Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1870-11-10
THE MT. BLANC TRAGEDY.
F;,rcvyeu. Letter ef DIR Bean, ct
~ Epnsor

~
a correspondent of the Boeton Fran
script, writing from Switzerland, October
18th. gives some effecting particulars of
the search forlthe remains of The %unfortu-
nate travellers, Rev. Mn. McCerkcndale,
of Scotland. Mr.. Randall, ofQuincy, Mass,
and DIR. Beane. of Baltimore. who were
lost amidst the SHOWS of the summit of Mt.
Blanc. The bodies of Mr.. McCorkendale
and DIR. Beane were discovered on Septem-
Der 18th. twenty-five guides went up to
make the search. and these were %reinfor-
Iced by others. z Nineteen guides descend
ed the mountain with the recoverable -
dies. and the strange procession could be
plainly seen by the watchers aud villagers
below as The descent was made. The other
guides vemained searching for the body of
Mr.. Randall, which had not been found at
the date. of this letter. The writer says:
1.-The bodies proved too brittle to undress,
and were inferred In the same clothing in
which they made ascent. DIR, Beane was
found in a sitting posture his forehead res
ing on his hands. He was somewhat pro-
tectedeby an unfallen projection of snow.
Dir. MeCorkendnie. s~ittingalse apen stock
in hand, passed into his frozen sleep with
the calm lines of quiet pcacefulness made
enduring while his spirit foated restfully
on to a bright awakening. Now | come
to the letter found on the body of DIR.
Beane of which first heard last evening.
Simple and manly as it is. somewhat of its
plain force and directness has been I'M
doubtedly lost bytranslating itinto French.
I shall send to Geneva for an English copy,
if Dir. Upton, our American consul saved
one before forwarding the originalto Bal
timore : eli
DIR. BEANS LETTER.-"Tuesday, 9th
September have made the ascension of
Mont Blanc with ten other persons, eight
guides, Mr.. McCorkendale and Mr.. Ran
dali. We reached the summit at two
o'clock and a half. Immediately after
quitting it Ifound myself enveloped in a
wlirlwind of snow at l. 1000 feet English
height. We have passed the night in a
gretto dug in the snOw-an uncomfortable
asylum, and have been i'll all the night.
nth September, niorhing-Cold very
intense. Much snow. 1t falls without
cessation the guides are uneasy.
18th September, eyening.-We have
been on Mont Blanc for two days in a ter
riblc snow storm. We are lost. We are
in a grotto dug in the snow, at Il height of
1000 feet.
| have no hope of descending. Perhaps
some one will find this book and will send
it to you" Then follow directions rela-
tive to his private affairs. ''We have
no provisions. My feet are already fro
zen, and [ am entirely exhausted. have
only strength to write these words. L die
believing in Jesus Christ, with the sweet
thought of my family, my friendships, and
all. | hope that we shall meet in Hea-
ven. Yours always.
My effects are partly at the Hotel du
Mont Blanc a part are with me in two
portmantcaus. Send them by post to the
Hotel Schwietzernhoff at Geneva. Pay
my bills at the hotel. Heaven will re-
ward you for all your kindness"
But it pulls hard at our heart strings to
know that DIR. Beane and Mr.. Randall were
still alive during so many of these slow
moving hours, while we, cOuntrymen and
towns people, restlessly paced those mar
row Chamounix streets, and sped on that
brave band of departing guides. While
our eyes ever ~yearningly turned toward
those yelled heights-"night and storm
and darkness shut down and hopelessly
hid the dying from any chance of mortal
rescue.