Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1871-03-15

vert to seek men and ropes, he will come
back directly
If he is long, I replied, 4 shall moi
come up alive
My position was terrible one. The
thin ledge of ice was so narrow that
could not place both feet upon it.
could only support myself on one leg,
half resting against one!of the ice walls,
and pressing the other with my hand
The ice was smooth as mirror, there
was nothing to grasp. A stream of ice
water flowed down upoa my shoulders,
piercing me to the very bones; above
NV head I saw the long and narrow
streak of sky round whics the mouth of
the crevasse formed frame. The ice,
| which was of darkest blue color, encir-
cling me on all sides, looked threatening
and gloomy. The two walls seemed as
if they were about to meet in order to
crush me, rather than to release their
prev. Numerous water-courses streamed
down their sides, but in this extent of
more than sixty yards | could not see
any other projection or obstacle except
this ledge on which | had so miraculous.
ly fallen.
l risked looking, for one second only,
down into the terrible abyss above which
I was suspended. AT the spot where l
was, the crevasse WAS not more than two
feet wide, lower down it narrowed rap.
idly, and hundred yards below the
two sides appeared to touch each other.
I believe if | had fallen but very few
inches on either side from the narrow
bridge which had arrested me, | should
have been buried and jammed up at
depth where no rope could have reached
me. had remained about twenty min
utes in my perilous position, nerved and
muscles stretched to the almost to keep
myself there, looking at the sky above
my head and at the ice around me, but
not daring again to glance into the gulf
below. The blood WAS flowing from
wound bad received on the cheek, and
| felt that my right leg, upon which for
tunately was not resting. was severely
bruised; the left leg, however, panied by
the effort of standing and the cold was be-
ginning to give way. 1t was impossible to
change nv position without losing my
balance. The cold of the wall of ice
against which | was resting more and
more benumbed me. the water continued
to fall, and | dared not stir.
l called my companion; no one re.
Piled. | called again. Nothing! Moth.
ing! Not a human being within reach
Of nv voice. l was seized with gid
diness as terrible thought crossed my
brain.
He has gone to see if the help is
coming and be cannot find the crevasse
again, there arc hundreds such,-I am
lostp
commended my soul to God. My
strength was quite exhausted. | had
never yet given up all hope. was
seized with desire to let my myself fall
and thus put an end to this agony.
At this critical moment, | heard my
self called. NV friend had run to look
for the guide, but when be wished TO re-
turn he was horror-struck on perceiving
that the surface of the glacier was rent
by countless crevasses, all so similar that
there was not a single sign by which he
could recognize the abyss in which |
was buried alive. In this cruel perplexi-
ty God guided him to SEQ little KNAPP
sack which guide had left at the edge of
the gulf. l cried to him to look at lis
watch. Five minutes more had elapsed.
The cold was becoming more and more
intense, the blood was literally freezing
in my veins called; / asked if there
was any one 10 sight. The guide had
started thirty five minutes ago, and not
soul had yet appeared. 1t was scarcely
probable that he could return so quickly,
as we had taken three quarters of an hour
to this spot, and he had to go and to get
return.
l felt that | could hold on but very
little longer. The frail support on which
nv safety alone depended might yield at
any moment and break beneath me. /
remembered that had strong knife
in my pocket, and | resolved to make
use of it to draw myself out. / in
formed my companion of this project;
he implored me to do nothing of-the
kind; but my situation had become in-
tolerabIe. | made notch in the ice.
high enough for me to reach to it, and
large enough for me to insert my hand
in it; then about two feet above the little
bridge dug out hole sufficiently large
for me to put my foot in it. succeeded
and grasping these two points of sup
port, my back resting with all my strength
against the opposite wall, ] was able to
raise myself and keep myself firm in the
new position. l decended again upon
the bridge and began another notch
above the first. l Aattered myself that
should thus be able to escape from my
prison, but single slip, false step
would precipitate me into the abyss.
I was working diligently at my second
step when l heard joyous cry above
me Here they srel Three men with
ropes--they are running as fast their legs
can carry them
steadied myself as firmly as possible
upon the narrow aud slippery bridge, so
as to be able to seize the rope they were
about to lower, and lie it round me. |
saw the end of it swinging about two
yards above my head. May God have
mercy upon me it is too short!
We have another
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