The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-11-25
Ry Coos mercy had fallen nnon

hHOW uOt, IdtScu i1NSe up, allu StOOu
upright on this projection, where was a
hollow jus. large enough for me to plant
one foot. i a-i 1 a
Then 1 heard my companion say above
me: +7 F.#' &3 s@r @ 4z'
ave never hoped to hear your voice
again; trust in God and take courage
The guide has run to Mohtanvert to
seek men and ropes he will come back
directly" .ffz ",l
"If he is long," replied, 81 shall not
come up alive"
My position was q terrible one; the
thin ledge of ice was so narrow that 1
could not place both feet on it, l could
only support myself on one leg, half
resting against one of the ice walls, and
pressing the other with my hands. The
ice was smooth as mirror, and there
was nothing to grasp. A stream of ice
water flowed down upon my shoulders,
piercing me 10 the very bones ;aboye my
head Isaw the long and narrow streak
of the sky round which the mouth of
the crevasse formed frame. The ice,
which was OF the darkest blue color, en-
circling me on all sides, looked threat
ening and gloomy. The two walls seem
ed as if they were about to meet in OF,
der to crush me. rather than to release
their prey. Numerous water courses
streamed down their sides; but in this
ex, ent of more than sixty yards I could
not see any projection or obstacle, ex-
cept this ledge upon which had so mi
raculously fallen. b,a
l risked looking, for one second, Gown
into the terrible abyss above which l
was suspended. At the spot where /
was the creyssse narrowed rapidly, and
a hundred yards below the two sides
appeared to touch each other. I believe
if ] had fallen but few inches on either
side from the narrow bridge which had
arrested me, should have been buried
and jammed up at a depth where no
rope could have reached me. / had re-
manned about twenty minutes in my
perilous 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 be-
low. The blood was flowing from a
wound had received in the cheek, and
I felt that my right leg, upon which
fortunately I was not resting, was se-
verely bruised; the left leg, however,
panied by the effort of standing and the
cold, was beginning to give way. Il
was impossible to change my position
without the risk of losing my balance.
The cold of the wall OF lee against
which 1 was resting more and more be-
numhed me, the water continued to fall,
and / dared not stir.
/ called nv companion, no one re-
piled. I called again Nothing! Moth.
ing! Not human being within the
reach of my voice. / was seized with
giddiness as a terrible thought crossed
my brain. ~ -
.sHe has gone to see If the help is
coming, and he cannot find the crevasse
again there are hundreds such-I am
lostr' s. IS 2 :. c's.4'i =
I commended my soul to God. My
strength was exhausted. I had never
yet given up all hope. I was seized
with desire to let myself fall, and thus
put an end to this agony. y
At the critical moment heard myself
called Ny friend had run, to look for
the guide, but when be wished to re
turn be was horror struck on perceivins
that the surface of the glacier was renl
by countless crevasses, all so similar
that there was not q single sign by
which he could recognize the abyss in
which was buried alive. In this cruel
perplexity, God guided him to see a
little kDapsack which The guide had left
at the edge of the gulf; ] cried 70 him
to look at his watch, Five minutes
more had elapsed, the cold was coming
more and more intense; the blood was
literally freezing IN my veins. l called
l asked if there was any one in sight
The guide had started, thirty five min.
utes ago, and not a soul had yet appear.
ed, J, It was scarcely probable that he
could return SO quickly, as we had ia.
ken three quarters of an hour to get to
this spot, and be had 10 60 and return
! | felt that could hold on but very
little longer. The support on which
my safety alone depended might yield
at any moment and break beneath me
! remembered that I bad a strong knife
in my. pocket, and resolved to make use
of it to draw myself out, ! Informed
my companion of this project; he i'm
plored me to do nothing Of the kind
but NV situation had become intolera
bic. ] made a notch in the ice. higf
enough for me ito reach it, and large
enough for me to insert my hand in
then about two feet above the little
bridge | dug little khole sufficient,
large enough for me to put my
foot in. j succeeded in graspins
these two points of support. and m,
back resting with all my strength
against the opposite wall, Iwas able to
raise myself and keep myself fam ii
this position ! descended again upor
the bridge, and began another motel
labove the first. / flattered myself tina
IL should thus be able to escape from my
prison, but single slip, false step
would percipitate me into the abyss.
BE- / was working diligently at my sec
ond step, when ! heard joyous cry
above me. Here they are! Three
| men with fepes-they are running a
fast as their legs can carrysthem /"
/ steadied myself as firmly as posi-
BILE upon the marrow and slipper,
bridge, so as to be able to seize tn,
rope they were aboutto lower, and ii,
it around me. ? ! saw the end of
swinging about two yards above IN,
lhead.s "May God have mercy upor
1'inc! 1t is too short!psi a4a afsa
I'VE have another'!1 .lRf,
Thatwas fastened to the floor ant
let down l seized the end of it.
bound it strongly around my waist, ant
grasping the rope with both hands,
gave the signal for them to pull up, y
/ They hegan-I was saved, A minut
. afterward was standing upon The gla
cier.l had passed fifty minutes in tn
creyasse, during which time / had hap
4 piIy lost neither my confidence in Coz