Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1864-12-01
AN ADVENTURE IN THE ALPS.

Professor Tyndall sends to the London
Times narrative of a rather exciting ad.
venture in the Alps. On the Sd of July he
and two friends, with a couple Of guides
Jcnni and Walter, aSccndcd the Piz Mon
tcratach. The ascent was accomplished
which was made along the Mortcraschc,
glacier
We at length reached the point at which
1t was necessary to quit our mornings track
| and Immediately afterwards got upon some
steep rocks, which were rendered slippery
here and there by the water which tricllcd
over them. To our right was a broad cou-
loir, which was once filled with SNOW, but
this had been melted and rc-frJzen, so as to
expose a slopimg wall of ice. We were all
tied together at this time in the following
order: .Jcnni led | came next, then my
friend II, an entrepid mountaincer, then his
friend l., and last Of all, the guide Walter.
After descending the rocks for time. Jeu
hi turned and asked me whether ! Thought
it better to adhere to them or t. try the ice
slope to our right | pronounced in favor
| of the rocks, but he seemed 10 misunder-
stand me, and turned towards the couluir
He cut steps, reached the snow, and de-
seconded carefully along it, all following
him, apparently in good order.
After little time he stopped, turned.
anG looked upwards at the last three men.
He said something about keeping carefully
in the tracks, adding that a false step might
dctach an avalanche. The word was scarce
~ uttered when heard the sound Of fall
behind me, then a rush, and in the twink
ling Of an eye my two friends and their
guide, all apparently cntangled together,
whirrcd past me. suddenly planted my
self to resist their shock but in an instant
| was in their wake, for their impetus was
irrisestable. a moment afterwards, Junni
was whlrled away, and thus all five of us
found ourselves riding downwards with I'M
comfortable speed on the back of an ava
lanche, which single slip had originated.
When thrown down by the jerk of the rope
| turned promptly on my face and drove my
baton through the moving snow, seeking to
anchor it i'll the ice underneath. | had held
it firmly thus for a few seconds, when |
came into collision with some obstacle. and
was rudely tossed through the air, Jcnni at
the same time being shot down upon me.
Both Of us here lost our bat0ns We had.
i'll fact, been carried over Il crevcssc, had
hit its lower edge, our great velocity caus-
ing us to be pitched beyond it.
81 was quite bcwildered for moment.
but Immediately righted myself, and could
see those in front of me half buried in the
snow, and jolted from side to side by the
ruts among which they were passing. Sud
denly ! saw them tumbled over by a lurch
of the avalanche, and Immediately after
wards found myself initiating their motion.
This was caused by a second crcvasSc Jen-
III knew of its existence, and plunged right
into it-a brave and manful act, but for the
time unavailing. He is over thirteen stone
III weight, and he thought that by Jumping
into the chasm a strain might be put upon
the rope sufficient to check the motion. lie
was, however, violently .jerked out of the
| 1issurc, and almost squeezed to death bv
! the pressure of the rope A long slope was
below us, which led directly downwards to
brow where the glacier suddenly fell in d
dcclivity of ice. At the base Of this de-
/ cIivity the glacier was cut by series OF
! profound chasms, and towards these we
We're now rapidly borne The three fore.
most men rode upon the forehead of the
/ avalanche, and were, at times, almost Who'll
! ly immersed iii the snow but the moving
! lava was thinner bching, and Jenni rose
necessarily and with desperate energy
drove his feet into the frmer substance un
dernoath. His voice shouting, Halt Hel
Jesus, halt y was the only one heard dur
ing the descent
| x kind Of condensed memory, such as