The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-08-04

IT Carried Horse and Rider Past the |
Edqe of a Sheer Cliff to a Fall OF Two
Hundred and Fifty Feet to the Rocks
and Water Below, Yet the Man Lived.
Perhaps the most extraordinary fall
that a 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 preclplce III
feet in height and came out alive. 1t
seems incredible that such fearful
experience should result in anything
but instant death, vet 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 to make his
way home Two or three times he
had difficulty in making his horse
cross obstacles, and ct last they came
to something that the horse would not
face.
Colonel Moore was q fearless rider.
gain 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 a snort of terror, cleared the
1 low hedge-for such the obstruction
proved to be-and went over the cliff.
/ Colonel Moore says that during his
Il oh
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.
Il 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 froE1
its rays. he tied his cotton handker
chief about his forehead. Above his
, head projected the two ends of the
] knotted bandage stained crimson Will
his blood.
After lying in horrible pain for sew
j eral hours lie spied a boatful of ma
tiyes rowing toward the spot where III
lay AS they came near he hailct
them in faint voice. but the mo
ment they saw the CHASTITY figure o
the colonel. with his bloody headdress
y they set up yell and rowed away a
& if 10000 fiends were after them.
After some time Il single black maj
{ came clambering over the rocks, in
I tent on catching Gsh, He was within
1 a few yards of the colonel when lii
e latter Utllleu UlIl. he IuOtleLl Tue III
\ gro caught sight of the bleeding hea
and the blood stained bandage he, too
uttered a fearful yell. flung down hi
rod and line and scrambled off owe
the rocks as fast as his feet and hand
would carry him.
The colonel now began to resign hin
self to the prospect of lingcrln
death. but fortunately his Englis
servant alarmed ut his masters al
& seuce went in search of him and. fo
/ lowing the horses tracks, at last can
z to the edge of the precipice.
4 The sudden disappearance of Il
E hoof prints near the low hedge fent
s convinced him that an accident ha
i happened. He ran to the barracks II
1 got out Il boat which q party of st
/ Tiers rowed to the foot of the cliff
L Very tenderly and carefully the 81
: diers lifted the colonel into the be
> and brought him back to the barracE
I For some months he lay in great pa
and danger. but in time the paralyz'
G muscles of his back recovered. al
s eventually be was restored to compile
z health Not even the slightest tou
of lameness remained to remind hi
Z of his fall