The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-11-25
Selfrf $tpry,
A Terrible Fifty Minutes.
from the French.I


In August, 1859, arrived at Chamoix
with one of my friends, traveller like
myself. For about FIVE weeks We had
been exploring Switzerland, so that we
had plenty of time to get used to snow
and glaciers We had made several as
cents, one of Ia, 900 feet. / well remem-
Der the sensation felt when first saw
one of these crev:ces which seam the
surface of the glaciers, Holding firmly
by my guides hand, ! leaned over the
yawning gulf, and tried to gaze down
into its terrible depth. The two perpen-
dicular walls of ice appeared to meet
some 800 feet below. but believe it was
only the effect of prospective, the rent
being prohsbly prolonged as far as the
solid rock. sig saJ sef 4.
"a man who falls there is certain
never 10 come out alive" said one of my
guides. gaei D ii szrs,
"True," replied the other; but I knew
one who was rescued. A narrow escape
indeed it was; he still lives at Grinle-
wald. He is a chamois hunter; he was
returning home, and in descending the
crevasse be fell. His fail was broken by
projecting blocks of ice, which yielded,
however, beneath his weight when he
clung to them. When he reached the
bottom,a distance of some hundred feet,
he had leg and an arm broken. Be
tween the earth and the ice he found a
hollow place into which stream was
running; crawling along, suffering terri
Bile pain, he followed the course Of the
water, and in three hours he was out of
the glacier" 9og saasa ss8a9aI1
Cfevasses 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 canned in !, be-
tween two walls Office along time before
he reaches the bottom, and then,if ropes
long and strong enough are at band, 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
f.Lelsfs,
while some Of the party have gone to
the nearest village to fetch longer ropes
Thus an unfortunate Russian nobleman
perished in glacier near Zermatt some
years ago. -,'s. 'tSlse Hs'is's ii'sl u
We had ascended the Bfvent; we now
had only the Mer de Glaee and the Jar.
din to visit We slept at the Nontan
vert in the solitary little inn at the foot
Of the glacier. Next morning we were
up at dawn. Farnished with some pro.
visions and two bottles of wine we start
ed With our guide:- 1t was a splendid
morning, and augured we'll for ourex-
cursion. For half an hour we followed
a rough path which skirted the Mer dc
Glace, which displayed below us its sur
face, riren 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
gags in the midst of numerous assures.
'fhe Mer de Glace is not considered dan.
eerous, and it is quite the exception to
take axes and ropes when. crossing it =
Alert and cheerful we FASTENED on with
out taking notice of the guide, who some
way behind, cried out to US several times
to be cautious and wait for him. W.
were obliged at last to halt before large
crevasse which barred up our passage
1t opened with length of some sixty
yards, and ended upon our left with {
slope of ice, somewhat steep, but wllici
thought could easily mount. Using
the iron spike Of my alpenstock as |
hatchet, began TO cut holes in the ice
large enough to put my feet in AT this
moment our guide Joined us. He looked
at the slope and at the yawning crevasst
below it, and said in grave tone, cit il
dangerous; let Us go around i" ~ f..a..,s
With the aid of my alpenstock hat
already got way mp this icy ,hillock
and was row quite convinced that it wa
too steep and slippery to 4e. crossed
without an ak. The guides warnine
confirmed my opinion. I was cautiously
Towering my right leg, seeking for til,
hole that | had made in the ice; my foo
passed it; l felt that | was sliding down
there was nothing rough to stop me, no
1.-THE least projection by which l coul,
hold myself in The decliyity becam,
perpendicular, and l fell into the gulf.
heard the cry of despair of my com
panion and my guide. My own sensa
tions cannot be described. ] was giddl
and half stunned sent backward and for
! ward from one wall of ice to the other
felt myself descending to great depth
condemned to be dashed to pieces,to di
a terrible death. Suddenly somelhins
stopped me. / felt myself suspended
took breath again and could cry out
l"A rope! rope" a SRI l