Middletown transcript., 1873-08-09
Popular Atlistrllann,
A TERRIBLE FIFTY MINUTES.

Ia August, 1898. | arrived at Cham
oulix with one of my friends. a traveller
like myself For about five weeks we had
been exploring Switzerland. - that We
had plenty of time to get used 10 snow and
glaciers We had made several asccnts,
nnc 10 II 900 feet well remember the
sensation felt when 'ir.t paw enc Of
thns. crsyas>cs which sram il," surface of
the glaciers Holding irmly hy my
guides hand. ! leaned oyrr that yawuug
gulf aud tried 10 gage down into its terri
Die depth The t~a perpendicular walls
of lee appeared 10 meet Some three hun
drcd fec, below. bat believed ,ha, il was
only the effect Of perspective. the rent hr-
iur probably prolonged as far a. the solid
rock
Il man who f,sl- there is certain ney.
or To come out alive. sud one Of my
guides.
= True. replied tho other. "hui knew
ono who WAS rescued 4 uarrnw rsrapr
indeed il was, be sill lives al Grinaie-
wala II. il chanhis hunter: was re-
turning home, and III ,lrscrn lug the ere.
vase. hi. fall va. hraken hs projecting
blocks of ice. which yiel1rl. however. be.
n,ath his weight WHEN he clung 10 them
When hr reached the bnttnm.a distance of
some hundred feet he hal leg aud an
arm broken Between the earth and the
ice hc found hillaw place into which n
stream was running; crawling alnns. sui.
terins terrible pain. b" .nlaSed the course
Of the water aud in three hours he wa.
out Ut thu glacier.
crsvassrs vary IN breadth from two 10
six feet at the mouth, but the sides ap.
prna.h rapidly a. they de. ceni. so that n
,nan nav find himself jammed in between
two walls Of ice ing time before he
reaches the bottnm. snl thrn.i ropes l"ns
and strong enough are at hand. il is pos.
sibio to save him from a dreadful death
But generally the ropes are ~, lons
enpnyh aud the Traveller rrri,hrs nf cnld :.
or fall, dawn in,a the eresasse during thu
hours which elapsc while some Of the par.
" have gone 10 til. nearest village TO fetch
l,nycr ropes. Thus an uaf,r,unate Rus.
sian nobl,m,n p,rishsd in glacier near
Xcrma,t some years ago.
We had a.cenled tho Brevent. and ve
now had only the Msr Dc Glacs ani the
Jar,lin to visit We slept at the M,n,an
vert in the solitary little ina ut the foot ol
the glacier. Mex, morning We were NJ
at dawn. Furnished with some provision.
and two bottles Of vine. We started with
our guide. Il was splendid morning
and augurcd we'll for our excursion. Foi
half an hnur 10 fpllnwed a rough path
which skirted the Mer de Glacr, which dis.
plsyed beiov us its surface riven with ere.
yasscs and covered ui,h rocks aud fras.
men,s. Our road ended at the glacier
upon whirh We upw began to descend. and
to traverse in zig-zags in the midst Of nu,
meron. fssures The Mcr de Glace IL nnl
considered dangerous. and Il is quite ili,
execution 10 taxa a.es aud ropes When
crossing it. Alert and cheerful. We has.
tened on without taking any notice Of Ill,
guide, WIN. somc way behind. cried nu
To US several times to be caatieas aud val
Tor him. We were obliged Ut last tn hnl
before q vast crevnssc which haired up anl
passage. Il opened with length nf sun,
sixty yards. and ended upon our left in
slope Of ice. snmcwhn, steep. but which
iron spike Of my alpen.,ock Ms u ha,chet
began to cut holes in the ice large enongi
to put my feet IN. At this moment oul
guide reioined ns lie looked u, tho slop,
and ., the yavning crevasse below il. nne
said. in u grave tome. +" Il is dangerous
let ms On arnana II. !"
With the aid Of my alpenstock. hnd
already 70, half way up this icy hillock
and vss now qsite convinced that il wa'
tso steep and slippery to be crossed With.
on. an a1e The guides warning con-