The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-04-24
A TERRIBLE FIFTY MINUTES.

10 August, 1859, | arrived at Chamounix
with oGe Of my friends, q traveller like my
self. For about five weeks we had been
exploring Switzerland and had plenty of
time to get use to snow and GLACIERS. We
had made several ascents, one of $4,000
feet. l well remember the sensation l felt
when first saw one of the erevasses which
seam tue surface of the glaciers. Holding
tsmly by my guides hand, leaned over
the yawning gulf and tried to gaze down
into its terrible depth. The two perpen'
dicular walls of ice seemed to meet some
two hundred feet below, but believe it was
only the effect of perspective, the rent
being probably prolonged as far as the solid
rock.
"a man who falls down there is certain
never to come out alive" said one of my
guides.
True" replied the other shut l know
one who was rescued. A narrow escape
indeed 1t was; he still lives in GrIndelwaid.
he Is chamois hunter; he was returning
home; in descending the glacier he made
slip and fell into q crevasse. His fell was
broken by projecting blocks of ice, which
yielded, however, beneath his weight when
he chung TO them When he reached the
bottom, u distance of some hundred feet
he had a leg and arm broken. Between the
earth and the ice he found a hollow place
into which stream was running; crawling
along, suffering terrible pain, he followed
the course of the water, and In three hours
he was out ofthe glacier"
Crevasses vary in breadth from two TO
SIX feet at the mouth, bu! the sides approach
rapidly as they Descend so that R.man may
find himself ismme1 in between two walls
of ice long time before he reached the
bottom, and then if ropes long enough and
strong enough Are at hand, he NAV be saved
from dreadful death. But generally the
ropes are not long enough, aud the traveller
perishes of cold, or falls lower down into
the erevAsse during the hours which eiaPse
while some of the party have gone TO the
nearest village to fetch longer ropes.
Thus an unfortunate Russian noblemAn per
ished 10 q glacier near ZermRtt some years
ago.
We had assembled the Breyent we now
had only the Mer de Glsce and the Jardin
TO visit. We slept on the Montanvert in the
solitary little inn at the foot of the glacier.
Next morning we were up o. dawn. Fur
nlshed with some provisions aud two bottles
of wine, we started with our guides. Il was
e splendid morning, and argued well for our
excursion. For half en- hour we followed q
rough path which skirted she Mer de Glsce,
which displayed below US its surface, riven
with orevssses aud covered with rocks and
fragments Our road ended at the glacier
upon which we now began to descend, and
to traverse in zig Gags in the mids. of numer-
Gus assures. Tae Mer de Glace is not con
nd ~ "a -
ception to take axes snd ropes when cross
iug it.
Alert and cheerful we fastened on
without taking notice of the guide, who.
some way behind, cried out to US several
times to be cautious and wait for him
We were obliged at last TO halt before q
vast crevasse with length Of some sixty
yards, and ended upon our left in slope OF
ice, somewhat steep, but which thought
could easily mount Using the iron spike
OF ny Rlpen stock as u Ratchet, | began to
cut holes in the ice large enough to put ny
feet in. At this moment our guide rejoined
US. He looked at the slope and q. the
yswning crevasse below it, and said in
grave tone:
1T is dangerous; let US go round it,"
With the help OF my slpen stock had
already got half wey up this icy hiliock, and
was now quite convinced that it was TOO
steep ana slippery to be crossed without en-
axe. The guides warning confirmed nv
opinion. resolved TO retraee nv steps.
| was cautiously lowering my right leg,
seeking for the hole that l had made in
the ice my foot passed it felt that as
sliding down there was nothing rough
TO stop me ; not the least projection by
which could hold myself in. The decliy-
ity became perpendicular, and | fell into
the gulf.
heard the cry of despair of my compsn
ion and my guide. Ny own sensations can
not be described. WAS giddy and half
stunned, sent backward and forward from.
one wall of ice to the other l felt myself
descending to q great depth, condemned to
be dashed to pieces, to die by horrible
death. Suddenly something stopped me;
fell myself suspended. l took breath again,
and could cry out "a rope! roper
By Gods mercy l had fallen upon mar
row ledge of ice, which formed sort of
bridge across the crevasse. This frail sup
port, as far as | could Judge, was about four
inches broad and eighteen thick. My head
hung from one side of it, my feet from the
other. Instnctiyely and Immediately, by
what means know not, | raised myself NJ
and stood upright on this projection, where
there was hollow Just large enough for me
TO plant one foot.
Then l heard my companion say above
me, owe never hoped TO hesr your voice
again trust il God and take courage. The
guide has run to Montanvert to seek meu
and ropes; he will come back directly"
"lf he is long," / replied, al shall no
como up alive"
My position was q terrible one the thin
ledge of ice YVES so marrow that could no
place Doth feet on it. ! could only supper
myself on one leg, half resting against one
of the ice walls, and pressing the other will
my hand. The ice was az smooth as q mir
ror-ihere was nothing to grasp. A stream
Of ice water flowed down my shoulders
piercing me to the very bones; above my
head saw the long and narrow streak o
the sky around which the mouth of the crew
Gsse formed frame. The ice, which wal
of the darkest blue color, encircling me or
all sides, looked threatening and gloomy
The two walls seemed as if they were abou
to meet IN order to crush me, rather than tC
release their prey. Numerous water courses
stresmed down their sides, but in thi.
extent OF more than sixty yards | could not
see any other projection or obstacle except
this ledge on which ! had so tremendously
fallen.
rsked looking, for one second only,
down into the terrible abyss, above which
was suspended. At the spot whore | was,
the crevssse was rot more than two feet
wide; lower down it narrowed rapidly, and
E hundred yards below the two sides sp-
peared to touch the other. | believe if
had fallen but q few inches on either side
from the narrow bridge which had arrested
me, should have been buried end jammed
up at depth where no rope could have
reached me.
had remained about twenty minutes in
my perilous position, nerves and muscles
stretched to the utmost to keep myselfih there
looking at the sky above my head and at
the ice around me, but not daring again to
ii ~ koI IA