Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-05-07
d@ailg empire.
lwn'ten eNprossy Tor the Daytoh EmpireI
A SU MINER In EUROPE
NO. LIV.
wENGERN ALP.

Inc next morning the sun came up "gnlkJ
aud grim and the heavy clouds looked
threatening We mounted our mules, how
ever, determined il possible to pass over ths
Wengern Alp, and started in long process
sion for the mountain The guides looked
at each other ns if they anticipated fun, but
quietly led the way. In the course OF quar-
ter Of an hour, the mist had thickened into
steady, drzzlng rain, and the ladies' be
| gan to look blue. In a few minutes more
there was halt and consultation, and be
fore we reached the river, Mr.. H. and
with single guide rode on alone
The Clerk Of the weather, had been before
of so pleasant a temper towards us, that we
were disposed TO trust in him yet, and our
faith WAS so strong, that even when the rain
came in singing drops upon our faces say.
ina vieously, and as plain as it could, 'go
back, and the guide by his looks seemed to
echo the command, we answered him; mo
si'l we are going over the Wengirn Alp this
very day" "Yieitsfcht;" he responded with
a shrug, "aber nieht trocken;" and then his
blouse having become thoroughly soaked, he
proceeded without taking it of, to encase
himself in his overcoat
This, have since heard, is the regular
Swiss way Of doing things And so we pass
cd on up the steep ascent, and the clouds
received US, and shut us out from the habita
tions of men Every now and then. the
thunder would rattle, not above US, but
around and below us, and as the clouds shift.
ed, the great peaks of the Wetterhorn, the
Eigher and the Monch; the least OF which ia
twelve thousand feet high, started out upop
US, from among them, as il they were mon.
strous ships, lifted high on the billoss of
ocean, and about TO descend upon US, and
overwhelm us with destruction At about
one o'clock, we reached the Gnberge on the
summit and found 1t full Of wet hungry, and
disoonsolate travellers like ourselves Among
them We were amazed TO see several ladies.
one party of whom, Grard Duchess OF one
OF the minor German states, with her three
beautiful, and blooming daughters, had lust
arrived, on fo0t, from Lauterbrunnen, nine
miles down the other side of the mountain
They had seen absolutely nothing since reach
ing eloud-land, and their labor thus far had
been for nothiug. Their clothing seemed to
be thoroughly wet, from head TO foot. bat they
made light Of il, and were the most Tyely
ones in all the crowded rooms Their ROSY
cheeks, their erect aud graceful fgures. thai
seemed entirely unaffected by the Tremendous
labor they had undergone and their unabnt.
ed fow of cheerfnlness, were marvels ANA
repfoofs TO us, grum masculines. who ware
bored to death, and snvage with disappoint.
ment, although wo had seen more and suffer.
ed far less than they.
After substantial dinner, Of which boiled
chamois was the principal dish, we mounted
again, and begun the descent in a cloud 40
dsnsethAt we comd not see fifty steps, having
no oecular demonstrations TO show whether
Jungfrau was within hundred yards, or a
hundred miles Of us We had not gone far |
however, when as suddenly as the scenes In |
theatre are shifted, the clouds parted and
rolled away, aud there, across the deem gorge
at our left, shining in the bright sunlight. |
unobscured from top to bottom, stood aide
by side, the three peaks Of the Monch. Juo,S
frau and Siberhorn, with their white head. |
browning vertical wall of rock eight thou.
sand feet in height--the grandesI view n
seemed to us, that ever unfodsd before the
eyes Of mortal man.
We sat and gazed ENHANCED, wondering
whether il was really OF this earth, when sud. .
denly an unusual sound smoto upon our
ears, and the guide shouted "Look At The
avalanohel' and we followed the direction OF
his finger in time TO see u mass Of ice, suEi.
cient 70 engulf aud destroy u whole village.
sweep down from the summit, and take tbs
leap over this sheer prerlpioe Of sis or eight
thousand feet, into the savage and uninhsb.
liable gorge beneath while sound reverbs.
rated througe the air, As Of buried thunder,
1t was beautiful, sublime and astounding be.
yond the power Of words TO describe, or the
imagination Of men to conceive. After one
has seen such things he can Say whether or
not, description ia faithful and powerful
but FROM description alone, no man can form
correct idea Of lhe-reahty We were look.
ing upon the scenes Of Byron's play Of Man.
fred. There on the summit Of the Juugfrau.
ia where the sisters Destinies, met on their
way to the ball OF Arimanss, their king. He
makes them speak TO each other OF those
"snows where never foot of common mortal
trodi' OF the glassy ocean Of ice, and its
rugged breakers" which he likans 10 "a tum.
bling tempests foam, frozen ia a momeut--a
dead whirlpoors image" and Of Ihat "most
steep, fantastic, pinnscle, the fretwork Of
some earthquake, where the clouds pause to
repose themselves, 10 passing By"
There is a lower peak upon which Manfred
might have stood, When he saw upon the
torrents brink beneath, the tall piaes dwin.
died as 10 shrubs, 10 dizziness Of distance"
when be hoard the 'avalanches, which a
oreHlh draws down,' crashing, ia 'freauent
conflict above aud beneath him, and from !
which he sought 70 spring, when the chAmoia
hnnter seized and detained him.
Any ore who has been amo5g these scenes