Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1864-12-15

Professor Tyndall sends to the London Times
rative CT rather exciting adventure in the Alps On
the Sd Of July, he and two friends, with couple o.
guides, Jenni and Walter assembled the Pz :MOrter-
atsch. The ascent accomplished safely, but not
the descent, which was made along thu Morterastsch
glacier:
We OF length reached the point at which it was nee
essarY to quit morning - track and Immediately a-
forwards got upon some steep rocks, which
dered sippry here and there By the wafer which trick
led over To our right was a broad couoir
which filed up with snow, but this bad been
melted and re-fr0zen SO as to expose el0piug wall OF
ice We we're ell tied together at this time ia the fol-
lowing order: Jenni led, | next then my friend
IL, Intrepid m0untaneer, then his friend and last
Of all the guide Walter. After descending the rocks
for time, Jenn turned and asked whether thought
1t better to adhere to them try the slope
right. I pronounced in favor of the rocks, bat he
seemed to misunderstood me, and returned toward the
coulor. He cut steps, reached the snow and descend
ed carefully along it, al following him, apparently in
good order.
After little while he stopped, turned, and looked
upward at the last three men He said something
about keeping carefully in the tracks, adding that
false step might dtach an avalanche. The word was
scarcely uttered when heard the sound CT fall be-
hind MS then rush, and in the twinkIing of an eye
my two friends ard their guide, all apparently eutanged
together, whirled past me. Suddenly planted myself
to resist their shock, but in al instant in their
wake, tor their impetus irresistible. A moment
afterward Jenn wbirled away and thus all five OF
Us found ourselves riding downward with unc0ntrola
be speed the back OF avalanche, which single
slip had originated. When thrown down by TIE jerk
OF the rope, turned promptly on my face and drove my
baton through the moving snow, seeking to anchor it
in the ice underneath had held il firmly thus for
few seconds when came into collision with some OBJ
stace, and rude7 tossd through air Jenni at
the same time being shot down upon NE. Both Of US
here lost our batous. We had ia fact, been carried
creVase had bit its lower edge, great veoci
ty causing to be pitched beyond it.
l was quite beTldercd tor q moment, but immedi-
etey rhted myself, aud could those in front OF he
half bu:ld in tie snow, aod lied from sd5 to side by
the among which they Were passing Suddenly l
them tumbia by Iurch OF the avalanche, anJ
immediately afterwards found myself initiating their
motion. This was caused by second crevas8e. Jannl
kn2w OF its existence, and plunged right into lt-a
brave and MANU- act, but for The time uaavah &. He
is over thirteen stone IN Weg0t and ne thought that By
jumping into the chasm a strain might be put upon the
rope sufficient to check the motion He was, however
violently arked cut Of the fssuTe, aad almost equeez
to death by the pressure of the rope Along slope
below ua, which led directly dOwnwards to a brow
where the glacier suddenly fell in decIivty of ice
At the base of this d5clVly the glacier was cut By
series of profound cba8ms, aod toward these
pdIy borne. The three foremost men rode upon the
forehead of the avalanche, and were at times, almost
wholly immersed il the snow but the moving layer
was thinner behud, and Jenni necessarily, and
with desperate energy drove his feet into the frmer sub
stance underneath His voice shouting, Halt Herr
Jesus, halt !" was the only one heard during the de-
sc5nt.
a kind of condensed memory, such as that 1e:crib
by people who have narrowly escaped drowning took
possession of me, and thought and reasoned with pc
ternatural cearness as | rushed along. Our start,
too sudden, and the excitement too great
admit of the development of terror. The slope at
became less steep the peed vsioy sackentd, and
we thought were coming 10 rest; the avalanche,
no never crossed the brow which terminated this gentle
slope, and regaioed its motion. Here FL. threw his
arms around bis friend al hope for the time being
tngushed, while grasPei4f my belt, and struggled tor
resumed the pull upon the rope. Ny share in the work
was, fear, ninitesma, but Jennl's powerful strain
made itself felt at last Aided, probably by slight
change of inclination, he brought the whole to rest
within short distance of the chasm which, had
we perseyerad 10 speed, few seconds would have
carried US. None of as suffered serious damage. III.
emerged from the snow with his forehead bleeding but
he wound was superficial Jenni had bit Of flesh re.
moved from his hand BY collision against stone the