Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-03-17
VOL. ".

I Si'N'N AVAhNN AAEN1RNAitlA anu ktNNhiN AAS
two walls seemed as II they were about 20
meet in order 60 crush ne, rather than 90
release their prey. Numerous water
courses stroSmed down their sides, bat in
this extent Of more than sixty yards !
could not see any other projection or OBJ
stacle except this ledge on which | had 10
miraculously fallen.
riskcd looking, for one second only,
down into the terrible abyss, above which
| was suspended. At the spot where |
was, the creYaSSe was not more than two
Z icvt wide, lower down IL narrowed rapidly,
aud hundred yards below the two sides
appeared 20 touch each other. ! believe ii
I | had fallen but avery few inches ON either
side from the narrow bridge which bad ar
rested me, | should have been buried and
4 iammed up at depth where no rope could
have reached me, had remained about
twenty minutes in my Perilous position,
nerves and muscles stretched 60 the ut
most 20 keep myself there, looking At the
| sky above my head and at the ice around
me, but not daring again to glance into
/ the guilt below The blood was flowing
/ from wound had received in the cheek,
and felt that my right leg, upon which
\ fortunately was not resting, was severely
I bruised the left LEG, however. panied by
the effort of standing the cold, was begin
ming 10 give way. IL was impossible 20
change my position without the risk OF
I losing NV balance. The cold of the wall
Of ice against which was resting more and
more benumbed me, the water continued
/ 70 fall, and dared not stir.
called my companion no one replied.
called again. Nothing Nothing! Not
a human being within reach OF my voice.
was seized with giddiness as a terrible
thought crossed my brain.
"He has gone 70 see If the help is COM
1 ing, and he cannot find the creyaSSe again;
there are hundreds such-I am lost ~
commended my soul TO God My
strength was exhausted. had never CIV
en- up all hope. was seized with desire
10 let myself fall, and thus put an end 10
/ this agony.
At the critical moment, | heard myself
called My friend had run 10 look for the
guide, but when he wished 10 return he
was horror-struck on perceiying that the
surface Of the glacier was rent by count
/ less crevaSSes, all so similar that there was
not single sign by which he could recOg-
nize the abyss in which was buried
alive. In this cruel perplexity, God guild
ed him TO see little knapsack which the
guide had left az the edge Of the gull. |
cried 10 him 20 look at his watch. Five
minutes more had elapsed. The cold was
becoming more and more intense the
blood was literally freeEingiin my veins.
| called; | asked IL there was any one IN
sight. The guide had started thirty five
minutes ago, and not soul had yet APP
peared II was scarcely probable that he
could return so quickly, as we had taken
three quarters Of an hour To get 10 this
spct, and he had 10 GO and return.
felt that | could hold ON but very little
longer. The frail support on which my
safety alone depended might yield at any
moment and break beneath me remem-
bered that | had strong knife in my
pocket, and resolved 20 make use Of il 10
draw myself out. informed my COM
pAnion OF this project he implored me TO
do nothing of the kind; but my situation
had become in;olerable | made a notch
in the ice, high enough for me TO reach il,
and large enough for me 20 insert my hand
in il then about two feet above the little
bridge | dug out hole sufficiently large
for me to put my foot in il. succeeded,
and grasping these two points of support
nv back resting with all my strength
against the opposite wall, was able TO
raise myself and keep myself firm in this
new position. | descended again upon the
bridge, and began another notch above the
first | tlattered myself that | should
thus be able TO escape from my prison, but
single slip, false step, would precipitate
me into the abyss.
was working diligently az my second
step, when heard a joyous cry above me.
" Here they are Three men with ropes
they are running as fast as their legs can
carry them"
steadied myself as firmly As possible /
upon the narrow and slippery bridge, so as I
to be able to seize the rope they were
about TO lower. and tie il around me. /
saw the end Of IL swinging about two yards /
above my head. May God have mercy /
upon me il is too short p
- We have another
That was fastened 10 the first and LET
down. seized the end OF il. bound il
strongly around my waist, and grasping
the rope with both hands gave the signal
Tor them 10 pun up.
They began-I was saved. A minute
afterward was standing upon the glacier. |
had passed fifty minutes in the crevasse,
during which time had happily lost neith- |
er my confidence in God nor my presence
Of mind.
When placed my foot upon firm ground
again, an oyerpOwering feeling of deep
gratitude to the Almighty who had deliV-
cred me in so great peril filed my breast; |
1 fell on my knees and tainted. When
again became conscious, our party was pre-
pairing 10 start for the Montanyert. Be
fore leaving wished 10 cast one last look /
into the creyasse where had nearly been /
buried alive | saw how completely i'm /
possible il would have been for me to get /
out Of il as had projected. The opening |
at the top was too wide to have allowed |
me, a. | reached it, 10 lean against the OPP /
posite wall, and without that support the
most agile Of climbing animals would have |
found It impossible to scale this perpen-
dicular wall Of ice.
The guide had run to the inn, where he |
could not find single rope suitable for the
purpose. In despair he started for Cha
meunix; when On the way he met two
muleteers Their animals were laden with
wood, tied on with ropes, which he inn
plored them to give him TO save n poor
traveller who had fallen into a crevnsse.
These good people at once unloaded their
mules, and came with the guide TO my as
sistance. Tying them together-there
were three-the ropes reached the depth
Of thirty to forty yards, where | had been
arrested in my fall.
Assisted by my deliverers, was able to
reach Montanyert, where, in a good bed,
and with my bruises attended to, | had
leisure TO dream about the danger from
which had escaped, and the remembrance
of which often haunts me both sleeping
and waking. / trust that future travellers,
profting by my experience, will not run
the risk Of penetrating into the midst Of
these icy regions without providing them
selves with axes and ropes, and especially
with first confidence in Gods goodness,
the surest Of supports, and the best safe
guard here below.
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