Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-03-16

A TERRIBLE FIFTY MINUTES.
From Chatterbox.l

we had been exploring Switzerland, 81
that we had plenty of time to get usec
to snow and glaciers. We had made
several ascents, one of l4,009 feet
well remember the sensation | felt when
first saw one of those creyasses which
seam the surface of the glaciers. Hold
ing firmly by my guides hands, j leaned
over that yawning gulf, and tried to gaze
down into its terrible depth. The two
perpendicular walls of ice appeared tc
meet some 300 feet below, but / believe
it was only the effect. of perspective, the
rent being probably prolonged as far as
the solid rock. arr -frrssr.-4t,,
A man who falls in there is certain
never to come out alive, = said one of my
guides. tcDf FaA W
. True" replied the other, but ]
know one who was rescued. A narrow
escape indeed 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 by pro-
jecting blocks of ice, which yielded, how
ever, beneath his weight when he clung
to them. When he reached the bottom,
distance of some hundred feet, he had
leg and an arm broken. Between the
earth and the ice he found hollow place
into which stream was running; crawl
ing along, suffering terrible pain, he fol-
lowed the course of the water, and in
three hours he was out of the glacier, "
Crevasses vary in breadth from two
to six feet, at the mouth, but the sides
approach rapidly as they descend, so
that man may find himself jammed in
between two walls of ice along time be-
fore he reaches the bottom, and then if
ropes long enough and strong enough
are at hand, it is possible to save him
from dreadful death, But generally
the ropes are not long enough, and the
traveller perishes of cold, or fails 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 Rus
sian nobleman perished in a glacier near
Zermatt, some years ago.
We had ascended to Brevent; we now
had only the Mer de Glace and the Jar
din to visit. We slept on the Montan-
vert in the solitary little inn at the foot
of the glacier Next morning we were
up at dawn. Furnished with some pro-
visions and two bottles of wine, we
started with our guides. 1t was a splen-
did morning, and augured well for our
excursion. For half oan hour we fol-
lowed rough path which skirted the
Mer de Glace, which displayed below us
its surface, riven with crevasses and
covered with rocks and fragments. Our
road ended at the glacier, upon which
we now began to descend, and to traverse
in zig-zags in the midst of numerous fis-
sures. The Mer de Glace is not con-
sidered dangerous and il is quite the
exception to take axes and ropes when
it. -nrfnuanF
Alert and cheerful we hastened 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
vast crevasse with length of sixty
yards, and ended upon our left in slope
Of ice, somewhat steep, but which
thought | could easily mount. Using
the iron spike of my alpenstock as
hatchet, | began to cut holes in the ice
large enough to put my feet in. At this
our guide rejoined US. de
looked at the slope and at the yawning
crevasse below it, and said in q grave
tone, ut is dangerous; let US go round
it," lf N9Ifl !
With the help of my alpenstock / had !
already got half way up this icy hillock,
and was now quite convinced that it was |
100 steep and slippery to be crossed |
without an ak. The guides warning |
confirmed my opinion. Iresolved to re-
race my steps. 1 was cautiously lower
ng my right leg, seeking for the hole
hat | had made in the ice; my foot |
passed it felt that Twas sliding down
here was nothing rough to stop me, not
he least projection by which could hold
myself in. The decliyity became per
and fell into the gulf
l heard the cry of despair Of my com
,anion and my guide. My own sensa
ion cannot be described. | was giddy
md half stunned, sent backwards and
orwards from one wall of ice to the
,ther; / felt myself descending to great
Iepth, condemned to be dashed to pieces,
o die by horrible death. Suddenly |
omething stopped me; l felt myself sus-
,ended ] took breath again, and could
ry out, a rOpel roper'
BY Gods mercy ! had fallen upon a
arrow ledge Of ice, which formed a sort
{ bridge across the crevasse. This frail
import, as far as | could judge, was
bout four inches broad and eighteen
hick. My head hung from one side of
!, my feet from the other. Instinctively
nd Immediately, by what means know
ot, l raised myself up and stood up
ight on this projection, where there was
hollow just large enough for me to
liant one foot
Then ! heard my companion say above
he, "We never hoped to hear your voice
gain; trust in God and take courage.
he guide has run to Montanvert to seek
len and ropes; he will come back di-
ectly." otIla
a If he is long" | replied, II shall
OF come up alive"
My position was terrible one; the
lin ledge Of the ice was so narrow that
could not place both feet on it. /
Ould only support myself on one leg,
alf resting against one of the ice walls,
nd pressing the other with my hand.
he ice was smooth as a mirror, there
as nothing to grasp. A stream Of ice
ater flowed down upon my shoulders,
iercing me 10 the very bones; above
" head / saw the long and narrow :
reak Of sky round which the mouth Of
le creyasse formed frame. The ice, E
hich was Of the darkest blue color, en- i
rcling me on all sides, looked threaten Q
x and gloomy. The two walls seemed 7
J If they were about 70 meet in order to q
-ush me, rather than to release their
rey. Numerous water courses streamed Q
own their sides, but in this extent Of