Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1875-01-07
A Terrible Alpine Accident.

A Terrible Alpine Accident,
The Journal dc Geneve OF o RECEIPT
date contains the following account OF
catastrophe on Mont st. Bernard :
GA few daya ago it was rumored in
Sion that frightful accident had hap
pened at few kilometres from the
Great st. Bernard. This rumor, unfor-
tunately, proved to be we'll founded.
On the 10Th of November, Mt the break
of day, o caravan composed of twelve
italian workmen, returning to their
country, left the Bourg ST. Pierre and
the tavern of Proz, where they had
passed the night, and, despite the foul
weather and difficult state Of the roads,
attempted to cross over the mountain
pass or to reach the refuge, as circum-
stances might allow. The sky was
dark and there was violent snowdrift.
On reaching the spot known as tho
Montague st. Pierre, halfway between
the starting point and the place of
refuge, they were joined by two monks,
preceded by the convent servant and q
large-sized dog, who, according to the
rule Of the monastery, came TO meet the
traSeIers. A5 Cms ni0merrp- -rrrr--szr.rv--y-r
snow became intense. Suddenly n
frozen water.spout, called Ue,tra in the
language of the mountaineers, whirled
through the air, and whisking up the
fresh. fallen snow, enveloped the travel
ers. The first column, composed of five
italian workmen, two monks, the SER
want, and the dog, disappeared under n
shroud of snow several metres thick
without any avalanche having fallen
from the mountain the seven others
who were following were stricken down
by the same cause short distance from
the first. A deadly silence followed.
Suddenly the seven last victims buried
in the snow succeeded in emerging
from beneath the white surface. They
were saved, and they returned to their
starting place after having made every
endeavor to rescue their comrades from
the grave in which they are probably
at this moment of writing still alive
One of these men succeeded by the
force of instinct and the energy of des
pair in breaking through the ice piled
above him. It was the monk Contat
from Sembraucher. He dragged his
bleeding limbs about q mile and half
from the grave where he had been
buried for several hours. and reached
the first hut called the hospital, and
situated close to the Velan. 1t is there
the young monk was found the next
morning nearly insensible, after having
been twenty seven hours alone, without
food or assistance of any kind, by his
brother monks of the convent who had
come to look after the victims of the
accident. How had they become aware
OF the catastrophe2 The dog Tuco had
succeeded in scratching through the
snow and found his way back to the con-
won't. At the sight of this noble ami
NAL, with his bruised and bleeding
body, the monks no longer had any
doubt as to tho fate of their two breth-
rem, and started ut once to seek for
thom. A flask of spirits applied to the
mouth of the only survivor of this
scene, which ia here narrated from his
own description, restored him to life
for brief space, for q few minutes later
he was corpse. His colleague and
other six companions, buried beneath
the ueuro, have not yet been found
This is the most terrible accident which
has happened on Mont st. Bernard since
the year 1916"
II is contemplated to introduce into
the French assembly voting ma
chine" An electric apparatus is to be
installed on the desk of eaoh member
there aro TO be two knobs like those o
electric BELLS ono for the yeas, TIL,
other for the nays. The votes will bt
registered instantaneously on fran,
work behind tho president, opposite til,
names of tho membors, sot down il