The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-09-15
Rirhmonh qispatfb.
THURSDAY MORNING =. SEPT. Is

Fearful Accident In Swatzerla nd. -R emark-
able Death of q Traveller in the Gia-
ciers.
A correspondent of the London Times, writ
ing from zermatt, Angus, is, gives the follow
ing thrilling narrative;
at appears that, on Friday morning. Au-
gust II, a Russian gentleman, named Edourd
de Grotte, left The Riffeiberg Hotel to cross
the pass Of the Weissthor. He was q very
hae, powerful man, about six feet three inches
high, and had a somewhat wild and unsettled
look his face. lie had no Aipenstock,
(Which WIS indispensable for such an expedi-
tion,l and sharply refused an offer on the
part OF The landlord 10 supply him with one.
He started with two Zermait guides, and
safely crossed the Wessthor and Monte Moro
passes arriving on the same evening at Mat
mark, village in the valley OF Saas. He ap-
peared TO be very confident in his own ply
sicai powers, and TO he inclined to despise the
difiieul ties and dangers occasionally met with
Ia the higher regions of the Alps.
"On Sunday morning he left Matmark with
his two guides (still without an Aipenstock,
and carrying only walking stick in his
hand) lie retraced his steps Of the previous
DAY rs far as the top of the Wessthor Pass;
from there, instead of turning to the left and
descending by the usual route along the Cor
ner @ lacier to the RiGelberg, he descended by
The findeulen Glacier, which slopes from the
pass directly into the valley of Zermatt, and
affords shorter, though a much more peril
Gus, route 10 the town than the Corner Gla-
cier. .,..-4sg.=.-,s.rs.u.
aThe three were fasreHsd7 together by rope:
the traveller being in the middle; the rope was
tied around his body, but Was not, as it should
have been, tied round the guides also; it was
only held on the left arm of each by q large
loose loop In this way they passed safely
over the greatest part of the glacier, and We're
within few minutes of leaving it altogether
when they came 10 a large patch of snow,
which the guides, according to their own ac-
count proposed 10 pass round, but which the
traveller insisted on crossing Accordingly, the
first guide crossed it in safety. The traveller
then followed him, but when he had reached
the middle the snow gave way under his feet,
and he sankin to a hidden ererdsSe Having no
A Alpen tock he could not break his fall in the
usual way, by holding 1t across the chasm, and
so his whole weight was thrown with sud-
den jerk upon the rope, which broke fns family
on both sides of the ersraSSe, down which the
unfortunate man consequently fell. Ihs voice
was soon heard calling for assistance, which
the guides were not skillfui enough to render;
the creraSSe was peculiar one, being narrow
at the top, and widening down wards for some
distance, after which it narrowed again till its
side met depth Of about 200 feet
This circumstance rendered it impossible to
reach him without rope he appeared to be
about sixty feet from the top, wedged between
the sides OF the crevasse, and they had no rope
excepting the two ends that had remained
with them, OF about yard each, 50 they de-
termined that one of them should go to the
nearest ehal.t-a two hours wak-for ropes
The idea of trying to make rope, by cutting
up their coats and shirts, and especially their
leathern knapsacks, seems most unaccounta-
bly, never to have occurred TO them. Thus the
unfortunate NJ de Grotte received no assist
ance for four hours, during which he ire
quently spoke to the guide above; he was, he
said, in sloping position, with his head lower
than his feet and with his right arm tree, but
he was constantly sinking lower. After three
hours the flow of blood TO his head and the in
tense cold had very much weakened him. he
spoke seldom, saying only that he was being
frozen TO death.
"At last. after four hours, the guide return
ed from Findelen chGl,t with assistance; the
rope was lowered, but it was found twelve
feet toe short 10 reach him. Now, 1t VIII
scarcely be credited, but it is fact, that when
the rope was found to be too short nothlns
more was done, but men were sent Tor more
ropes 10 /ermatt. a distance OF four hours, SO
that the unhappy man was condemned ny tne
helpless clowns above him TO pass eight more
hours in his icy prison. lie had endured the
most dreadful agony, for at first the warmth
of his body dissolying the ice next 10 him,
heat departed, the cold gradually regained its
superiority. SO that he was frozen IN tightly
between the wall of ice, which, AZ their wetted
surfaces congealed, and slightly expanded to-
wards each other, crushed him between them
with irresistible force
''About the end of the fifth hour the poor
man died lie had fallen in between noon
and ], p NJ, and he died about ), Il. M. At
more ropes came from Zermatt, and
his corpse was pulled up; 1t was found at the
depth of seventy-two feet. 1t was handed
over to the authorities by whom an inqu uest
was held on Tuesday last, and an examina-
ton instituted.'