The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-08-30 00:00:00

THE FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE
MATTERHORN.

' The Times of Monday published the following letter:—
Sir,—You have already heard, both by telegram and
by letter from the English Chaplain at Zermatt, of the
unfortunate occurrence on the Matterhorn on Thurs-
day, the 14th inst.
The official inquiry into the cause of the disaster was
held here yesterday, and as I attended the inquiry and
beard the depositions of all the witnesses called by the
President of the Judicial Committee of Vise), I am
able to send you the following particulars the accuracy
of which may be relied upon :
Mr. William 0. Moseley, MD., of Boston, United
States of America, was travelling in the Alps in com-
pany with Mr. W. E. Craven. Both gentlemen were
members of the Alpine Club, and both gentlemen were
accomplished and experienced mountaineers. They
had secured the services ot two of the ablest of the
Oberland guides, Pater Rubi and Christian Iniibnit,
both of Grmdelwald.
The party of four left Zermatt at 10.30 on the
evening of Wednesday, the 13th of August, intending
to ascend the Matterhorn and return in one day, and
Bo to avoid the necessity of camping out in the wretched
hut on the north side of the mountain. They reached
the summit in safety at nine o'clock on Thursday, the
14th, Mr. Moseley having more than once complained
of the rope as being, in his opinion, rather a hindrance
than an advantage. After a halt of about twenty
minutes, they commenced the descent, crossed the
shoulder and descended the difficult rocks, over which
an iron chain is stretched. Mr. Moseley did not use
the chain, and the party arrived at apoint about three-
quarters of an hour above the hut.
The recognised difficulties of the mountain being
now passed, Mr. Moseley asked that the rope might
be taken off, when both Peter Rubi and Mr. Craven
urged him to keep it on until they reached the
hut. A few minutes later, Mr. Moseley again
became impatient, and released himself from the
rope, saying he could do better without it. Rubi
then yielded, the rope was removed from the other
members of the party, and they proceeded rapidly
downwards. About twenty minutes from the hut they
had to cross a projecting piece of rock with a smooth
surface. Rubi crossed first, and planted his axe, so
as to give Mr. Moseley, who followed, a firm foot-
hold. Mr. Moseley. however, declined assistance, and
placing one band upon the rock, endeavoured to vault
over it. At this moment his foot Blipped, his axe flew
out of his hand, and he fell from the rock on to some
steep snow beneath it, down which he slipped on
his back and nearly succeeded in stopping himself
with his elbows. Unhappily the snow was frozen,
and he fell on to the rocks beneath. Realizing his
position, he turned round with a great effort and
tried to grasp the rocks with his hands: but the
velocity he had then attained was too great, and he
fell from rock to rock until he disappeared from view.
Mr. Craven and the guides returned to Zermatt at
seven p.m., having been on foot over twenty hours.
The guides were of opinion that Mr. Moseley had
fallen on to the rocks immediately above the Bergs-
chrund of the Furggen glacier; but bad weather frus-
trated all attempts to recover the body of the unfor-
tunate gentleman until Sunday last, when Peter
Knubel and Peter, Gabriel, and Joseph Taugwald
succeeded in finding it just where they expected to do
so, about 2,000 ft. below the spot where the accident
occurred. The body was brought to Zermatt—l need
hardly say in what condition—on Sunday evening by
the guides whose names I have mentioned, assisted by
Mr. Craven, Mr. Vernon, and Mr. Seymour Hoare.
I desire to give you only a statement of the facts and
to make no comment upon them; but I was shocked
to find on examining the remains that Mr. Moseley
had hardly any nails in one of hit boots, and all rock-
climbers know how impossible it is to insure steadi-
ness under such conditions, and it is quite clear that if
the rope had not unhappily been removed, I should
not have had to trouble you with this letter.
No blame whatever attaches to Rubi, to Inaba, or
to Mr. Craven, for whose position the keenest sym-
pathy is felt; and it is hardly necessary to state that
the kindly and considerate conduct of M. and Madame
Seiller is not likely soon to be forgotten.
Mr. Moseley's effects have been forwarded by the
authorities to the American Consul at Geneva, and
my colleagues and In 3 self have taken the responsibility
of burying what is left of our frieud under the south
wall of the English church at Zermatt, by the side of
Lewis and Patterson, and under the shadow of the
great mountain which now numbers another gallant
mountaineer and accomplished gentleman among its
many victims.- -I am, Sir, yours obediently,
CHARLES EDWARD MATHEWS,
President of the Alpine Ctub,
zcztuntt Aug. 19.

INTEUPERATE WEATREI3.,—BeerF, havy wet, ad
" reluggy."—P uncA,

ZULU SUPERSTITIOn—An officer who has just re-
turned home from Zululand taloa that the Imperialists
of France are indebted to Zulu superstition for the
preservation of the chain, crucifix, and other relics
worn by the Prince Imperial, and which were found
intact when the otherwise stripped body of his Im-
perial Highness was discovered. The witch doctors
attached to the army of the savage king carry their
magic =Atria medica round their necks, and it is be-
lieved that they entertaioed a superstitious dread of
touching the trophies, believing that they contained a
certain magic power which might be used to the de-
struction of any one Inrddling with them. It was in
all probability thus that those simple relies were pre-
nerved.