The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1913-08-27

Climax to the Reckless Ride of
Fearless HorSeman.
HIS WILD LEAP IN THE DARK.

Io9S VI a 0HCCT SliII 70 a dlt OF W.
Hundred and Fifty Feet to the Rocks
and Water Below, Yet the Man Lived.
Perhaps the most extraordinary fall
that 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 a sheer precipice 247
feet in height and came out alive! 1t
seems incredible that such a 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 tie
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.
NO1OACl AhOOLC was a 1CSl14CoS A1NCls
Again and again he rode his horse at
full speed against the unknown obsta-
Gle, but in vain. At last, urged fierce
" 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
i-I,H aIr h. nsr
every event Of his whole life seemed
to pass in a luminous panorama be-
fore him. Suddenly there came ter
rife conclusion, 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 was 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 it ShOne upon his
bare, bleeding head with such intOl-
cradle heat that, as a protection from
its 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 in horrible pain for sew
eral hours he spied a bOatful of ma
tives rowing toward the spot where he
lay. AS they came near he hailed
them in a faint voice, but the mo-
ment they saw the CHASTITY figure of
the colonel, with his bloody headdress,
they set up a yell and rowed away as
if 10000 fiends were after them.
After some time Il single black man
came clambering over the rocks, in
tent on catching fish. He was within
a few yards of the colonel when the
latter hailed him. The moment the ne
gre caught sight of the bleeding head
ana the blood stained bandage he, too,
uttered a 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 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 an accident had
! happened. He ran to the barracks and
/ got out a boat. which q 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 to remind him
of his fall