Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1865-03-22
AN ADVENTURE IN THE ALPS.

PrO lyman SenOS 10 tue LOnucn 1 %WeS LAR
rative of rather exciting adventure in the Alps.
On the Sd of July, he and TWO friends, with couple
of guides, Jenni and Walter, assembled the Piz
Morteratsch. The ascent was accomplished safely,
but not the descent, which was made along the
Morteratsch glacier:
We at length reached the point at which it was
necessary to quit our mornings track, and imme-
diately afterwards got upon some steep rocks, which
were rendered slippery here and there by the water
which trickled over them. To our right was
broad couloir, which was once filled up with snow,
but this had been melted and re-frozen SO as to ex
pose sloping wall of ice. We were all tied to-
gether at this time in the following order: Jenni
led, I came next, then my friend H., an intrepid
mountaineer, then his friend L., and last of all the
guide Walter. After descending the rocks for a
time, Jenni turned and asked me whether thought
it better to adhere to them try the ice slope to-
our right pronounced in favor of the rocks, but
he seemed to misunderstood me- and turned toward
the coulor. He cut steps, reached the snow, and
descended carefully along il, all following him, ap-
parenty 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 detach an avalanche. The word
was scarcely uttered when heard the sound of a
fall behind me, then rush, and in the twnkling of
an eye my two friends and their guide, all apparent
ly entangled together whiIled past me. I sudden
slant was in their wake, for their impetus was IT.
resstible. A moment afterwards Jenni was whirsd
away, and thus all FIVE of US found ourselves riding
downward with uncomfortable speed on the back of
an avalanche, 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 in the ice
underneath. I had hello it firmly thus for few
seconds when came into collision with some Oh
stacle and was rudey tossed through the air, Jenni
at the same time being thrown down upon me.
Both of US here lost our batons. We had, in fact,
been carried over crevasse, had hit its lower EDGE
our great velocity causing Us to be pitched be-
yond it.
diately rghted myself and could see those in front
of me half buried id the snow, and joted from side
to side by the ruts among which they passing.
Suddenly saw them tumbled over by lurch Of
the avalanche, and Immediately afterwards found
myself initiating their motion. This was caused
by second crevssse. Jenni knew of its existence,
and plunged right into ia brave and manful act,
but for the time unavailing. He is over thirteen
stone in weight and thought that by jumping into
the chasm . strain might be put upon the rope
sufficient to check the motion. He was, however,
violently jerked out of the assure, and almost,
squeezed to death by the pressure of the rope. A.
long slope was below us, which led directly down.
wards to brow where the glacier suddenly fell in.
declivity of ice. At the base of this declivity-
the glacier cut by series Of profound chasms,
| and towards these we were rapidly borne. Tho
three foremost men rode upon the forehead of the
| avaanch, and were at times almost wholly INNER
sed in the snow; bat the moving layer was thinner
behind, and Jenni rose necessarily, and with des
| perate energy drove his feet into the frmer sub
stance underneath. His voice shouting, Halt l.
Herr Jesus, halt! " was the only one heard during
| the descent
| A kind of condensed memory, such as that de.
scribed by people who have narrowly escaped
drowning, took possession Of me, and I thought
and reasoned with preternatural clearpess as rush
ed along Our start moreover, was too sudden
and the excitement too great to admit of the devel
opement of terror The slope at once became less
Steep the speed yisibly slackened, and we thou CHI
we we're coming to rest; the avalanch, however
crossed the brow which terminated this ge,,tl,
slope, and regain-d its motion Here d. threw hi
arms around his friend, all hope for the time being
extinguished, while grasped my belt and strug
gled for instant to detach myself. Finding THU
difficult, resumed the pull upon the rope. Ny
share in the work was, l fear, inanitesimal, bu
Jenni's prwerful strain made itself felt at last
Aided, probably by slight change Of inc]ina lion
he brought the whole to rest within q short dis
lance Of the chssm over which, had We persev ere
in our speed, few seconds would have carried us
None of US suffered serious damage. H. enc ege
from the snow with his forehead bleeding but tn
wound was superficial Jenni had bit of Aes
removed from his hand by collision against
stone the pressure Of the rope had left black welt
on my arms, and we al! felt . tingiing sens: tito
over the hands, like that produced BY inci,9ier
frost bite, which continued for several daysL
} found portion of my watch chain hanging ar,,un
my neck, another portion in my pocket-the v ate
itself was gone.