The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1882-05-20
AN ALPINE ADVEN TURE.
The Fortunate Escape of Some Amateu
Climbers.

Climbers.
The Vienna correspondent of the Londor
News gives an interesting account of the ad
ventures of four persons who endeavored to
climb the Rax-Alp in a snow storm on Sun.
day, April 8, and were believed to be lost
during four days. They were two brothers
Friedrich, the bride of the younger brother,
and friend named Novak. The correspond
ent says:
After four hours tedious march in the snow
they reached small m0uDtain inn, where they
intended stopping until the weather should clear
up. 6ut very soon some tourists came in and
told of large party who were climbing upward,
aud we're now on their way TO the ''GaisOch" a
deep tissure on the mountain side IN which more
timely death, it being the fashion TO climb this
mountain without guide. The fcur young peo-
pie hoped to find their way by following in the
Steps of those who had gone before. After
several hours difficult walking they reached the
neigh borhood of the assure, and found that it
would be utterly impossible TO advance without
tie help of guide. 1t was o'clock in the after
noon by this time, and the party hoped TO get rs
far as the Karl Ludwig house Of shelter, where
they could have spent the night. Novak, who
was the nimblest, jumped across the gap,
and called to them tina. they should not
attempt to follow him at that place,
girl to pass. He continued to speak, telling them
to find some track to advance upon but u dense
fog settled upon the mountain at this moment.
aid after very few minutes they could neither
see nor hear each other. The three imagined
NOyak must have slipped ana fallen Int, the
abyss and they attempted to descend to look for
STOW aud ice they saw that they had reached the
other side OF the tissue by q long detCdr. The
fog prevented them from seeing more than
asquare of three feet at time, and the snow uni
fOrmly covered the ground at their feet. Creep
ing along with hands and feet they made slow
progress upward, aud late on Sunday evening
cfa "A N w nipf1
was locked The men burst 1t open, aud all three
stretched themselves upon the straw TO rest from
rheir fatiguing journey. They had only one piece
of bread Oh a slice of ham, which they divided
among The thrse-the last nouFshment afforded
20 them until Thursday morning.
Tue whole OF the next day they wandered
abo l., AL directions, aid when toward evening
hey found another hat, they were glad 10
heek she -:tr In IL without attempting 60
further. That was Monday night Hunger made
them all v.ry weak and miserable, and, fearing
not to have the force to rise anG walk on the NOR
row they made up their mind to eat what they
could They boiled some OF the straw, cut into
small bits. ia snow, and this all their dinner
on Monday In the middle of the night of
the brothers remem bered that he had some tallow
cant les IN bis pocket These were cut into small
bits and swallowed. Their wahderingS On Tues
day OF as little avail as those of Sunday and
Monday hsd en-, only they all gottlred so much
sooner aid were foI9e ed to return to their port OF
safety before the night set in.
"On We'd esday morning the young girl de-
sied that she felt unable To Walk, AID the
brothers decided IL IL tney musJ set out alone III
search of neip aud nourishment for their com
panion. But the fog had grown worse, aud the
suowstorm was so violent that after half an hour
they turned back. They found the girl In
trance. brought about by hunger and frost, and
they rubbed her with ice and snow to revive her.
During her trance she sometimes spoke, and once
she said oh, how delicious after such a long
f4st!' She was happy in her dreams-she was eat
ing. When the day changed to night on Wednes-
day, the three unhappy creatures gave up all
hope. ana they decided to shoot themselves with
d revolver one of the brothers had brought with
him. In hopes of firing from the top of the noun
tain. They all three agreed that they preferred
dyi in this manner TO being slowly starved to
death.
ION Thursday morning at O'Clock one of The
young men opened the door of the hut to look
out, and with q cry of delitbt he welcomed the
clear sky aud the stars that slf0ne upon It, Their
courage lived wonderfully when they saw the
mountain before them, and after a breakfast of
straw soup aud tallow candles they set out At 3
O'Clock they reached the shelter house, where a
man and his servant keep small inn. Here
they refreshed themselves, after hav
ing spent four days and four nights Ia the ice and
snow of the Rax-Alp. Their hands and feet were
20 frost-btten that they only walked far as they
were compelled and long before they got 20
Payerb tck great numbers were following in their
rear, cheering them and shaking hands with
them. A telegram to Vienna not only summoned
numerous friends, but also several newspaper re-
porters, VINO came back with them in the train,
and took note of their wonderful adventures"