Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-03-17
A TERRIBLE FIFTY MINUTES.
FROM THE FRENCH.

IN August 1859, i arrived at Chamounix
with one of my friends, traveller like
myself For about five weeks we had
beed exploring Switzerland, so tat we
had had plenty of time to get used 10
snow and glaciers. We had made several
ascents, one of $4,000 feet we'll remem-
Der the sensation felt when l first saw
one of those crevasses which seam the
surface of the glaciers. Holding firmly
by my guides hand, l leaned over that
yawning gulf, and tried to gaze down into
its terrible depth. The two perpendicular
walls of ice appeared to meet some 800
feet below, but l believe it was only the
effect OF perspective, the rent being prob
ably prolonged as far as the solid rock.
A man who falls there is certain never
to come out alive" said one of my guides.
"True," replied the other; but knew
one who was rescued. A narrow escape,
indeed, it was he still lives at Grindel-
wald. He is a chamois-hunter; he was
returning home; in descending the gla-
cier he made slip and fell into the Gre
vase, His fall was broken by projecting
blocks of ice, which yielded, however, be-
meath his weight when he chung to them
When he reached the bottom, a distance
of some hundred feet, he had leg and an
arm broken, Between the earth and the
ice he found hollow place into which a
stream was running; crawling long, suffer
ing 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 ap-
proach rapidly as they descend, so that a
man may find himself jammed in between
two walls of ice a long time before
he reaches the bottom, and then, if ropes
long 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 falls lower down into the crevasse dur
the hours which elapse while some of the
party have gone to the nearest village to
fetch longer ropes. Thus an unfortunate
Russian nobleman peTished in glacier
near Zermatt some years ago.
We had ascended the Brevent, we now
had only the Mer de Glace and the Jardin
to visit, We slept at the Montanver
the solitary little inn at the foot of the
glacier. Next morning we were up at
dawn. Furnished with some provisions
and two bottles of wine we started with
our guide. 1t was splendid morning,
and argued we'll for our excursion. For
half an hour we followed a rough path
which skirted the Mer de Glace, which
displayed below us its surface riven with
crevasses and covered with rocks and frag-
ments. Our road ended at the glacier,
upon which we now began to descend,
and to traverse in zig zags in the midst of
numerous assures. The Mer de Glace is
not considered dangerous and it is quite
the exception to take axes and ropes, when
crossing it. Alert and cheerful, we
fastened 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 a crevasse which barred up our pas
sage. 1t opened 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 alpenstock as a
hatchet, began to cut the holes in the ice,
large enough to put my feet in. He
looked at the slope and at the yawning
crevasse below it, and said in a grave tone,
1t is dangerous; let us go round il"
With the aid of my alpenstock had
already got half way up this icy hillock,
and was now quite convinced that it was
too steep and slippery TO be crossed with.
out an ak. 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 1t; 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 perpendicular, and fell
into the gulf.
heard the cry of despair of my com
panion and my guide. My own sensations
cannot be described. l was giddy and
half stunned, sent backwards and forward:
from one wall of ice to the other fell
myself descending TO great depth, con
demued to be dashed to pieces, to die by
an horriblel death. Suddenly something
stopped me. l felt myself suspended.
took breath again, and could cry out, A
rope! roper
BY Gods mercy had fallen upon mar
row ledge of ice, which formed sort Of
bridge across the crevasse. This frail sup
port, as far as could judge, was about fom
inches broad and eighteen thick. My head
hung from one side of it, my feet from the
other Instincively and Immediately, by
what means know not, raised myself III
and stood upright on this projection, where
there, was hollow just large enough fol
me to plant one foot.
Then l heard my companion say above
me, I'VE never hoped to hear your voicC
again; trust in God and take courage. The
guide has run to MOntanyert to seek meI
and ropes he will come back directly"
"If he is long," replied, 1 shall moi
come up alive" i
My position was terrible one, the thir
ledge of ice was so narrow that could no
place both feet on it, could only support
myself on one leg, half resting against one
of the ice walls, and pressing the Other
with my hand. The ice was smooth as 6
mirror; there was nothing to grasp. A
stream of ice-water flowed down upon my
shoulders, piercing me 10 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, encirclinl
me on all sides, looked threatening anC
gloomy. The two walls seemed as if they
were about to meet in order to crush me
rather than to release their prey. Nume
rous water-courses streamed down theil
sides, but in this extent of more than sixty
yards could not see any other projection
or obstacle except this ledge on which
had so miraculously fallen.
risked looking for one second only
uOWu lnlO Luc lcIIlDlt dDysS, ABOVE WHICH
l was suspended. At the spot where
was, the crevasse was not more than two
feet wide, lower down it narrowed rapid
ly, and a hundred yards below the two
sides appeared to touch each other be
lieve if had fallen but very few inches
on either side from the narrow bridg,
which had arrested me, / should have beer
buried and jammed up at depth wher
no rope could have reached me- had re
mai ed about twenty minutes in my peril
Gus position, nerves and muscles stretched
to the utmost to keep myself there, look
ing at the sky above my head, ,.and at thu
ice around me, but not daring again Il
glance into the gulf below. The BLOOD
was flowing from a wound had received
in the cheek, and felt that my right leg
upon which, fortunately, l was not rest
ing, was severely bruisedi the left leg
however, panied by the effort of standing
and the cold, was beginning to give way
1t was impossible to change my position
without the risk of losing my balance
The cold of the wall of ice against whicl
was resting, more and more benumbeC
/ -. 4 A. q . ! n