Yet the Man Lived.
Perhaps the most extraordinary fall
/ that q human being ever survived Is
that described by Thormanby in his
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 in height and came out alive. 1t
seems incredible that such fearful
experience should result in anything
but instant death. yet here are the
facts. which once again confirm the
adage 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 10 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 in vain. At last. urged fierce
ly by whip and spur. the terrified AMI.
NAL. with snort of terror. cleared the
low hedge-for such the obstruction
proved to bc-and went over the cliff
Colonel Moore says that during lis
Digit on horseback through the air
every event of his whole life seemed
10 pass in a luminous panorama be-
fore him. Suddenly there came n ter
rife concussion. which deprived him
of his senses and left him with his
legs in the sea 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 and the cool breezes restor-
ed him the moon was shining brightly
in midheaven. and its beams fell upon
the upturned, glittering shoes of his
gallant horse. which lay dead and
mangled beside him.
AS soon as he had collected his scat
tered wits Colonel Moore coolly began
to examine himself TO ascertain what
injuries he had sustained He found
that he WIS severely cut about the
body and head. that his right ankle
was dislocated and that his back was
benumbed or paralyzed by the concus-
sion of his fall
When the sun rose il shoue upon his
bare. bleeding head with such intol.
cradle heat that. as protection from
it's rays. he tied his cotton handker.
chief about his forehead Above his
head projected the two ends OF the
knotted bandage stained crimson with
his blood
After lying i'm horrible pain for sew.
eral hours he spied boatfu of ma.
tives rowing toward the spot where he
lay. As they came near he hailed
them i'm a faint voice. but tine mo
mcnt they saw the Ghastly figure Of
the colonel. with his bloody headdress.
they set up a yell and rowed away as
If 10000 hends were after them
After some time Il 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 n fearful yell. flung down his
rod and line and scrambled off over
the rocks as fast as 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 ut his masters alb !
seDce. went i'm search of him and. fol. |
lowing the horses tracks. at last came
to the edge of the prccipice.
The sudden disappearance Of the |
hoof prints near the low hedge fence
convinced him that an accident had |
happened. He ran To the barracks ana |
got ont Il boat, which Il party OF sol |
diers rowed to the foot of the cliff.
Very teEderly 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 Cf his back recovered. and |
eventually be was restored to complete |
health Not even the slightest touch |
Of lamcness remained TO remind him
Of his fall
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