The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-11-29
Ghinas Sbroad.
ALPINE SCENES.

house IOr lne reception OI NlSltOfS, tue |
surrounding slopes being then quite clear
On the 18th Of June, 1879, he had TO
cross heavy snowdrifls to reach his hotel,
which was opened for visitors day or two
afterward. On the Goth, large white
swathes still fingered in detached mas
ses on the slopes of the Bel Alp, while
little higher up continuous snow began,
stretching almost unbroken to the summit
Of the Sparrenhorn. One the 7th of June
last year little cottage, built on Alp Lus-
gen, about 800 feet vertically above the
Red Alp Hotel, was found hanked east
and west by snow-drifts, a still deeper bank
lying to the north. On all three sides,
however, owing to known effect OF radi-
alton, clear space existed between the
walls aud the snow. This year, fortnight
later, the snow to the north drilted direct
| ly against the wall, so that to open the
kitchen door space FIVE feet deep, and of
length and breadth sufficient to allow the
door to swing, had to be cut away. For
some days, indeed, small staircase dug
out Of the consolidated mass led downward
into the kitchen. East and west Of the
cottage large spaces are still held by the
snow, which at one place, by freak of
melting, fronts us as white wall moro
than five feet high. A stone fence above
a metre in height ought to be seen from
the spot where We now write II is oblite-
rated, the snow offering free passage over
the wall. All round the little lake, where
refreshing headers are so frequently taken
in summer by the more vigorous guests of
the Bel Alp Hotel, the snow lay heavily
on the 22d, while the lake itself consisted
of congcries Of frozen masses, with streaks
and pools Of clear water between them.
On the sheltered plains and in the hollows
the snow was deep, the exposed eminences
being the first to be relieved of their bur
den. This accounts for curious dark
line, not usually discernible, which could
be traced through the pine wood on the
opposite side ofthe Aletsch glacier, stretch
ing almost as far as the Hetten Sec. 1t
was the crest Of an old moraine, which,
laid bare by the sun, ran like a definite
fence along the mountain side.
We reached the Bel Alp on the 10th
a day Of great solar power. The 2lst be.
gan with fog, which, however, soon melted
away, leaving the SHOWS to the unimpeded
action of the sun. From tho lower fTinges
of the larger swathes streams shimmered
down the mountains. Some notion Of the
enormous mechanical energy poured by
the sun against the earth might be derived
from the surprising quantity Of snow which
two or three days of strong sunshine eau
clear away. And it is only fraction of
the solar warmth that is thus effectual, a
considerable portion Of the suns beat be-
ing incompetent 10 melt ice. The removal
Of the SNOW seems Immediately followed by
ap optburst of floral vigor, slopes which
but yesterday bore their white mantle be-
ing to-day covered with multitudinous
flowers IN reality, however, the floral
energy anticipates the removal Of the snoW.
One morning we marked out thinly COW
cred space, purposing to return in the
evening to ascertain whether in so short a
time the flowers could develop. Ignorant
of their vital power, we never dreamed
that these flowers could flourish beneath
lhe saog, sQme af them, however, were
so close to it as TO suggest the removal al
q portion Of the frozen mass, and there,
aure enough, folded as if in sleep, were the
fully formed flowers, ready to open their
petals when touched by the sun. The
observation suggests that deductions re.
garding tho vital resistance Of "liVing mat.
ter" 10 either heat pT cald may easily be-
come too generalj for, as regards such re-
sistance, living matter Is by no means Of
uniform vital quality. Que kind succumbs
to q temperature which another kind de-
fes. Experiments are still needed to aifix
the major and minor limits of temperature
beyond which life, as we regard il, is i'm
possible, but within which il varies in per-
sistence from organism to organism, aud
even from phase to phase Of the same or
gaDism. Tho scientific physician has as
suredly his work cut out for him foF some
years to come, for our knowledge of the
resistance of living contagia is still infnit-
! esimal and it might be fatal error to
base on the department II certain eontagia
! inlerences extending to all.
Before our departure from Alp Lusgen
last year we had occasion to witness q
thoroughly wintry aspect Of the Alps. Late
in September, without any warning and in
single night, snow fell TO a depth Of
eighteen inches on the slopes around US,
The transmutation was extraordinary and
Of indescribable beauty-far lovelier, in.
deed, than the present aspect Of the noun
J tains. For during the melting Of the spOw
the rocks and soil break in patches through
the white covering, thus giving for time
more or less scahby appearance to the
, mountains. It was otherwise in April.
: On the 10th Of that month N. Klingele,
} accompanied by two ofhis sons and guide,
assembled to his hotel on the Bel Alp. The
labor Of the ascent was very great, and on
} Priori grounds we should have thought
: il on his part impossible.
Never before, within living memory, had
+ such collection Of snow been seen upon
, the Alp. On the roof Of the hotel it was
} four feet thick. It Olasped the walls on
! all sides 10 . great height, rising on one
, side to the windows Of tho second story.
While engaged in packing bottles in the
! cellar of the hotel an extraordinary sound
; was hoard by tho party, and on rapidly
reaching tho open air, they at onoc dis
cerned its cause. An avalanche, let loose
! from the slope below the chalcts occupied
: 10 summer BY the burghers Of Matters, had
! shot down toward the hamlet Of Eggen,
J and carried along with il ten of the tele-
graph poles which stood In its course. It
was the jerk and the whirr Of the strained
wire, communicated to the house, that
caused the noise heard 10 the cellar.
Last year some account was given Of
the proceedings Of the mice at Alp Lus.
gen, and before quitting the place in Sep
tember We took pains to protect all assail-
able furniture from the attacks Of these
invaders In some cases we copied those
: Alpine granaries which are protected from
such yermin by pillars with stone slabs at
the top. Ia other cases We inserted the
feet Of iron bedsteads into glass bottles
which bad their necks broken OF, thinking
that the smoo,hnessofthe bottles would pre-
vent their being asccnded. Whether i be
that these mice possess springing power
with mhiah wa ist - ---ls1 ~ :.