Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1861-04-20

AipeustoCky CNAUeu hDOuJ NAL way w
the slope. had already come to the con
clusion that it was much too steep to scale
without an axe, and had determined to
retrace my steps. So when the guide had
spoken, l carefully stretched back my right
leg, feeling for the last hole l had made in
the ice. Ny foo. went past the place, and
| felt that | was slipping. There was not
the least projection that could grasp
The slope became perpendicular and fell
headforemost into the yawning crevasse
below.
heard loud cry of despair from my
fellow traveller and the guide. My own
sensations cannot be described, or even
distinctly separated from the whirl and
shock. felt that was being pumped
from side to side between two walls of ice
that was falling great depth--,hat l
was being hurled to utter destruc,ion-to
horrible death. Suddenly | fel. tha. l
was caught by something; that hung
suspended was able to take breath and
call out for "a rope, rope |"
BY the most extraordinary chance, my
fall had been arrested by little ledge OF
zee WHICH spanned the crevasse like a
bridge. Or this fra,l structure. not more
than two inches wide at the top las well
as could juige) about two feet deep, |
had fallen SO that my head hung down on
one side, nay legs on the other. lnstnc-
tive!y y and Immediately by means which |
cannot at all recall, | raised myself from
this dreadful position to a standing one
on the ledge, in which there was little
niche sufficiently wide to admit one foot
| was now so far collected that could
hear my tellow-traveler saying from above,
"We never hoped to hear your voice
agaiu. For Gods sake take heart The
guide is running to Montanvsrt for ropes
and men, and will soon be back"
"If he is not l answered, II shall nev
er come up alive
My position was an awful one. The
little ledge was so narrow that could not
get both mys fee: upon it. l was, in fact,
supporting myself on one leg, half leaning
against one side of the crevasse, and
pressing my hand against The opposite
side. 1t was perfectly smooth, and there
was nothing to grasp. A stream of water
poured over my shoulders, drenching me
to the skin, and freezing me with its icy
coldness. Overhead could see the long,
narrow strip OF blue sky, bounded by the
mouth Of the crevasse. There was q solid,
unreenting look in the intensely blue ice
that surrounded me on all sides. The
grim walls Of the crevasse locked as if
they would unite to crush me rather than
relnquish Their victim. Numerous rills
Of water poured into the crevasse, but in
the whole sixty yards of its length could
see no projeetlon'exeept the little ledge on
which | had SO miraculously chanced to
fall
| ventured to look down, only for an in
slant, into the fearful chasm in which l
was suspended. AT the depth to which l
had fallen the crevasse was barely 2 feet
wide, but downward it narrowed rapidly,
and about two hundred feet below me the
sides appeared to join. believe that if |
had fallen six inches on either side of the
little ledge, must have Inevitably been
jamned in head downward, at depth
where no ropes that could have been bro't
there could possibly have reached me.
l had now been about twenty minute.
standing in this perilous position, strain,
ing every nerve to prevent myself from
giving way looking up at the blue sky
abovs me and the clear ice on all sides,
but seldom daring to cast a glance into
the abyss below Blood was tricklng over
me from cut in my cheek, and felt that
my right leg fortunately the idle one)
was badly bruised. In the meanwhile my
left leg was becoming exceedingly painful
from the strain upon it, and was afraid
of losing my balance if tried to relieve
myself by changing it to .he other. felt
that | was growing benunbed by the in-
tense cold Of the ice against which l was
leaning, and Of the stream Of water from
under which burst not move.
called to my fellow traveller to know if
any one were ia sight +? There was no an.
swer. called again. No human being
seemed to be within hearing A dizziness
came over me, as the thought struck me,
"ie ha. gone to look if any help is COM
ing. and he can not find his way back to
the crevasse. There are hundreds Of them.
| am lost
Again / had to strain every nerve to
keep myself from sinking; l almost gave
up hope felt inclined to throw myself
down and have the agony over. At that
miserable time, suddenly heard my friend
shouting from above. He had gone to
1Rok if he could discern the guide and
when he turned round to retrace his stems
had been thnnderstruck 70 see the surface
OF the glacier intersected by innumerabIe
cre'asses, all so similar in appearance as
to leave him no landmark by which 10
know my living grave. Thank heaven +!
he had caugh. sight Of a little knapsack
left at the mouth Of the crsvasss by the
guide. This had directed him back.
called TO him to look at his watch--fve
minutes more were passed. The cold was