Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-14
a Terrible Fly Minutes.

land, so that we had had plenty of time to get
used to snow and glaciers. We had made sew
eral asceuts, one of $4,000 feet. l well remem-
Der the sensation felt when first saw one Of
those crevasses which seam the surface of the
glaciers. Holding firmly by my guides hand
leaned over that yawning gulf, and tried to gaze
down into its terrible depth. The two perpen-
dicular walls of ice appeared to 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
"a MIN who falls in there is certain never to
come out alive" said one of my guides.
"True," replied the other; "bnt 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 de-
Scending the glacier he ma slip and fell into
q crevasse. His fall was broken by projecting
blocks of ice, which yielded, however, beneath
his wei ht when he chung 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; 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 to six
feet, at the mouth, but the sides approach rap
idly as they descend, SO that man may find
himself damned in between two walls of ice
long time before he reaches the bottom, and
then if ropes long enough and strong enough
are at hand, it is possible to save him from a
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, swhile some of the party
have gone to the nearest village to fetch longer
ropes Thus an unfortunate Russian nobeman
perished in a glacier near Zermatt, some years
ago.
We had assembled the Brevent, we now had
only the Mer de Glace and the Jardiu to visit,
We slept on the Montanvert in the solitary lit
tie inn at the foot of the glacier Next morning
we were up at dawn. Furn shed with some pro-
visions and two bottles of wine, we started with
our guides. 1t was a splendid morning, and
augured well for our excursion. For half an
hour we followed rough path which skirted
the Mer dc Glaze, 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 nu-
merous assures. The Mer de Glace is not con-
sidered dangerous, and it is quite the exception
to take axes and ropes when crossingit.
Alert and cheerful we fastened on without
taking notice Of the guide, who, some way be-
hind, cried out to us several times to be cautious
and wait for him. We were Obliged at last to
halt before vast creyasse with a 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
my a1penstock as a Ratchet, began to cut holes
in the ice large enough to put my feet in, At
this moment our guide rejoined us. He looked
at the slope and at the yawning crevasse below
it, and said in grave tone, ut is dangerous;
let us go round it."
With the help of my alpenstocl had already
got half way up this icy hillock, and was now
quite convinced that it was too steep and slip
perry to be crossed without an axe. The guides
warning confirmed my opinion. | resolved to
retrace my steps. was cautiously lowering my
right leg, seeking 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 could
hold myself in, The declivity became perpen-
dicular, ard fell into the gulf.
heard the cry of despair of my companion
and my guide. My own sensation cannot be
described. ] was giddv and half stunned, sent
backwards and forwards from one wall of ice to
the other; felt myself descending to a great
depth, condemned to be dashed to pieces, to die
by an horrible death. Suddenly something stop
ped me, felt myself suspended. l took breath
again, and could cry out, "a ropel ropeI'
BY Gods mercy had fallen upon a narrow
ledge of ice, which formed sort of bridge
across the crevasse. This frail support 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. lnstinchvely aud
Immediately, by what means know not, raised
myself up and stood upright on this projection,
where there was a hollow just large enough for
me to plant one foot.
Then heard my companion say above me,
ave never hoped to hear your voice again; trust
in God and take courage. The guide has ran to
Montanyert to seek men and ropes, he will come
back directly"
off he is long" replied, 81 shall not come up
alive"
My position was terrible one, the thin Ledge
of ice was so narrow that l could not place both
feet on it. could only support myself on one
leg half resting against one of the ice walls, and
pressing the other vita nv hand. The ice was
smooth as Il mirror, there was nothing to grasp
stream of ice water flowed down upon my
shoulders, piercing me to the very bones; above
my head saw the long and narrow streak of
the sky round which the mouth of the crevasse
formed a frame. The ice, which was of darkest
blue color, encirclinT me on all sides, looked
threatening and gloomy. The two walls seemed
as If they were about 10 meet IN order to crush
me, rather than to release their prey. Numer-
GUS water-courses streamed down their sides
but in this extent of more than sixty yards i
could not see any other projection or obstacle ex-
cept this ledge on which had so miraculously
fallen.
| risked looking, for one second only, down
into the terrible abyss, above which | was sus-
pended. AT the spo where was, the crevasse
was not more than two feet wide, lower down if
narrowed rapidly, and hundred yards below
the two sides appeared to touch each other, |
believe if had fillen but very few inches on
either side from the narrow bridge which had
arrested me, | should have been buried and
damned up at depth where no rope could have
reached me.
had remained about twenty minutes in nv
perious position, nerves and muscles stretched
to the utmost 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 a wound
had received on the cheek, and felt that nv
riUhf Loo moon which fortunately 1uns mot raot.
ing, was severely bruised, the left leg, however,
panied by the effort of standing and the cold
was beginning 10 give way. 1t was impossible
to change my position without the risk of 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.
| called my companion; no one replied |
called again. Nothing! Nothing! Not a hui
man being within reach of my voice. was
seized with giddiness as a terrible thought
crossed my brain.
"He has gone to see if the help is coming, and
he cannot find the crevasse again, there are hun
dreds such-I am lostP
commended my soul to God. My strength
was quite exhausted. ! had neyeryet given up
all hope. was seized with a desire to let my
self fall, and thus put an end to this agony.
At this critical moment, heard myself called.
My friend had run TO look for the guide but
when he wished to return he was horror-struck
on percelVn9 That the surface OF the glacier was
rent ty countless crevasses, and so similar that
there was not single sign by which he could
recognize the abyss in which was buried alive.
In this cruel perplexity God guided him to see
| little knaasack which the guide had left at the
edge of the gulf. I cried to him to look at his
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 in sight. The
| guide had star ed thirty-iye minutes ago, and
not soul had yet appeared. 1t was scarcely
| probably that he could return so quickly as we
| had taken three-quarers Of an hour to get to
this spot, and he had to go and return
| felt that could hold on but very little long
| er. The frail support on which my safety alone
| depended might yield at any moment and break
beneath me remembered that had long
knife in my pocket, and resolved to make use
| of it to draw myself out. | informed my com
panion of this project; he implorcd me to do
nothing Of the kind; but my situation had be-
| come int0erable. | mldS notch in the ice,
| high enough for me to reach to IT, and large
enough for me to insert my hand in iii then
about two feet above the little bridge dug out
out hole sufficiently large for me to place nv
footin it. l succeeded, and graspiGg these two
| points of support. my back resting with all my
strength against the opposite wall, was able 10