The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-10-07

unlitncss, but his comrades ought TO have
warned him. And when the bodies wcro
brought home, that Of one of the guides bore
unmstakablc traces OF severe strain and
pressure by the rope which bound the party
together thus Indicating that one had
slipped and pulled the others down to their
death.
In all probability, then. this accident was
really caused not by any want of knowledge,
but by the neglect Of the party to use the
knowledge they had. Mountainecrs are apt
to become inscnsiblc in practice to dangers
which they know exist; but this very ten
dencyis one which good mountanccrs rccog-
nizc and cndcavor to guard against. In
mountaineering, as this accident on the
Lyskamm shows, eternal vigilance is the
price Of life.
The number Of young Americans who at
tempt Alpine climbing without sufficient
preparation is already considerable. They
go TO Switzerland, perhaps, without ever
having seen n mountain before, and want TO
rival the exploits Of q WHyMPER or TYN-
DALI in single season. The chances that
some of these daring countrymcn Of ours
will thus one day foolishly perish increase
every year. The recent accident has at
tractcd much attention abroad, because il
shows more conspicuously than those which
have preceded it that the best muuntainccrs
can never afford to dispense with the uimo..
care. How much greater must be the dan
ger. then, for those who have never under
gone the preliminary training needed to III
them to be mountainccrs at ALL Let any
American who aSpiros 10 the Abs begin with
a summer or two in the White Mountains.
4 man really in search of it can find plenty
Of good rock practice on Chocorua or Mount
Lafayette Then he may try the lessor
heights of Switzerland and finally 20 from
them TO the loiticr peaks and pas-cs. never
forgetting Mr.. LESLIE SrErHLSs two
aphorisms:
|. There is no mountain in the Alps which
may not be climbed by party Of practi-ed
mountainccrs with good guides. in fine
weather, and under favorable conditions OF
the snow, with perfect safety
II. There j. no mountain in the AIMS which
may not become excessively dangerous if
the climbers are Inexperienced the guides
comnctcnt, the weather bad, and the snow
unfavorahlc
Mountaineering tcnds to develop and
strengthen 50 many Of the higher qualities
Of human nature that we should indeed
regret To- see ii stricken from the list of
rccrcativc pursuits in which reasonable
men may seek health and pleasure. NJ !
sport that We know Of helps man TO 50
n,uch eoli-cummaud physical and mental. !
\ true mountainccr really fcos that his !
l0dy la. become fully -ui-orvicut To hi- !
vii. 90, who can better realize the depend. |
orco ot flesh upon sphitthun one who knows /
that. IL on some narrow lodge front or O.. - |
ridge be- shall yield for an instant To- what l. |
lat a transient emotion. he may throw away /
life it~olfY We cannot here aualyzc the /
remarkable fascination that mountain /
climbing cNcris over its true votaric- and |
90 which So many men II ability and dis |
tinclion have confessed themselves subject: /
but We have studied ii -o far as To- hc ahlc to /
assert with considerable confidence tia, /
those whom the mountain thus attract |
make tine best monutainoor-; ald il only |
they SOUGHT the rctk-, pa.-,-. AMI glaciers. |
Sc should nave icw ca lao more accidents Ia |
tie ALI.