Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-11-17
Another Terrible Accident ON Mont Blanc

Another Terrible Accident on Mont Blanc.
Paris (0ct. ~ Cor. London Times.l
The news of another disaster comes to
us from Chamounix. 1t appears that the
fine weather had attracted considerable
number of families to that place, and
among others Captain Arkwright, an
Englishman, with his mother and two
sisters. On Friday morning last he re-
solved to attempt the ascent of Mont
Blanc, and one of his sisters decided on
accompanying him as far as the Grands
Muets. Early on the following morn
ing Captain Arkwright took his depar-
ture, with two guides and a porter, and
about nine o'clock they were seen as
ceuding the Grand Plateau. In advance
of the party went Sylvan Couttet, the
proprietor of the new huts on the Grands
Mulets, attached by rope to a coach
man of the Royal Hotel, known by the
name of Nicholas, who wished to profit
by the opportunity to ascend Mont
Blanc.
On reaching the Grand Plateau the
parties agreed to take the passage which
had usually been followed before 1920,
but which was subsequently abandoned
in consequence of a catastrophe similar
to the present They adopted it in pref
erencc to the corridor, from its shorten
ing the journey by two hours, and be-
cause they calculated to have much less
ice to cut through, as was experienced
during the summer by three or four other
parties. Hf lil
They were about half an hour in their
ascent, when Sylvan Couttet, who was
in advance, suddenly heard above him a
loud detonatiou. He looked up, and TO
his horror saw an avalanche rushing
down with fearful rapidity. He instantly
shouted out to those who were below him,
Save yourselves to the right to the
rightW he threw himself in that direc-
ton, advanced few steps, struck his
staff into the snow, and clung to it with
all his might, and his companion Nicho-
las did the same. They both threw
themselves fat on their faces, ard buried
their heads in the snow.
They had hardly done so when tre-
mendous crash followed, and the i'm
mense mass thundered along quite close
to them, so close that they were all over
splashed wi the fragments of the ice.
In few minutes, when the avalanche
had passed, they raised themselves up
and looked about for their unfortunate
companions. They saw nothing-nothing
but a furrow under them, and further
down on the Grand Plateau mass OF
blocks of ice. :.
Couttet and Nicholas descended in all
haste in the same direction, and searched
everywhere in the hope of hearing cry
or a moan to indicate that some had sur
yiyed the catastrophe They III last per-
eiyed an arm. At great risk to them
selves they reached the spot, and dragged
out from between the blocks dead body,
the skull crushed and the breast laid
open. They laid it out on the snow and
resumed their search, but found nothing
more. They resolved to descend and an
nounce to the sister and the other families
there was no other hope beyond the faint
one of finding on the following day the
three other bodies buried ~ tbs ice.
They REACHED the Grands Mulets, where
Miss Arkwrigkt had been left, and IN
formed her that it was useless 10 wait
any longer, and that she herself must,
without delay, descend with them. The
writer of letter from Chamounix says :;
Imagine the scenes that took place
ths lamentations of the mothers OF the
three widows, and of the nine Orphans.
The pen is powerless to describe IL Mrs
Arkwright, bewailing her son, her two
daughters weeping for their brother but
calm and firm, and relying on the will OF
God who tries them SO eraelly. Ihey
are still waiting, nnfoFiWnsply against
hope, for the recovery of the bodies ai
the VICTIMS y
On sunday morning, hileen mon,
selected from among the most intrepid
of the population, left on the search, An
American family, who did not wish to
have their names mentioned, gave the
Mayor 25Of for the three widows. The
nsmes of the three guides who persisted
arc Franco;s n'~"rnier. whose body has
been found: Ferdinand TVarnlsr'. oi
Lois; and lllebasl simaHds Of Pecies
both places close TO GhaMoAHie,