The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1863-09-10
An Adventure in the Alps.-The
PeriIs of Mountain Travel.
a Narrow Escape.

"A Narrow EScstpCs
A writer in the London Saturday Rerie0
thus describes a recent perilous adventure
in the Alps:
An hour and half after the departure
of our porters, we slowly wended our way
to the lake of Margslin, which we skirted,
and were soon upon the ice. The middle
of the glacier was almost as smooth as
carriage road, cut here and there by musi-
cal brooks, produced by the superficial abb
lation. TO one of us the scene opened out
with the freshness of new revelation, as,
previously to this year, he had never been
among Alps. To the other, though not
new. the region had lost no trace OF the
interest with which he tirstviewed 1t. we
moved briskly along the frozen incline, un-
I'll after couple of hours march, we saw
solitary human being standing on the Ia
teral morame Of the glacier, near the point
where we were to quit it for the cave OF the
Faulberg. At first this man excited no at:
tentiou. He stood and watched us, but did
not move step towards us, until, finally,
our curiosity was aroused by ,erVing
that he was one of our own two. men,
The glacier here is always cut by crevasses,
which, while they present no real difhculty,
require care. We approached onr porter,
but he never moved; and when we came up
to him he looked stupid, and did not speak
until he was spoken to. b. addressed him
in the patols of the place, and he answered
in the same patols.
His answer must have been more than
usually obscure, for our guide misunder
stood the most important part of it
"My Godw he exclaimed, turning
to us, "Walters is killed" Walters
was the guide at the Eggischhorn, with
whom, in the present instance, we had
nothing to do. mo, not Walters" respond
ed the man, ''it is my comrade that is kill
ed" B. looked at him with wild, be-
wildered stare "How killed." he exclalm-
ed Smashed in crevasse, was the reply.
We were all so stunned that for some time
we did not quite seize the import OF the
terrible statement B. at length tossed his
arms in the air, exclaiming, "Jesu Marlal
what am I TO do?" With the swlttness
that some ascribe to dreams, we surrounded
the fact with imaginary adjuncts, ono OF
which was that the man had been drawn
dead from the crevasse, and was now
corpse in the cave Of the FauIberg; for we
took it for granted that, had he been still
entombed. his comrade would have run or
called for assistance Several times in sue
cession he affirmed that the missing porter
was certainly dead, How does he know
that he is dead2' l.. demanded; men are
sometimes rendered senseiess without being
y tAH
man. but met with the same stoid atlrma-
tive response. "Where is he then!' we
asked. There" replied the porter stretch
ing his arm toward the glacier. ''ln the
cravasse?" \ stupid "Ja?' was the an
swer, it was with difficulty that We quell
Cd AN ;mnrecation. Lead the way to the
creyasse. YOU block head" and he led the
way.
We were soon beside wide and ragged
cleft which resembled kind OF cave more
than an ordinary tissure This cleft had
been spanned bv snow bridge, now bro
ken. and up to the edge of which human
tootsteps could be traced. The glacier
here was considerably torn, but simple pa
tience was the only thing needed to unravel
its complexity. This quality our porter
lacked, and hoping to make shorter WORK
oft. he attempted to cross this bridge. IL
gave wav. and he went down, carrying an
immese load of debris along with him.
We looked into the hole. at one end OF
which the vision was cut short by dark
ness: while Immediately under the broken
arch it was crammed with snow and snat'
tered icicles. We saw nothing more. we
listened with strained attention, and from
tthe depts of the glacier low moan seemed
to issue. Its repetition assured us that II
: was no demsion-the man was still alive
B. from the first had been extremely eX-
cited: and his education as Roman Catho
lie, by furnishing him saints aud angels tc
appear to augment his emotion.
J When he heard the moaning he became
almost frantic. He attempted to get into
the canvasse, but was obliged TO recoil. |
was quite plain that second life was il
danger, for our guide seemed to have los
all self-contr ! A hand was placed heavi
lv upon his louder, and he was admon
ished that upon bis GOODNESS depended tn
life of his friend. IF you behave like
man we shall save him; if like woman
]. he is lost" \ first-rate rope accompanie
the party, but, unhappily it was with tn
man in the canyasse. Take of coat
walstcoats and braces" They We're instant
ly taken of and knotted together. W
watched B. while this work was going OIL
his hands trembled with excitement, an