The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-01-09
A Terrible Alpine Accident.

The journal de Geneve of a RECEIPT
date contains the following account of
catastrophe on Mont st. Bernard
GA few days 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, at the break
of day, caravan composed of twelve
italian workmen, returning to their
country, left the Bourg ST. Pierre and
the tavern of PROF., 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 the
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 a
1arge-sixed dog. who, according to the
rule of the monastery, came to meet the
travellers. At this moment the drift of
snow became intense. Suddenly a
frozen water-spout, called Veura 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 q
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
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
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. It is there |
he young monk was found the next
nearly insensible, after having
been twenty-seven hours alone, without
tood or assistance of any kind, by his |
brother monks of the convent who had
,ome to look after the victims of the |
lccident. How had they become aware |
II the catastrophe? The dog Tuco had
in scratching through the
now and found his way back to the con-
rent. At the sight of this noble ami
nal, with his bruised and bleeding |
cody, the monks no longer had any
louht - To- he-4pte Of their two breth-
.en, and started at once to seek for |
hem. A flask of spirits applied to the
mouth of the only survivor of this
'cene, which is here narrated from his
,wn description, restored him to life
or brief space, for few minutes later |
,e was corpse. His colleague and |
,ther six companions, buried beneath
he veuro, have not yet been found.
This is the most terrible accident which |
las happened on Mont st. Bernard since |
;he year 1876"