The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-05-17
AN ALPINE ADyEN TUBE.
The Fortunate Escape of Some Amates
Climbers.

The Fortunate Escape OF Some Amateur
Climbers.
Tire Vienna correspondent Of the London
News gives an interesting account OF the ed.
ventures of four persons who endeavored to
climb the Rax-Alp in a snow storm on Sun
day, April 9, and were believed to be lost
during four days. They were two brothers
Friedrich, the bride of the younger brother,
and friend named Noyak. The correspond
ent says:
After four hours tedious march in the snow
they reached small noun tain Inn, where they
intended stopping until the weather should clear
up But very some tourists came IN and
told of a large party who were climbing upward
and we're now on their way TO the ''Gaisloch - a
deep hssure on the mountain side, IN which more
than one careless viennese has found an un-
timely death, it being the fashion TO climb this
pie hoped tO1nd their way by following In the
steps Of those who had gone before. After
several hour difficult walking they reached the
would be utterly impossible to advance without
tie helpOf guide. Ii was O'Clock In the alter
noon by this Tune. and the party hoped to get as
far as tie Karl Ludwig house Of shelter, where
they could have spent the night. Noyak, who
was the nimblest, jumped across the gap
and called to them tina. they should not
the gap being too wide for the
girl to pass. he continued to speak, telling them
to ind some track to advance upon, but dense
fog settled upon the noun tain at this moment.
and after very few minutes they could neither
see nor hear each other. The three imagined
Novak must have slipped and fallen int the
abyss, ana they attempted to descend to look for
him. But after about an hours climbing over
snow and ice they saw that they had reached the
other side of the issue by a long detOur. The
fog prevented them from seeing more than
asquere of three feet at tine, and the snow uni
formly covered the ground Al their feet. Creep
ing along with hands and feet, they made slow
progress upward. and late on Sunday evening
they reached a shepherds hut. the door of which
was locked The men burst 1t open, and all three
ctrofchpd The oaenlvpS the from
their fatiguing journey. They had only one piece
of bread on a slice of ham, which they divided
among the thrse-the last nouriShment afforded
TO them until Thursday morning.
1.-THE whole OF the next day they wandered
about ia all directions, and when toward evening
they found another hat, they were glad 20
seek shelter In IL without attempting 70 go
further. That was Monday night. Hunger made
them all very weak and miseTaole, and, fearing
not TO have The force TO rise and walk on the NOR
row, they made up their mind TO eat what they
could. They boiled some OF tue straw, cut into
small bits, in snow. and this all their dinner
on Monday. In the middle OF the night one of
the brothers remem Oered that ne had some tallow
candles in his pocket These were cut INTO small
bits and swallowed. Their wanderings on Tues
day were of as little avsil as those OF Sunday and
Monday had been, only they all got ured so much
sooner and were forced 70 return 10 Their DOT OF
safety before the night set in.
clared that she felt unable 10 walk. and the
brothers decided that they must SET out alone IN
search of nelp and nourishment for their com
paniOl. But the fog had grown worse, and the
snowstorm was so violent that after halI hour
they turned back. They found the girl
trance brought about by hunger and frost. and
they rubbed ner with ice aud snow to revive her.
During her trance she sometimes spoke, and once
she said. on, how delicious after such long
fastr she Was happy in her dreams-she was ea;-
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
a revOlve one of the brothers had brought with
him. in hopes of firing from the top of the NOUN
tain. They all three egreed that they preferred
dying in this manner 10 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, aud with a cry of delieht he welcomed the
clear sky and the stars that shone upon it, Their
courage revived wonderfully when they saw the
mountain before them. and after breakfast of
STRAW SOUP and tallOw candles they set out. At
O'Clock they reached the shelter house, where
man and MS servant keep a small inn. Here
they refreshed themselves, after hav-
ing spent four days and four nights in the ice aud
snow of the RaX-Alp. Their hands and feet were
frOst-btteu that they only walked as far as they
were compelled ana long before they got %
Payerb1ck great numbers were following in their
rear. cheering them and shaking hands with
them. A telegram To Vienua not Ouly summoned
numerous friends. but also several newspaper re-
PpOrters, who came back with them in the train,
and TOOK note OF their wonderful adventures"