The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-01-26
THE DANeEKs OF THE ArPs.

a correspondent ifOIn SWltZcT1dHA
writes of recent fatal disasters in the
vicinity of Mont Blanc: ~
In "a gentleman, with his bride and
lady friend, made the ascension to the
Grands Mulets, which is six thousand
five hundred feet above the Valley of
Chamounix. The day was so fine that
when there, urged by the ladies,
whom, with guide, he left behind
him, he started to make the ascension
of Mont Blanc. Shortly after he left
them, becoming cold, all three went
out for walk, tied together as they
always are, for greater security in the
mountain excursions. Walking upon
the ice and snow crust the guide Of
fered his arm to the wife, who had
hardly accepted it when, owing to the
softening of the crust by the heat, or
cracking from the weight OF the, for
nation of a crevasse, both the guide
and wife disappeared, the friend only
escaping their fate by the breaking of
the rope. Disappearing thus instant
ly in a place which did not seem dan
gerous, they have never been seen nor
found, though eight of the guides, at
the risk of their lives, went down in
to the crevasse sixty feet-in fact,
| uldaC 0tbC1ApCo 0ltAA bAtO S3OfOhaAAlS
forbade any more-as the lives of oth-
ers were imperilled for those that had
been lost. The lady who was left
screamed and remained on the spot
till the gentleman returned to find
that he had lost wife and bride in the
enjoyment of full health only half an
| hour previously. such are the dan
gers of ascending Mont Blanc, where
0f Eopacfrrhf r,r. narsio a
can foretell fhe accidents which may
happen at any time with loss of life to
some or all of those engaged. ~ T..
"Other accidents have happened
indeed every year one or more per-
sons lose their lives upon the noun
tain. Captain Arkwright and four
guides were lost in 1866. A bride in
going across the Tete Noire-one of
the direct routes to Martiny-slipped
from her horse unknown to the guide
who was leading him, and falling
down a steep precipice was never
found. An American who sat next
to me at table gave me an account of
crossing the Glacier. des Boissons,
where the glacier having changed SO
much since the guide had been there
necessitated leaving him constantly to
go ahead and discover the way that
might be the safest While he was
gone some FIVE or ten minutes atV a
time if anything had happened to the
guide the gentleman must have been
lost, for he had neither tools for ma
king or assisting his way, nor expert
ence."
- HI =" Il 7 -x1lt
IL A NOVEL CASE.
Alexander Dumas published, some
time ago, in daily Paris paper, a
novel, in which the heroine, prosper
GUS and happy, is assaiied by con-
SUMPTION All the slowsandJ gradual
symptoms were most naturally and
touchingly described, and the greatest
interest was felt for the heroine. i435t
One day the Marquis Dalomieu
called on him.
"Dumas," said he,f have, you COM
posed the end of the story now being
published in the -?"'s i,.e qavsoq N
"Of course"
"Does the heroine die at the end ?1
"Of course; dies of consumption.
After such symptoms; as j have des-
cribed, how could she live 21 nr.-sse-g ~
You must make her live. You
must change the catastrophe"
81 cannot" r rtZTa
Yes you must; for on your hero
ines life depends my daughters"
aYour daughters 2"
Yes; she has all the various symp-
toms of consumption which You have
described and watches mournfully for,
every number of your novel, reading
her own fate in your heroine's. Now,
Il you make. your heroine live, my
daug hter, whose Imagination has
been deeply impressed, will live, too"
"Come, life to save is a tempta-
E! ton @ 1
"Not to be resisted"
Dumas changed his last chapter
His heroine recovered and was happy.
About five years afterwards Dumas
met the Marquis at party.
&c Ah, Dumas" he exclaimed, "let
me introduce you to my daughter !;
she owes her life to you. There she
is"
"That fine, handsome woman, who
! looks like Joanne dare ?" IN ~
eyes. She is married, and has had
four children"
"And my novel four editions" said
Dumas; $50 we are quits"