The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-06-20
EBENSBURG, PA, FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 1878.

cold was becoming more and more in
tense ; the blood was literally freezing
in my veins. / called-I asked If
there was any one in sight. The
guide had started thirty minutes ago,
and not a soul had yet appeared. 1t
was scarcely probable that he could
return so quickly, as We had taken
three-quarters of an hour to get to this
spot, and he had to 60 and return.
l felt that could hold on but very
little longer. The frail support on
which my safety alone depended might
yield at any moment and break be-
meath me. l remembered that / had
strong knife in my pocket, and re-
solved to make use of it to draw my
self out. l informed my companion
of this project; but he implored me
to do nothing of the kind but my sit
uation had become intolerable. l
made notch in the ice, high enough
for me to reach it, and large enough
for me to insert my hand in it; then,
about two feet above the little bridge,
l dug out hole sufficiently large for
me to put my foot in it. l succeeded,
and grasping these two points of sup
port, my back resting with all my
strength against the opposite wall, /
was able to raise nv self and keep my
self firm in this position.
was working diligently at my sec
ond step, when / heard a joyous cry
above me. Here they are! Three
men with ropes-they are running as
fast as their legs can carry them"
/ steadied myself as firmly as pos
sible upon the narrow and slippery
bridge, so as to be able to seize the
rope they were about to lower and tieit
around me. / saw the end of it swing
ing about two yards above my head.
May God have mercy upon me! 1t
is too short !"
eve have another"
That was fastened to the first and let
down. l seized the end of it and
bound it strongly around my waist,
and grasping the rope with both
hands, gave the signal for them to
pull up.
They began-I was saved A minute
later | stood upon the glacier. / had
passed fifty minutes in the crevasse,
during which time had lost neither
my confidence in God nor my pres
ence of mind
When 1 placed my foot upon the
firm ground again, an overpowering
feeling of deep gratitude to the AL
mighty, who had delivered me in so
great peril, filled my breast. | fell
on my knees and tainted When [
again became conscious, our parties
were preparing to start for the Mon
tanvert. Before leaving / wished to
cast one last look into the crevasse
where / had been nearly buried alive.
| saw how completely impossible it
would have been for me to get out of
it as | had projected. The opening at
the top was too wide to have allowed
me, as | reached it, to lean against
the opposite wall, and without that
support the most agile of climbing
animals would have found it impossi-
bic to scale this perpendicular wall of
ice
The guide ran to the inn, where he
could not find single rope suitable
for the purpose. In despair he started
for Chamounix When on the way
he met two muleteers. Their animals
were laden with wood, tied on with
ropes, which he implored them to give
linn to savo poor trovelor who had
fallen into a crevasse. These good
people at once unloaded their mules,
and came with the guide to my assist
ance Tying them together-there
were three-the ropes reached to the
depths of thirty to forty yards, where
l had been arrested in my fall
Assisted by my deliverers, L was
able to reach Montanvert, where, in a
good bed and with my bruises attend
ed to, had leisure to dream about
the danger from which had escaped,
and the remembrance of which often
haunts me, both sleeping and waking.