The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-07-30
STARVING RUSSIANS NUMBER 3000000G PEASANTS FLEE
PLUCKY WIFE SAW
DR.. STONE DASHED
AGAINST CLIFFS
Made Vain Effort to Retrieve
Broken Body Of Mate-Res-
cuers Bringing Her Back.

BANFF, Alberta, July 30.--The
story of how Mrs. w. e. Stone. wife
of the former president of Purdue
University. dangied at the end of a
rope In mid,air and then dropped ex-
hausted on a four-foot ledge. the only
break I'm a precipitous cliff hundreds
of feet high. after an unsuccessful
attempt TO save her husband who had
fallen into a creyice below, is revealed
in a dispatch received here from the
correspondent. of the Calgary Herald.
Mrs. Stone Is now in an improvised
camp on the mountainside recovering
from the experience Of lying on the
tiny ledge for eight days without food
or water until rescued by Hammer. a
Swiss guide. who carried her in his
arms down the steep mountainside to
safety. The correspondent told how
she had watched her husband fall as
they were attempting to. climb Mount
Eanpn, and then tried to lower herself
witfNthe rope In the hope Of rescuing
him. The rope. however, was too
short, and after hanging. alongside the
mountain and finding she was unable
TO pull herself back she let go, expect
Ing to plunge to her death in the
abyss below. Fate interviewed and she
landed on the narrow ledge, a drop
of ten feet.
Stones Body Not Found.
Members of the party who rescued
Mrs. Stone are busy building a raft to
convey her down the Marvel Lakes.
the first stage of the fifty-five -mile
trip to civilization. The search for
DR.. Stones body has proved unavail.
ing and members of the rescue party
are nearly exhausted from their
efforts to find him. 1t Is probable
that the body will he left until another
and better-equipped search party can
be organized.
Mrs. Stone is still weak. but DR..
Bell, OF Winnipeg, who has been with
her since she was found on Sunday, is
confident she is now out Of danger.
The accident in which Dr. Stone lost
his life occurred on Saturday, July 16,
she said. Mrs. Stone said that they
set out to climb Mount canon with.
out being fastened together by
rope. In the afternoon they had near.
ly reached the summit and were
negotiating particularly stiff bit OF
almost perpendicular cliff. Mr.. Stone
was slightly in advance.
Witnesses Death Plunge.
Mrs. Stone said she suddenly looked
up and saw her husband slip. Then
he fell past her and she saw him strike
the face OF the cliff several times. his
body turning over and over until he
disappeared in the abyss below.
Although Mrs. Stone held but fain'
hope OF saving her husbands life
and realized the grave dangers that
confronted her, she endeavored to go
10 bis rescue. Fastening rope TO
nf 1Al< ~
idly down until she reached the end
Of the rope. There was no foothold
and no handhold and she found her.
self dangling against the steep noun
For some time she hung there. try.
Ing vainly to draw herself back up
again. Finally. exhausted she loosed
her hold, expecting to dash to her
death. Instead. she landed on the
four-foot ledge, the only one in sight,
about ten feet below. There she re.
manned for eight days.
On Friday night. by forced
march. the first. section of the res
cue party arrived at Mount canon.
1t consisted of Hammer. the guide:
William Childs and William Peyto.
both of Banff, and party of Cana
dian Royal Mounted Police. The
search was Immediately started, and
on Sunday morning. after riding hard
from Banff all through the night,
General Mitchell. head OF the Al.
pine Club of Canada. and DR.. Bell
Joined the rescuers.
Fifty-five Miles on StretCher.
Last Sunday evening Hammer
found Mrs. Stone. Letting himself
down to the ledge with a rope, he
fastened il about her BODY. n diff.
cult task. for she was badly bruised
Drawing her up to where foothold
could he gained. he performed what
General Mitchell described as a won.
derful feat, for he carried the un-
conscious woman down the side of
the mountain in his arms.
Although Mrs. Stone is now recov-
ering and the worst Of her expert:
ences are over, an arduous journey
still lies before her. The trail to
Banff Is fifty-five miles on pack /
horses, heset with exceeding Difficult.
ties She must be carried on a
stretcher every foot of the way with
the exception of the short span Of
the Marvel lakes.