The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-11-29
The Great 81. Barnard-Its Monks
It's Histsry-Its Accommoda atlons-
It's Celebrated Dogs.
Correspondence In liana,olis Jo,rn,,

81. Bernard. Let Us imagine oarselve.
approaching it from she South by the
Aosta road. The traveller does not See il
unu. he gets almost to it. The first view
OF /, IL from the end of lake about 500
feet long; at the other end of this lake i,
the summit OF the pass, and there stand,
the 1Iospice, which consists of two white
bulidIuSs; one Is u massive fve-story eii
ice, dating from the middle of the lS.h
century; ii could compare it to ANYTHING.
1t would be TO Il large American -four mill.
The other, three story building. is about
tenth the size Of the first, and serves as
! grahary, and "a refuge In case Of fire. The
road passes between these two bull iincs.
Above aud around are bare, c,aggy noun
tans, which enclose the view, and 10 which
there seems to be an outlet Before US are
the wasers OF a dull aud quiet lake, which
Is frozen over during eight months of the
year. Between rhe HospIce and the lake
Is space OF about $50 feet, over half of
which Is taken up by mass of dirt cover
ed SHOW. In the gorgcs and on the sides
of the surrounding mountains is also seen
considerable amount of snow and Ice
such Is a. hasty picture OF this desolate
place. As soon as We en,ered the Hospice.
We Were coniucted by one of she brethren
to our room, AMI we found it furnished in
regular hotel style. Supposng Us to be
thirsty, we were immediately invited down
into the saie 4 manger, where we found
wine and water set before Us.
At SIX clock the bell rang for supper :;
L never enjoyed better or more substan
tlaI meal. We iounI here eight travellers,
live ladies aud three gentlemen. The la
dies We're American, the gentlemen Eng
ilsn. After supper the whole party re-
manned several hours In the sale manger.
which answers the purpose of both par
lor aud suton. La this room is a fine har-
monIum. the gift of the Prince OF Wales.
and also II splendid piano, the gift Of a
number OF Eukilsh ladies'. q lite natural
~ aihsng live American ladies, We found
few VINO knew how to touch the piano.
consequently, part OF the evening vas
spent i'll the enjoyment of music. After
the music had ceased, although We were
strangers TO each other, We all gathered
around the fireplace, anI there, Deiure a
pleasant aud genial fire, talked over the
things that the OCCASION and place could
suggest.
During the whole evening we had one of
the Brethren with uS-a very Polite and re-
nneu inan-Wno, IN answer to our que Ons,
kindly related all he Knew about the Hos
plce, aud especially Incidents ut its last few
years history. We had before supper
gone out AMI looked into the morgue, or
charnel house, winch Is stone buldlny,
and serves Tor depository for the oodlu,
OF all those who perish In the snow Tne
dead house Is tut tew steps from the
Ho,pice. The ground on the inside Is GOV
cred 10 the depth OF foot with the bone,
and skulls UT ul,lniegrateu human Skeie-
tohS. Leanlng against the walls of rh. in
terror are 1our CHASTITY, halt decumposed
corpseo three are those Of men, whii1 the
other, 10y Its long hair, Is easily recognized
to be the corpse Uf woman. Three or
iuur pereons-the fist for ten years-per-
lshtd IN the SHOW la>i wlatcr, no. over 200
yards from the H,apce
DuiihS our evening conversation Mons
fere explained to Us every particular re-
iailns To the deaths of these tour unturtu
uaie travellers. The first We're u man aud
his vile 1t Was cock, 18th of N,vem
Der, Wlcn they passed the last chalet
about hour and u halt mlies from here The
road mender advised them not TO 20 any
further that day, as at that hour 1t was al
ready dark ; regardless of his advice th.y
hurried On, We're caught in a snow storm,
of rock near the Hospice, and were there
frozen 20 death, the two embracing each
othe /; next morniag they were found by
the keen scented Bernard dogs, and shortly
afterwards placed III this unpleasant look.
Ing charnei house A few weeks su5se.
1uently. four Italians We're crossing the
Alps 10y tins route; 1t was the same time in
the evening as before when they passed the
asst .i,st- thn, "a, ! /
tonhief advice, rs those before than had
iohe tue night brought on fierce snow
stotin;ithey had almost galnei the lIospice
out when within a hundred yards of it they
lost Their route the next morning, as the
Usual winter explorations We're male with
! the 0ogs, they party was found Two hal
oeen frozen 10 death the other two, al.
though enveioped for fourteen hours in
SNOW, yet by having taken vigorous exer
ciae during that time, experienced no other
harm than severe freezing of their hand,
and feet.
st. Bernard, S.ll7 feet above the level OF
the sea, Is the highest wiuter habitation III
he Alps. Humbot in his Kosmos state,
that the mean temperature Of this Ga>pie.
l45 n. lal. is 30 Farcnhei, lin winter
ID In summer As aud that such a low
temperature would only be found in the
p!aln at - for instance, at the south capl
OF Spltz5ergen.
| The brotherhood of Ga,pier consists o
from ten to Fl teen Augu>tin monks and
seven at'eniants, whose business is to re-
ceive and accommodate strangers gratuti
tlou>iy. and TO render assistance to traveller.
in danger during the snowy season. whict
here lasts nearly nine months. In thi
work of benevolence the interior creation
are taught to lend their assistance the St
Bernard dogs are universally known anc
admired; from the keen sense OF smell they
possess, they are enabled to search GU
travellers exposed after heavy fails of snos
to the utmost peril, numbers of whom hav,
been rescued by these noble and sagaciou
animals. There are only eight dogs at tn
CASPER at present these are large an
strong, with short hair of white or darl
brown color, sometimes mixed. They al
ways seem to be delighted at the appcaranc
OF stranger, fol they at once approach
him in order to receive his caresses.
This Hospice was at one time very rich
but is at present supported by the Frencl
anI Italian Governments, as we'll az b
annual collections made in Switzerland