Hello All, Subject to any further requests for details from my index of deaths in the Ambleside newspaper, I am now finished my postings on this topic. Looks like a white Christmas coming here in Vancouver :) Ambleside Herald & Lakes News Issue 158 30 Mar 1883 Page 4 Death of THOMAS WALKER Another Fatal Accident at the Pillar Rock - A Whitehaven Youth Killed On Good Friday afternoon a very sad accident happened at the Pillar Rock, near Ennerdale and a young man named THOMAS WALKER, aged 17 years, stepson of Mr. J.B. Hodgson of Catherine Street, Whitehaven, lost his life. WALKER was serving his time as a chemist and druggist with Messrs. Wilson and Kitchin, of Whitehaven. About a month ago he and four of his companions - DAVID BURNS, plumber, Duke Street, Whitehaven; WILLIAM THORNBER, engine fitter, Tangier Street, Whitehaven; JAMES ATKINSON, grocer, Whitehaven, and THOMAS LOWERY, shoemaker King Street, Whitehaven - looking forward to a pleasant holiday on Good Friday agreed to walk from Whitehaven and spend the day among the mountains near Ennerdale, and make the ascent of the celebrated Pillar, which has been the scene of not a few melancholy accidents. The inquest was held before Mr. W.W. LUMB, deputy coroner, at MR. WEEK's inn at the Boathouse, Ennerdale, last Saturday. WILLIAM THORNBER was one of the witnesses examined and had this to say: We left Whitehaven about eight o'clock on Good Friday morning, and walked to Ennerdale, where we got a boat and rowed to the top of the lake. We then set out to walk to the Pillar, which will be about four miles from the head of the lake. The snow was lying in drifts, but WALKER knew the road. He had been before in the summer time, and was then at the top of the rock. He was our leader as we did not know the road or anything about the place. When we got up the mountain near the Pillar, we saw two gentlemen in front trying to get up the rock. They shouted to us to tell them the easiest way to get up the rock. WALKER, who was only a short distance off them, told them to go further round and then they would be able to ascend. WALKER was then twelve or fourteen yards below us, with his coat over one arm and a stick in his hand and he said to us "I think I'll slide down to that ledge and get on to the rock", pointing to a ledge of rock about 20 yards or so lower down. These were the last words we ever heard from him. He started away down and went at a frightful rate. He seemed to make a grab in going down at the rocks but he could not stop, and then he fell right down the gulley. We were in a terrible way. We didn't know how to get down. The gentlemen we had seen in front told us they would help us, and suggested that we should go round by Black Snail Pass, which is about five miles round. We had several times to lie and slide down and after about two hours hard work we got up to the spot where the body was. It was lying at the base of the rock He was quite dead. There was a great hole in the back of his head and one of his arms swung about at the shoulder and it must have been broken; his hands and fingers were also all torn awfully. His coat was gone, and one of his boots had been torn off his foot. Had it not been for the kindness of the two gentlemen who went with us I am sure some others of us would have been killed. They were two gentlemen from Lancashire, belonging to an Alpine Club and one of them said he had never had such stiff climbing before. We were all nearly knocked up when we got the body. We carried it down the mountain as well as we could, but we had hard work on account of the snow and the rocks. Sometimes we were compelled to lay him down and let him roll down the hill. At last when we got him down to some big rocks, we had to leave him there. The gentlemen who had been so kind to us were staying at Wasdale, and they had fifteen miles of walking to do from where we were. They went their way and we went to Gillerthwaite farm, near the head of Ennerdale Lake. I think it would be about three o'clock in the afternoon when Walker fell, and it would be quite half past five when we found his body. We dared not remain with it as we were afraid of being lost in the darkness. When we got to Gillerthwaite, MRS. TYSON was very kind and made us some tea, and three or four men with dogs and lamps set out to find the body and bring it. They did not find him until nearly midnight. Information was given to Police constable SPEDDING, at Ennerdale about 10 o'clock the same night of the accident and he took a boat and brought the body to the Boathouse Inn about three or four o'clock on Saturday morning. Jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death". We understand that the two tourists referred to in the above narrative whose exertions to find the body are spoken of with the greatest praise were Mr. G.F. SMITH and Mr. ROBERT LORD, junr. of Bolton-le-Moors. David Leverton Leverton, Stevens, Clibborn, Dodgson, Hird, Stalker ulpha@telus.net