Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-23
lanch increased rapidly, and before

lanch increased rapidly, and before
long was covered up with snow and in
utter darkness. Twas suffocat;ng, when,
with jerk. j suddenly came to the sur
face again. The rope had caught, most
probably on rock, and this was evident
" the moment when it bloke. l was on
a wave of the avalanche, and saw it before
me as was carried down.
It was the most awful sight I ever
witnessed. The head of the avalanche
was already at the spot where we had
made our last halt. The head alone was
proceeded by thick cloud of snow-dust
the rest of the avalanche was clear.
Around me | heard the horrible hiss
ing Of the snow, and far before me the
laundering of the foremost. part of the
avalanche. To prevent myself sinking
again made use of my arms, much in
the same way as when swimming in a
standing position. At last noticed
that I was moving slower; then saw
the pieces of snow in front of me stop at
some yards distant: then the snow
straight before me stopped, and heard
cd large scale the same creaking sound
that is produced when heavy cart
passes over hardfrozen snow in winter
felt that had also stopped, and in
stantly threw up both arms to protect my
head in case should again be covered
up. l had stopped, but the snow behind
me was still in motion; its pressure on
my body was so strong that I thought ]
should be crushed to death. This ire.
mendous pressure lasted but a short time
and ceased as suddenly as it had begun
was then covered up with snow coming
from behind me. My first impulse was
to try and uncover my head, but this I
could not do. The avalanche had frozen
by pressure the moment it stopped, and
I was frozen in.
Whilst trying vainly to move my arms
suddenly became aware that the hands
as far as the wrists had the faculty OF
motion. The conclusion was easy; they
must be above the snow 1 set to work
as well as I could; it was time, for could
not have held out much longer. At last
saw faint glimmer of light. The crust
above my head was getting thinner and it
let little air pass, but could not reach
IL oil AAOSO WILL LILY lduuSs Tic lOCS
struck me that might pierce it with nv
breath. After several efforts I succeeded
in doing SO, and felt suddenly a rush OF
air toward my mouth; I saw the sky
again through a little round hole. A
dead silence reigned around me.
l was surprised to be still alive, and
SO persuaded at the first moment that
none of my fellow sufferers had survived
that did not even think OF shouting for
them. I then made vain efforts to ex-
tricate my arms, but found it impossible
the most could do was to join the ends
of my fingers, but they could not reach
the snow any longer. After a few min
utes | heard man shouting. What a
relief it was to know that was not the
sole survivor! To know that perhaps he
was not frozen in and could come to my
assistance! I answered. The voice ap-
preached, but seemed unceftin where
to go, and yet it was quite near.
A sudden exclamation of surprise !!
Robot had seen my hands. He cleared
my head in an instant, and was about to
try to cut me out completely, when saw
foot above the snow, and so near to me
that could touch it with my arms, al
though they were not quite free yet.
at once tried to move the foot; it was nv
poor friends. A pang Of agony shot
through me as saw that the foot did not
move. Poor Boissoult had lost sensati On
and was perhaps already dead. Robot
did his best; after some time he wished
me to help him, so he freed my arms a
little more, so that could make use of
them. l could do but little, for Robot
had torn the axe from my shoulder as
soon as he had cleared my head. q gen
orally carry an axe separate from my al
penstock, the blade tied to the belt and
handle attached to the left shoulder.)
Before ceming to me Robot had help
ed Nance out of the snow; he was lying
nearly horizontally, and was not much
covered over. Nance found Bevard who
was upright in the snow, but covered up
to the head. After about twenty minutes
the two last named guides came up. I
was at length taken out; the snow had to
be cut with the axe down to my feet be-
fore could be pulled out. A few min.
utes after one o'clock p. m. we came to
my poor friends face. l wished the BODY
to be taken out completely, but nothing
could induce the three guides to work
any longer. from the moment they saw
that it was too late to save him. &C.
knowledge that they were as nearly as in
capable of doing anything as I was.
When was taken out of the snow the
cord had to be cut. We tried the end
going toward Bennen, but could net
move it; it went straight down, and
showed us that there was the grave of
the bravest guide Valais ever had, and