Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-01-05
DOW A E.
A THRILLING ADVENTURE,

arrived at Cbamoupy on the 9th Of Aug,
1859, with a friend and companion, an Euglishman
like myself. We two had been about five weeks
in Switzerland, and in that time had "done" ev-
erything considered necessary by our countrymen.
We had acquired some experience in the glacier
business, having assembled the Alitsch Horn,
whose summit had been reached for the first time
BY an Englishman, a member of the Alpine Club,
ouly two months before. We made the ascent
successfully, and were proud Of having been the
second exploring party to stand upon its lofty peak
nearly fourteen thousand feet high. On that &C.
casion we passed two whole days upon the snow
and glacier.
/ remember well the first glimpse l had had in
TO one Of those terrible crevasses which in~tersecs
glaciers. Getting a guide to hold my hand, l
leaned over its yawning brink, and gazed careful
ly into the fathomless abyss. The two perpendic-
mar walls of ice appeared to join together about
three hundred feet down; an appearance resulting
from the conhexity of the crevasses. Usually, !
believe, the great split ends ouly where the glacier
touches the ground beneath.
"No one who falls into one OF these ever comes
out alive" said one of the guides. YES" said
another, "a nan once escaped, and still lives a,
the 0~rindenwald; ho was a channels hunter, and
was returning home alone over a glacier, his foot
slipped. and he was precipitated into a crevasse,
His fall was broken by projecting lodges and
blocks Of ice; which, however, gave way as be
clung to them. After falling three hundred feet,
he reached the bottom Of the glacier, with a leg
and an arm broken. He found a hollow space be-
tween the ground and the ice, through which a
stream Of water ran. Instinctively be followed lis
course, despite the pain he endured, and after
crawling along for three hours, found himself
freed from the glacier"
Ordinary crevasses are from three to eight fee
wide OF the top, but the sides approach each othe1
rapidly, SO that a man would be wedged up be
tween the two walls of ice long before he coult
reach the bottom. Aad then unless there SHOULD
be ropes at hand long enough and strong enough
what an awful death An unfortunate Rusaial
gentleman persisted thus in a crevasse only las
year, half frozen, half squeezed to death, the bea
of his body ever melting the ice, he ever sinking
deeper and deeper into bis dreadful grave.
My companion and | assembled the Breyant. an,
as few climbing travellers leave Chamouny wirhou
visiting the Merde Glaze, and the Jardin, we ar
ranged TO make that excursion. To shorten GU
days work we left Chamouny in the evening ant
slept q. Montanvert, a solitary little mountain OF
the edge Of the Nor de Glaze.
We were up beiimes in the morning. We pro
vided ourselves with some eatables aud wine. ant
started with our guide, whom We had brought will
as from Courmapeur. 1t was a glorious morning
and promised well for our expedition. Our road
for about half an hour, was along an uneven patti
which skirted along the edge Of the glacier, which
lay below us on our left hand, very much crevass
ed and covered with debris. The path then cam,
to an end. and the guide said we must now tax,
10 ths glacier for a short distance. We descended
on II. and threaded our way among the numerous
erevasses.
The e~xsursiOn to the Mer de Glaze not bsinI
looked upon as q regular glacier expedition is no