102 
THE ACCIDENT ON THE BEMPTON CLIFFS.* 
E. W. WADE, M.BO.U. BE 
Hull. 
On the 6th June, a most untoward accident cast a gloom over 
the whole climbing fraternity, Joseph or Joss Major, the Flam- 
bro’ climber, being killed by a falling stone when on the rope. 
A heavy gale was blowing from the N.W., sweeping along the 
cliff face, and all the climbers, after two or three descents, came 
up for the day. Jos. Major, with his brothers, was climbing be- 
tween Staple Neuk and Dikes End, and at his second descent, about 
half-way between these two points, above a jumbled mass of 
fallen rock lying at the cliff foot, and known as Stean-i-Mooth 
Nab, the accident occurred. 
The climb, save for a small ledge or two, fifteen to twenty 
yards from the top, is perfectly smooth till this mass of fallen 
rock, some sixty feet high, is reached, and the height of the whole 
cliff is not three hundred feet. The usual procedure is to collect 
a few eggs from the top ledges, and then drop without a check 
to the Nab, where a number of birds’ nest. 
On the 6th June, Jos. Major was lowered by his ores as 
usual, at 9-30 a.m., and the full weight being apparently put on 
the body rope without a check, he went dow n to: the INabs) es 
no signals were received at the top, his brothers became uneasy, 
and sent word to the next gang, led by Moore, senr., for assistance. 
Soon after Io, young Moore, who had run all the way carrying a 
heavy rope, peered. and, enon hesitation, went down in the 
terrible gale to see what was the matter. He reached J. Major 
at 10-15 a.m., and found him lying head downward on the Nab, 
bleeding from a wound in the top of the head, the body rope 
swaying violently with each furious gust of wind, and jerking the 
unfortunate man about, the blood gushing forth at each jerk. 
Moore at once unloosed the body rope, placed him head upwards, 
bound up the wound with cotton wool from his own climbing hat, 
and a handkerchief, and stanched the bleeding. Major, however, 
only regained consciousness once, namely, when he asked for 
water and refused brandy, saying, “‘ That’s not water.’’ Moore 
then sent up the rope for E. Major, a skilful climber in his day, 
who joined him, and both unfortunately fastened their body ropes 
below, so that no further assistance could reach them till J. 
Hodgson’s ropes had been brought from a distance of nearly 
two miles. Meanwhile a visitor had cycled to Bridlington for 
Dr. Wetwan, who arrived in his motor car at 3 p.m., and very 
pluckily descended the cliff, for the first time in his life. After he 
had re-bandaged the wound, all carried J. Major to the foot of 
the cliff, with the idea of getting him to a grassy slope nearer to 
* Read at the meeting of the Vertebrate Section of the Yorkshire Natural- 
ists’ Union, held at Leeds, November roth, 1gto. 
Naturalist, 
