New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-09
THE GLORY OF THE ALPS.
A CLoUDLEss VIEW OF THE MATTERHoRN.


DAZZLING LUsTBE OF A NEwLY-FAILES ALPINE
SNOW.
lrgoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBuNE'I
ZeRMlTT. Sept. 20.--It was on Friday that
went ND the RIflel and had that view OF London,
and came down in storm OF snow On SATURDAY
morning at was to leave Zcrmatt, but, as have
managed thus far to postpone or alter every plan
have made here again was 10 have the pleasure
of doing something lad not meant to. had re-
signed myself to the humiliation of quitting Ter
matt without having seen the view from the
Corner which is precisely the one
thing which everybody who comes to
Zermatt does see and the one thing for which most
of them come; albeit, Zermatt has many other
sights and walks of rare beauty open even to those
who do not climb difficult passes but do not mind a
good walk. | had, III fact, an engagement else
where and when was called Saturday morning
and looked out and saw nothing but the same fog
was certain | should have the virtue to resist the
temptation which did not present itself There
would be no view from the R1iel that day. When
L. appeared AT breakfast | cOndolcd with him
on having TO stay on through such hopeless
weather assuring MIN he would no more get up the
Corner than should. To which taunt he made an
swer that nothing would induce him to try the kici
again. Just then appeared Mr.. Seller, and lcondoed
with him also on the too early arrival OF winter
and the premature end of his hotel. keeping season.
Mr. Seller is a man with a certain dryne's OF man
ner well fl ted to give an air of verlsmihtude to
any statement he may find it convenient to make
at a given moment. The only reply he permitted
himself TO make was an expression Of his regret
that it would be leaving Zermatt without
having seen what was best worth seeing
Especially" added he. Gas to-day Will be fine"
booked at Seller curiously, remarking 10 myself that
I n,I Vrt,ot Mt qV n SnI
keeper-who could say the thing which is not with
a more admirable appearance Of tesiIfying under
oath 10 the truth, the whole truth and nothing but
the truth. Seller must have had many Opportun-
ties OF studying the peculiar though quite lnyolun
tary deYangement of the facial muscles which j.
occasioned By a sentiment of doubt in the human
mind, and he saw that did not believe him. HIS
manner became all at once less dry; Il became
almost sympathetic. rs he said 4" assure You on
nv honor that the view from the Corner this morn
ing VIII be absolutely perfect" 1t was impossible
to doubt that he meant IT, or that he knew what he
was talking about TBS repugnance to another
climb on tie RfIcl and the urgency OF NY engage
ment vanished together | countermanded my car
rage and ordered traps upstairs again, and in
ten minutes we were on the road. The sole hint Of
the Utility Of success we badn addition 20 Mr.
Sellers assuraucc-was a rift In the fog through
which you might have SHE'D your hat, and
at the bottom of this lift a ragged
patch of blue sky. Yet somehow we had faith IN
these two omens nos, perhaps, faith enough TO re-
move the mountains we could Tot see. but enough
10 take Us up the side of one believed to lie some
where behind that screen Of mist, and III this scept-
cal age that was a good deal and ought to have
credit for it.
THE MATTERHoEy UNVEILED.
We were not long kept IN tins strained condition
Of mind Before VIC were fairly out Of tie village a
puff Of wind came down the gorge. driving the fog
patch OF blue broadeDed and decpeued
the sun came climbing swiftly over
the Brclthorn in pursuit # the hyng mist; in ten
minutes more neither fog nor cloud remained, and
be ore us wa, the unveiled glory Of the Matterhorn
visible from base to summit From Zcrma,t itself
from the village lurking in the valley, the Matter
horn cannot really be seen. What can Doe seen is
the peak and this is what $ commonly shown 10
photographs as The Mattcrhom Itself. l; j. maehii-
cent but II is not the MatIerhJrn. As well may a
man who surveys the b13bor OF NcW-York from
the Battery imagine lo has lcAed the
mcasurccss oxVGnsc az the Atlantic. There are
dozen points from which views NAV be had OF The
mountain. he IoIul and the Zurudt glacier are
those usually recommended to the tourist but il
may te doubted whether either OF them equals the
side Of the Il feel. which is possibly less praised be-
cause It Is more accessible. One must not be too
near nor too lar away, and must keep at the angie
winch leaves the eastern and western faces uncoy-
cred. The Eif-l luiiis all these conditions; they
may all be had at various turningso of the path dur
ing the rst thirty minutes walk after crossing the
bridge
Thus seen, tie Matterhorn has 10 peer. Close as
you are, no degree Of familiarity to which Won can
attain with such prOdgous creature lessons your
respect admiration for MIN. The Rif1e stands to
the MatterI IN in relation not unlike that which
the Flegerc or the Breyent bears to Mont Blanc
But doubt whether Mont Blame noble an OBJ
jccr viewed from e her Of those opposite neghbors
Of his as wien seen from Geneva. fifty miles away
He is so unwieldy and sprawls over so
much ground. and takes up much
space AID time before he can make
up lis mind to his final bound into
the air, that be gains in proportion and seemIincss
iy being regarded at distance Near at hand half
Il dozen Of the aiguilles dispute his prominence
with him; 1t often hard TO convince oneself that
Mont Blanc is really the highest or much the high
est. Nature has the air of having tried her hand
several times before she quite resolved what to do;
and she has left on record and in evidence all of her
rash experiments and splendid failures. The eye fol-
lows upward from peak to peak a succession Of as
cents the last approaching the altitude of the
true summit that you arrive without that impress
sion Of swift surprise which would be most effective
Of all and which does await you at the MatterhOrn
III mere height. enumerated in feet, the latter is
not even the monarch OF his country. much less
If all Europe. as his ChamounIx rival is. Monte |
X osa is considerably higher the Lyskamm just |
Jverlooks him, the Dent Blanche IL nearly on the |
same level, and the Weisshorn is exactly twelve
inches less in stature.
An ISCOaPARABLR MoUNTAIS.
SO much for mere figures and mathematical meas |
urements. WAT sets him above all these il |
his incompatible beauty and originality OF FORM |
Other mountains resemble each other in this or |
hat particular and for the most part in their gen.
srai bulk and bigness. Tho Matterhorn has no |