The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-02-03
Perils of the Great st. Bernard,

lost their lives on the Great St Bernard
mountain. They had been travelling from
Martingy towards the italian frontier.
with the intention of resting for fhe night
in the famUns Hospice that stands almost
on the boundary line between Switzerland
and Italy. BY seven o'clock IN the even
ing they reached little inn on the way
TO the monastery; they bad still TO Jour
ney for seven toilsome miles before reach>
ing the monkish place If wei, o-ne; and,
SINCE the night was dark and stormy, ;he
inn keeper besoueht them to wait until
the morning. Being poor they refused.
They belonged to that class of poverty
stricken pilgrims who are constantly pass
ing between Switzerland and Italy. and
who carry all their woi ldiv goods IN
knapsack of untanned deer's hide A
few minutes will snlffce to take such trav>
eIers from any part of the great Canton
Valias 10 Aosta.
They shun inns with horror. as places
OF Unscrupuluus exiOrtiOn; and their aim
is 70 break the journey at the Hospice,
where they get food and lodging for the
night free of charge, and in tile morning
are provided with the necessaries of travel
on the same benevolent terms Hence,
although the night was pitchy DARK, and
the wind was coming down with hurri~
cane>like gusts, from the great mountains
that shut in The valley, the three travellers
resolved that they would push on to the
Hospice. Soon after leaving the Cantn
they began to ascend a winding, rocky
and steep path, tich overhanes "a howl
ing torrent and leads to the Monastery
The road Is perhaps one of the roughest
in Europe. So many rocks iut out, SO
sharp are the turns round the course of
the brook, and so steep are some of the
ascents, that even a mule might be par
doned for slipping. When tue night is
dark and the mists come down, the path
could scarcely be kept, even by man
who had daily traverscd il for years and
the only safeguard would he the rua ing
of the torrent The ascent is SO steep
that, after couple of hours ciim bing,
the traveller finds himself seven thousand
feet above the level of the sea; and at
that elevation, even after the hottest days
of August. the cold is at nightfaIl ofien
intense. On the night of the fatal acci-
dent all these periis were combined. So
black was the sky that the wayf;,rcrs had
slowly 10 group along by means of the
precipice which hens in the side Of the
path farihest from the torrent. Had the
moon been up, they Nigh; have been guild
Ell bv the poles which the monks have
planted in direct line from the H0spce
-, tI, 4 ho Il
when tile path is covered with snow. and
the torrent Is frozen But in the pitchy
dsrinlss, the friendly baacons were OBJ
scured. Hence the travellers seem to have
again and again been brought To Il stan l.
still, before reaching that ford OF the brook
at which the road dips, and then goes up
with one swift spring To the spot where
the great barrack like I1USpice guides and
cheers the benighted traveller by lis beacon
light The poor pilgrims were 80 near TO
the blaze, that, had they been able to
exert themselves for few minutes longer,
they would have been safe. But the
toll and the cold had SD paralyzed their
faculties that they could not proceed one
step further they were overcome by that
effect of intense cold and within sight
ot The friendly CLEAN, that beckoned to
them overhead, all three travellers laid
down and died.
On The Great ST Bernard the winter
season begins soon and ends late. AL
ready it is winter beside the muuntain
dwelling and during the long months
q, 81
cold makes travelling perilous, it is the
daily custom of the good monks to iour-
ney as far as the bottom of the pass in
order that they may lend assistance to
any Traveller who may have dropped by
the way Clad in their long black serse
gowns and bread brimmed bats, accom4
panied by attendants who carry wine and
provisions for the restoration "f the wear
led or faint travellers. and guided by the
famous st. Bernard dogs, which do tie
work of pointers, two or three monks
daily made the seven miles journey TO The
valley below, Until the occurrence of
the late accident, they had not for some
years found any traveller dead, or beyund
the aih of restOrativcs Gradually, in
deed. the pe'ils of the terrible path have
become 50 fully appreciated that even the
poorest traveller shrinks from attempting
the ascent to the monastery afior night
fall, if the ground is covered with snow,
or if the great storm gusts blow down
from the hills. The three who have last
fallen victims, however was less discreet ;
! and next morning when the searching
party of the monks had proceeded TO I,
shout distance from the Hospice, they
! found The bodies stiff and celi TaeY
were taken to tie huls "mo~Gpe" which
{. situated az s'ert distaaee from tbe
p,inc,pai baiiiin., "f hc mso3stery an
in ihat naked m,usolem the remains vii
abide With otber relics Of mortality, uu-