biggizmo54
11-09-2004, 06:00 PM
This is a true story which might be a bit out of the ordinary.
I remember, at the age of 9, my brother and I were sleigh riding in Spokane. A street named Denver on the South side of town where we lived was closed every year to vehicles because of the steep grade. The hill was about three blocks long and there was a barracade at the end of the hill. The barracade was running the width of the road at a Tee for other residents in the area. Our new sleds were fast and heavy. You could ride to the bottom and drag your feet to stop. You had a full block of level ground with burms on either side. On this paticular day, a couple of new kids in the area came to sled with us. They had a adult size taboggan. It was nice, and they were sure their sled was the fastest and the best there was. No one could have predicted the next turn of events. From the top of the hill we watched in amazement at the speed that the two boys were traveling. Just then, we noticed they were not trying to slow down. Traveling at a speed of over 35MPH they were not about to stop. The boy in the back of the sled did not see it coming. The boy in front rolled off just before the impact. Unfortunately, his slid under the barracade to fall 375 feet to his demise. The boy who stayed on the sled was immediately decapitated by the 4" x 12" beam that was used for the barracade, and his sled and body continued their flight to join his brother at the bottom of the gorge. We often wondered why the cave at the bottom of the gorge was called 'DEAD MAN'S CAVE'. We no longer wonder....and the hill was permanently closed to sliegh riding ever since. My brother and I often reflect to that day, and wonder...how many times that could have been us.
I remember, at the age of 9, my brother and I were sleigh riding in Spokane. A street named Denver on the South side of town where we lived was closed every year to vehicles because of the steep grade. The hill was about three blocks long and there was a barracade at the end of the hill. The barracade was running the width of the road at a Tee for other residents in the area. Our new sleds were fast and heavy. You could ride to the bottom and drag your feet to stop. You had a full block of level ground with burms on either side. On this paticular day, a couple of new kids in the area came to sled with us. They had a adult size taboggan. It was nice, and they were sure their sled was the fastest and the best there was. No one could have predicted the next turn of events. From the top of the hill we watched in amazement at the speed that the two boys were traveling. Just then, we noticed they were not trying to slow down. Traveling at a speed of over 35MPH they were not about to stop. The boy in the back of the sled did not see it coming. The boy in front rolled off just before the impact. Unfortunately, his slid under the barracade to fall 375 feet to his demise. The boy who stayed on the sled was immediately decapitated by the 4" x 12" beam that was used for the barracade, and his sled and body continued their flight to join his brother at the bottom of the gorge. We often wondered why the cave at the bottom of the gorge was called 'DEAD MAN'S CAVE'. We no longer wonder....and the hill was permanently closed to sliegh riding ever since. My brother and I often reflect to that day, and wonder...how many times that could have been us.