Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1871-03-22
4 TERRIBLE FIFTY MINUTES.

! exploring Switzerland, so that we had had
/ plenty of time to get used to snow and gla-
/ ciers We had made several ascents, one of
1900 feet. / well remem Der the sensation
/ | felt when / first saw one OF those crevaq-
ses which seem the surface of the glaciers.
Holding firmly by my guide hand, I leaned
over that yawning gulf, and tried to gaze
down into its terrible depth The two per-
pendicular walls of ice appeared to meet
some two hundred feet below, but 1 believe
it was only the effect Of perspective, the
rent being probably prolonged as far as the
solid rock.
"A man who falls in there is certain new
to come out alive" said one of my guides.
True, - replied the other: but | know
one who was rescued. A narrow escape in
deed it was he still lives at Grindelwald
He is a chamois hunter; he was returning
home; in descending the glacier he made a
slip and fell into a crevasse. His fall was
broken bv projecting blocks of ice, which
yielded, however, beneath his weight when
he ciung to them. When he reached the
bottom, a distance of some hundred feet he
had a leg and an arm broken. Between the
earth and the ice he found 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 of the glacier
Crevasses vary in breadth from. two &c six
feet at the mouth, bat the sides approach
rapidly as they descend, so that man may
find himself jammed in between two walls
OF ice a long time before he reaches the bet
tom, and then if ropes long enough and
strong enough are at hand, he may be saved
from dreadful death. But generally the
ropes are not long enough, and the traveller
perishes of cold or falls lower down into the
crevasse during the hours which elapse.
while some of the party have gone to the
nearest village to fetch longer ropes. Thus
an unfortunate Russian nobleman perished
in glacier near Iermatt some years ago.
We had assembled the Brevent; we now
had only the Mer de Glace and the Jardin
to visit. We slept on the Montanvert in
the solitary little inn at the foot Of the gla-
cer. Next morning we were up at dawn.
Furnished with some provisions and two
bottles Of wine, we started with our guides
1t was a splendid z1oruiog, and augured
we'll for our excursion. For half an hour
we followed rough path which skirted the
Mer de Gac which displayed below us its
surface, riven with crevices and covered
with rocks and fragments. Our road ended
at the gglcier, upon which We nov began to
descend. and to traverse IL zig zags in the
midst of numerous assures The Mer de
GIace is not considered dangerous, and it is
quite the exception to take axes and ropes
when crossing It.
Alert and ch ,erfui We nastcned on with
out taking notice of the glide, who, some
way behind, cried out to Ms several times to
he cautious and wait for him. We were
obliged at last 20 halt before vast crevasse
with length Of some sixty yards, aud end
ell upon our left in a slope Of ice, somewhat
steep, but which thought could easily
mount Using the iron spike of my alpen
stock as ha.caet. began to cut holes in
rhc ice large enough TO put my feet in. At
this moment cur guide reiojned US. b.
looked at the slope and at the yawuigr crew
asse below il, and said in a grave tone, 1T
Is dangerous; let US go round it.
With the help Of my alpenstock had
already got nall way-ap this Icy hi'locll, and
was now quite convinced that it was too
steep and slippery to be crossed without an
axe. Tac guide warning confirmed my
opinion. resolved to rstrace my steps. /
was cautiously lowering my right leg, seek
ing for the hole that | had made in the ice :;
my foot passed it; felt that | was sliding
down; there was nothing rough to stop me,
not the least projection by which I could
no ID myself in. The declivity became per
pcndicul ar, and fell into the gulf
| heard the cry of despair of my compan-
ion and my guide. My own sensations can
not be described. | was giddy and half
stunned, sent backward aad forward from
one wal! of ice to the other; | felt myself
descending to great depth, condemned to
be dashed to pieces, to die by a horrible
death. Suddenly something stopped me
felt myself suspended. took breath again,
and could cry ont, \ rope a rope =
By God $ mercy | had fallen upon mar
row ledge of ice, which formed a sort of
bridge across the crevasse. This frail sup
port, as far as | could judge was about four
inches broad and eighteen thick Ny head
hung from one side of it, my feet from the
other InstincJively and Immediately, by
what means | know not, [ raised myself up
and stood upright on this projection, where
there was hollow just large enough for
me to plant one foot.
Then heard my companion say above
me, We never hoped TO hear your voice
again trust in God and take courage. The
guide has run to Montanvert to seek men
and ropes; he viii come back Directly
"lf he is long, replied, Il shall not
come up alive.
My position was terrible one the thin
ledge of ice was so narrow that | could not
place both feet on it. l could not support
myself on one leg, half resting against one
of the ice walls, and pressing the other with
nv hand. The ice was as smooth a. = r,;--