Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-05-06
A TERRIBLE FIFTY MINUTES.

In Augnst, 1850, arrived a. Chamounix with
one OF ny iIiencs, traveller like myself. For
ABOUT hye weeks we had been exploring ) Wit
zeriand so that we had had plenty of time to
get used to snow and glaciers. We had made
several sscenis, one OF II coo feet. 1 well re-
member the sensation felt when first saw one
of those crevasses which seam the surface OF the
glaciers Holding firmly by my guides hand,
iedhed over that yaWning gulf, and tried to gaze
JoWn INTO us terrible depth. The two perpen-
Slcu,aI VALE OF Ice appeared 10 meet some two
hundred feet below, but 4 believe il was only
ne erect OF perspective, the rent being proba-
bly, prolonged TO the solid rock.
90 man who falls in there L. certain never to
come out alive" said enc of my guides.
'True," replied the other; but 1 know one
who was rescued. narrow escape indeed il
Was; he still lives at Grndelw ald. He is a cham
0ls hunter; he was returning home, in descend
ING the glacier be made a slip aud fell into
cTevasse. His fall was broken by projecting
blocks Of ice, which yielded, however, tene attn
his weight when he chung to them. When he
reached the bottom, distance OF some hundred
ieef, ne had leg and an arm broken. Between
the earth and the ice he found a hollow place.
INTO which stream was running; craving
along, suffering terrible pain, he followed the
course or the water, and in three hours he was
Crevssses vary in breadth from two to six feet
At the mouth, but the sides approach rapidly "a
they descend, so that man may ini himself
lsmDed in between two walls of ice q long Il ne
before he reaches tie bottom, and then If ropes
long enough and strong enough are at hand be
may be saved from dreadful death. But gem
orally 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 near
est village 10 fetch longer ropes Thus an un-
fortunate Russian nobleman pershed in a ela-
cIer near Zermatt, some years ago.
We had ascenied 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 glacier. Next moruiny
We we're up at dawn. Furnished with some
prONl<iGns and two bottles OF wine, we started
with our guides. IL was a splendid morning
and auglret we'll for our excursion. For IA n
a n hour We followed rough path which skirted
TIE MeT de Glaze, which displayed below Us it,
surface, Tlyen with creyices and covered with
rocks and fragments. Our road ended at the
glacier, upon which we now began % descend
and 70 traverse in Zig-z3gs in the midst OF
numerous assures. The Mer de Glace is not
r"ISIdeTed dangerous, end il is quite the excep-
ton 10 take a1es and ropes when crossing It,
Alert ana cheerful, we fastened on without
taxing notice OF the guide, who, some way be.
hind, cried cut TO Us several times to be eau
tlous and AIT fer him. We were obliged at last
10 halt before a vast creyasse with a Length OF
some sixty yards, and ended upon our Ieff in a
slope Of ice, somewhat steep, but which /
thought could easily mount. Using the iron
spike Ot my alpenstock as a Ratchet, began to
cut holes in the ice large enough to put M fsar
in. At this moment our gnids rejoined Us IN.
looked at the slope and at the yswning crevssse
below ~ ana said in grave tone, 1T is dan
With the help of my alpenstock had alreaiv
rot nan way up this icy hillock, and was now
lie OHNlhCeu tndt II was Too steep and Slip
perry TO be crossed Without an AK. The guides
warning confirmed my opinion. L resolved to
rruace my steps. was cautiously lowering NV
leg, seeking 70 tDo the hole had made in The
Zee my root psssedit il; felt that / was sliding
down; there " as nethiDg rough to stop me- not
the least projection by which could hold myself
IN, Inc teelivity became perpendicular, and
heard the cry of despair of my companion
and my guide, My own sensations can NOT Ia
described I WAS giddy and half-stunned, sent
w ~ frf.rr, 49,, =
the other; felt myself descending to a great
depth, condo mned TO be dashed to pieces, T. lie
oy horrible death. Suddenly something
breath again, and could cry out. +" A rope! a
rope
Bv Gods mercy had fallen upon a narrow
ledge OF Ice, which formed a sort OF bridge
across the creyasSe. This frail support, as far
a. could judge, was about four Inches broad
and eighteen thick. NV head hung from one
side Of 10, my feet from the other I5stincfivaIv
and immediately. by what means 1 know nor /
ralsed myself up and stood upright on this pro-
lection, where there was hollow just large
enough for ne to plant one foot.
Then 1 heard nv companion saw above me
I'VE never hoped TO hear your voice agaIn:
trast in God and take courage. The guide has
Iui, 70 Montanveft TO seek men and ropes; he
eff be Is long" replied, al shall not come
up alive"
OF Ice was 20 narrow that 1 could not place both
feet on IL could but support myself on one
leg, bali resting against one OF the Ice walls,
and pressing the other with my hand. The ice
10 grasp. A stream OF ice water flowed doWn
upon my shoulders, piercing me 70 the yery
bones, above my head saw the long and mar
row streak OF the sky around which the mouth
OF the crevssse formed a frame. The ice, which
was Of darkest blue color, encirclinz me on a IN
sldes, looked threatening and gloomy. The two
naLis seemed as II they were about to meet in
orCsr 70 crush me, rather than 70 release their
Trey. numerous water-courses streamed down
their sides, but in this extent OF more than sxtv
yards 4 could not see any other projection or
obstacle except this ledge on which II haJ a.
mlTaculously fallen.
u,o I ,s locking for one second only. down
INTO the terrible abyss, above which was sus-
pended. At the spot where I was the crevasss
was no more than two feet wide; lower down II
narrowed rapidly, and hundred yards below
the two sides appeared TO touch each other. I
believe II j bad fallen but q few inches on
either side froRthe narrow bridge which bsd
arrested me, 1 should have been buried and
lamted up az depth where no rope could
1 had remained about twenty minutes in INV
ptuloGs position, nerves and muscles stretshed
the sky above my head and at The ice aronnd
me, ont not daring gAin to glance into the euIf
below. Inc blood vas flowing from . wound
right Leg, upon which, fortunately, / was no,
resting, was severely bruised; the LETT leg, how
ever, panied by the effort of standing and the
sible 70 change my position without the rist =,
losing my balance. The cold of the vail ~ 90
against which was resting more aud more be-
numeed me. the water continued to fan, and /
dared not stir.
! called my companion; no one replied. 1
called again. Nothing, Nothing, Not . hu-
man oelns within reach Of my voice. was
seILed with giddiness as a terrible thought
che has gone 70 see if help Is coming, and he
dreds such-I am lost p, ~ 400
commented my soul to God NV strength
all hope. was seized with q desire to lar y, ~
self fall, and thus put an end 10 this svonv ny
AT the criucsl momentI heard myself called.
My friend had run TO look for the gn,Ss ~,
when he wished 70 return be was horror~struch
on perceiving that the surface OF the slaxisr -
rent BY countless creyasses, and 20 simi,a ar thai
there was not a single sign by which he could
recognize the abyss in which vas buried alive
In ths cruel perplexity God guided him 20 see
q HUE kranSack which The aliie had Lac