The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-09-09 00:00:00

KILLED ON THE ALPS.

The Times (Monday) published the following letter :
Sir,—l regret to have to record a fatal disaster
which happened on the Felik Joch on Monday, the
28th inst. Two English gentlemen—Mr. Hayman and
Mr. Johnson, accompanied by the two brothers Ignatze
and Franz Sarback, guides of St. Niklaus—left the
chalet of the Cour-de-Lys, at the head of the Gressonay
Valley, at five a.m on Monday morning, with the in-
tention of traversing theFelik Joch to the Rtffel Hotel,
on the Zermatt side of the range. Owing to a fog,
the party kept too much to the right, but succeeded in
almost reaching a ridge east of, but a good deal higher
than, the Felik joch. Here it was necessary that
they should proceed along a very steep elope of snow,
overhanging an ice wall of great depth, and, when on
it, an avalanche of snow precipitated the whole party
down the ice wall. Two of the party—Mr. Hayman
and Ignatze Sarback —escaped with their lives, but
the other two—Mr. Johnson and Franz Sarback—
were buried under the avalanche, and probably
smothered instantaneously, as their companions could
neither see any traces of them nor get any response to
their shouts, although they remained on the spot for
some hours. Ignatze Sarback managed to make his
way out of the avalanche and succeeded in taking Mr.
Hayman over the ridge to the Z?a•matt side of the
Felik Joch, where, exposed to the inolemency of the
weather and totally devoid of provisions, they passed
the night on the snow, half an hour below the summit
of the Col. Here, at 10 a.m. on the following day, a
large party, which had started from the Riffel Hotel
to make the ascent of Castor, found Mr. Hayman
almost in a state of collapse, with both hands frost-
bitten, and Ignatze Sarback with the Use of both
hands also gone from the same cause. With great
difficulty Mr. Hayman was conveyed to the Eiffel
Hotel, and, although yesterday evening in every criti-
cal state, to-day he may be considered out of danger.
He is being most carefully nursed, and two English
physicians—Dr, Alfred B. Thompson, Serjeant's Inn,
London; and Dr. William Thompson, surgeon to the
Dublin Hospital—are remaining here until their
services will not be longer requisite. Great thanks
are due to a young surgeon who came on to the
Gorner Glacier to meet the party conveying Mr.
Hayman, and who, by his skill, managed to keep up
pulsation. While a portion of the party which found
Mr. Hayman proceeded to take him down towards the
Riffel, the remainder were guided by Ignatza Sarback
to the scene of the accident, which it took nearly an
hour and a half to reach. It was quite obvious that
there was no chance of finding either Mr. Johnson
or Franz Sarback alive, and the small number of
the party, the insufficient quantity of rope with them
and the dangerous condition of the snow above
the ice wall made it impossible to attempt to recover
the bodies. Ignatze Sarback behaved with great
courage in remounting to the scene of the accident,
after having lost the use of both hands. He was
greatly affected by the loss of his brother Franz, who
has lett a widow and two children, I regret to have to
mention. Mr. Joseph Seiler, the son of the proprietor
of the Rtffel Hotel, started this morning with 18
guides with the intention of recovering the bodies, but
halve been unsmcessful in their search. As an accident
Switzerland generally produces exaggerated and
various accounts, I trust you will publish this as
coaling from one on the spot and in possession of the
facts.—l am, Sir, yours faithfully.
D. J. ABERCROMBY, Member of the Alpine Club,
The Riffel Hotel, Zermatt. Valais, Switzer-
land, August 30.