The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-02-05
THE a.

The following graphic account of the
perils of avalanches in the Alps is from
"Hours of Exercise in the Alps" by
the celebrated John Tyndall, the scien-
fist. A party OF six were being con-
Quoted by two local guides and a famous
Alpine guide, Johann Joseph Bennen,
over the Haut de Cry, n of the Swiss
alps. They advanced in the beginning
Of the ascent very rapidly. The peak
was glistening before them, and hopes
of success cheered their spirits. After a
time they came to snow frozen upon the
surface which would bear them a few
steps and then break down. This, OF
course, delayed matters and was very
fatiguing. Finally it came to a point
that, in order to reach a certain arete,
they would be obliged to 20 up a steep
snow field 800 feet high, $50 feet broad
at the top and 500 feet at the bottom.
During the ascent they sank about one
foot deep at every step. After mount.
ING for some distance the two leading
men suddenly sunk above their waists.
They we're enabled to get out after
some struggles, and presently found
better footing and came to the conclu-
sion that the snow was accidentally
softer there than elsewhere. But Ben
men was afraid of starting an avalanche,
and said 80. They started forward
again-but let the book complete the
story: =,
The snow.feld split in two about
fourteen or fifteen feet above us. The
cleft was at first quite narrow, not more
than IN inch broad. An awful silence
ensued, and then it was broken by Ben
mems voice: -.
VIII sind ale verloren" 1--WE are all
LOST. His words were slow and solemn,
and those who knew him felt what they
really meant when spoken by such a
man as Bennen. They were his last
words. Idrove my ~alpenstock into the
snow and brought the weight OF my
body to bear on it. It went in to within
three inches of the top. I then waited.
It was an awful moment of suspense. I
turned my head toward Bennen to see
whether he had done the same thing.
To my establishment, I saw him turn
round, face the valley and stretch out
both arms. The ground on which we
stood began to move slowly, and I felt
the utter uselessness Of any alpenstock.
I soon sank up to my shoulders, and be-
gan descending backward. From this
moment I saw nothing of what had hap
pened to the rest of the party.
With a good deel of trouble I sue
ceeded in turning round. The speed of
the avalanche increased rapidly, and be-
fore long I was covered up with snow
S,andkin utter darkness. I was suffocat-
iur when, with a jerk, T suddenly came
10 the surface again. The rope had
caught, most probably on a rock, and
this was evidently the moment when it
broke. I was on a wave OF the ava
lanche, and saw it before me as I was
carried down.
It wa 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 preceded by a thick cloud Of snow.
dust; the rest OF the avalanche was
clear.
Around me I heard the horrible hiss
ing Of the snow, and far before mo the
OF the foremost part of the
avalanche. To prevent myself sinking
again 7 made use Of my arms, much in
the same way as when swimming in a
standing position. At last I noticed
that I was moving slower ; then I saw
the pieces of snow in front of me stop at
some wards distance; then the snow
straight before me stopped, and 1 heard
on q large scale the same creaklng sound
that is produced when a heavy cart
passes over hard-frozen SNOW in winter.
I felt that I had also stopped, and
instantly threw up both arms to protect
nv head in case I should again be
covered up. I had stopped, but the
sno behind me was still in motion !; its
pressure on my body was 30 strong that
I thought I should be crushed to death.
This tremendous pressure lasted but a
short time, and ceased as suddenly as it
had begun. I was then covered up with
snow coming from behind me. My first
impulse was to try and recover my
head, but this I could not do. The
avalanche had frozen by pressure the
moment it stopped, end I was frozen in.
Whilst trying vainly to move my
arms, I 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. / set to
work as well as I could ; it was time, for
7 could not have held out much longer.
At last T saw Q faint glimmer Of light.
The crust above my head was getting
thinner and it let q little air pass, but I
could not reach IL any more with my
hands ; the idea struck me that I might
pierce il with my breath. After several
efforts I succeeded in doing 30, and felt
suddenly a rush otIair toward my
mouth I saw the SKY again through a
little round hole. A dead silence reigned
around me. .
I was surprised to be still alive. and
SO persuaded at the first moment that
none OF my fellow sufferers had survived
that I did not even think OF shouting
for them. I then made vain efforts to
extricate my arms, but found it impos'
sible : the most I could was to join the
ends Of my fingers, but they could not
reach the snow any longer. After q
few minutes 7 heard a man shouting.
What q relief it wa to know that I was
not the sole survivor! To know that
perhaps he was not frozen in and could
come to my assistancel I answered.
The voice approached, but seemed un-
certain 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 I
saw q foot above the snow, and 80 near
to me that I could touch it with my
arms, although they were not quite free
yet. I at once tried to move the foot
It was my poor friends. A pang OF
agony shot through me as I saw that the
foot did not move. Poor Boissoult had
lost sensation, and was perhaps already
dead. Robot did his best ; after some
time he wished me to help him, 80 he
freed my arms a little more, 30 that l
could make use OF them. could do
but little, for Robot had torn the axe
rom my shoulder as soon as he had
cleared my head. Qgenerally carry an
aye separate from my slpenstock, the
blade tied to the belt and handle at
tached to the left shoulder.) :
Before coming to me Robot had helped
Nance out of the snow; be was lying
nearly horizontally, and was not much
covered over Nance found Bevard,