A Frightful Swing Adventure.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 264, 20 October 1874, Page 7

A Frightful Swing Adventure.

American papers received by last mail contain an account of a remarkable swing accident that happened to a lively and joyous party of ladies and gentlemen who started on' a day's excursion to the summit a romantic mountain. The party consisted of six ladies and five gentlemen. They reached the summit of the mountain, and commenced arranging for the day. A swing was suspended from a tree sixty feet high. About half way up the solid oak a huge limb-branched out to the left, upon which both ends of the rope were fastened,thunmaking the swing thirty feet, requiring a ripe over sixty feet long—one used for well-digging. This swiiig had been used during the day without accident. In the afternoon Miss Johnson, who is a lady of a daring disposition, insisted on being swung as high as could be done by the aid of the gentlemen, and to gratify her wishes they consented. The young lady is between eighteen and nineteen years old, a pretty brunette, with dark eyes, and was dressed in a light gray linen suit. She sat on (he seat-board of the swing and grasped the rope tightly and bade them go 'ahead. The swing commenced its motion, and gradually rose higher and higher, until nn altitude of 20 feet had been reached. She still insisted upon, being pushed, and up vent the swing higher and higher until ■

She [had/ been aiuLlivele.up to ttijß pdinti out alt of a sudden' she beckhWqmet, and the rest of tWhi'dieSwere awe-stricken; and when the swing with its precious burdon made one swift sweep in the-air, her head was noticed to drop to one side, her muscles to relax, her arms to let go 1 their hold and drop, and aw.ay the unfortunate gi,rl through the air, and only saved from a frightful and terrible death by one of the mostmiraculousinterventions ever heard .of. The momentum of the swing's motion carried, the apparently lifeless form of the girl up fully thirty-five feet from the ground, and lodged her safely and securely between two branches at the point where- they joined the trunk of a tree, which stood about thirty-eight feet from the tree to which the rope was attached. The fright and terror of the party below can be better imagined than described as the swing came reeling backward, while its former occupant was lying apparently lifeless in the branches of* the tree. It was fully twenty feet from the ground to the first limb above, and the trunk of the tree was about three feet in diameter. The swing was hurriedly taken down, and in an instant one end of the rOpe was thrown over the limbs of the other tree and secured below. By this means two gentlemen of the party hurriedly went tip the rope, and in a few minutes were at the side of the unfortunate girl. She was just returning to consciousness, and the force of her fall had so securely wedged her between the trunk and the limbs as to require no little effort! to extricate her. Miss Johnson at once realised her fearful situation. She was pale and weak, but still had the good sense to do as the gentlemen desired. The rope was pulled.up, a slipnbt was made, a*hd then passed around her body under her arms, the other end passed around the limb, and in this manner she was lowered to the ground in safety. With the aid of the waggon-cushions and several shawls a couch was arranged upon which the young lady was placed, and soon regained her strength and composure.