The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1864-12-03
60 Lt-. ..t# - '-.. VA
An Adventure i'm the Alps,
PROFESSOR rYSpALL DESCENDING A GLACIER.


PROFESSOR rYNDALL DESCENDING GLACIER.
Professor Tyndall sends to the London lc
Times narrative of rather exciting ad-
venture in the Alps. On the Sd of July, il
he and two friends, with couple of guides, Z
Jenni and Walter, assembled the Piz Nor 8
teratch. The ascent was accomplished /
safely, but not the descent, which was
made along the Morteratch glacier: d" ID
''We at length reached the point at 0
which it was necessary TO- quit ourymorn-
ing's track, and Immediately afterwards got j
upon some steep rocks, which were render
ed slippery here and there by the water I
which trickled over them. To our right
was a broad coulor, which was once filed /
with snow, but this had been melted and
refrozen, so as to expose a sloping wall Of
ice. We were all tied together at this time
in the following order, Jenni led, came
next, then my friend H., an intrepid noun
taineer, then his friend L., and last of all
4 the guide Walter. After descending the
rocks for time, Jenni turned and asked
me whether thought it better to adhere to
them or to try the ice slope to the right.
pronounced in favor of the rocks, but he
seemed to misunderstood me, and turned
towards the couloir. He cut steps, reached |
the snow, and descended carefully along it,
all following him, apparently in good order.
"After a little time he stopped. turned. !
land looked upwards at the last three men. |
: He said, something about keeping carefully
in the tracks, adding that false step
nigh. detatch an Nv alanche. The word was
scarcely uttered when heard the sound of
: fall behind me, theu rush, andain the
Itwinkling of an eye ms two friends and
. = their guide, all apparently entangled to-
gether whirled past me. | suddenly plant
, ed myself to resist their shock, but in an
: instant was in their wake, for their i'm
:. pstus was irresistible. A moment after
wards Jenni was whirled away, and thus
all fye of us found ourselves riding down
=. wards with uncomfortable speed on the
back of An avalanche, which a single slip
e had originated. When thrown down by the
= ierh of the rope, turned promptly On my
T. face and drove my baton through the NOV
in ing snow, seeking to anchro it on the ice
underneath. had held it firmly thus for
fsH seconds, when | came in collision
- with some obstacle, and was rudely tossed
through the air. Jenni at the same time
z. being shot down upon me. Beth of US
here lost our batons. We had, in fact, besn
> carried over a cravasse, had hit its lower
- tedge, our great velocity causing US to be
pitched beyond it. s1-t
81 was quito bewildercd for a moment
but Immediately righted myself, and coulc
see those in front OF me half buried in tht
'rk snow and jolted from side to side by th'
. ruts among which they were passing. Sud
denly saw them tumble over by iurch
M the avalanche, and Immediately afterward
md found myself initiating their motion. Thu
was caused by a second crevasse. jenn
MI
- into ia brave and manful act, but 10
'n' the time unavailing. He is over thrice
stone weight. and he thought that by jump
ing into the chasm = strain might be pu
upon the rope sufficient to stop the motor
'' lie was, however, violently jerked out
, the fissure, and was almost squeezed
death by the pressure of the rope. lon
slope was below US, which led dlrecti
= dowuw ards to q brow where the glacier sue
denly fell into declivity of ice. At 1t
base Of this declivity the glacier was CT
bv serie- of profound chasms, and tov
KS ards these we were now rapidly borne
The three foremost men rose upon the for
head of the avalanche, and were, at time
almost wholly immersed in the snow; b
the moving layer was thinner behind, al
Z. Jenni rose incessantly, and, with despera
energy. drove his feet into the firmer gu
- stance underneath. His voice shoutin
Haiti Herr Jcses, halt = was the only o
heard during the descent.
rvs "A kind of condensed memory, such
that described by people who have mario
IE. llv. escaped drowning, took possession
me: and thought and reasoned with p
ternatural clearness as rushed along. U
atart. moreover, wss too sudden and
- excitement too great to permit OF the
velopment of terror. The slope at 9
place became less steep, the speed WISH
'sn .n slackened, and we thought we were com
t low to rest; the avalanche, however, cros'
the brow which terminated this gentle sl'
- and regained its motion. here d tnl
his arms around his friend, all hope Tor
tor time being e1tinguished, whiie srasl
cd to my belt and struggled Tor an instant 70
tn the tach mysslf. Finding tnis oimcuit,
,onest sumea tn pull upon the rope. My share
.sa the work was, L fear, infnitessimal,
- Senp;,s powerful strain made itself felt
SE last. Aided probably by slight chang
'oh inclination, be brought the whole to i
Vir. within short distance Of the chasms
q which, mad we preserved our speed,
SSrr, seconds would have carried US, nome
~ L hus auffercd serious dam sges. IL. emer
! Mol from the snow with his forehead bleed
,l but the wound WAS superficial. tennl
ERLY DIT Oh nesh roiio'oo = ..,'ra of
z been llsion agaihs'e q s'phe nS .,,s
facil- rope haa Aeit o'".N 90 -,
srders. we all experlencea atinSnhS
1d the the hands, like that proaIceu DV lhcip
e mar frost- bite. which continued for several
obtain 'ounu Pe a,l,l on,tbar norton in
proper ing rouha ny - ao,o .,
ctfullJ pocket-the watch itseiA WAC s'"s'
-. \ tTHR GUARDIANS OF TIE FLAG..W
NJ. D. Beard. in the East, has nearly hnisn
IA picture entitled .'The Guardians ol, on
,Ns. Flag" Of a patriotic character. on n
rocky peak Of ann mountain nnno;,sS s'1d br .he
the American flag foats,; ana below