The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-09-27

by the government md sufficient amount
of fuss and feathers and red tape fa con.
nected with their management ID start IL
army, but d Rocky Mountain sfage drives
who had been dead ten years, wonld rouas
| himself in his grave and hold his ribs to-
gether TO laugh at some Of the impractica-
ble and almost impossible methods used ID
running them. Fairly good horses are sup
Piled, but the time Is very slow, il treauirine
over thirteen hours to accom- plish The dis
tance from Intra toEBrieg.
The Simplon road was constructed BY
the first Napoleon early in the present CEN
tury and is but one af tire many evidences
found throughout western Europe OF the
genius of that mighty conqueror. 1t was
his intention to hare terminated the route
at Milan, and to TINT end he co1nme1eed
the erection of grand tfiumpha1 arch in
that city; but this plan was never carried
out and the arch was not otEcompleted until
1888. The road is broad and we'll made and
in many places as it winds up the moun-
tain, tunnels and galleries have been cut
in the solid rock 70 project the travellers
from ayalanches and glacier streams. The
summit of the pass Is G55si ies. rss. aboye the
sea and from this point the descent To-
Brieg, which is only Is miles distant, is
very rapid. At many points on the road
as we whirl down the mountain side, fine
views of the valley can be obtained and the
little village Of Brieg seems almost near
enough SO that we could pitch stone into
its streets; but it is late at night before
we reach our hotel and we were not nm
willing to accept the rest and shelter ii
furnished.
From Brieg we take the railway the next
morning for Martigny, about SO miles dis
tant, and utter few hours stay at the lat
ter place we secure d carriage for the trip
over the Tete Noir pass to Chamouni.
Martigny is at the intersection of three Of
the great Alpine passes with the valley of
the Rhone. The Simplon, over we have
have just Travelled, the Great st. Bernard to
Turin and the Tete Eoir which we now as
cend all terminate here. For several hours.
we zigzag along upon the side Of the noun
tain, enjoying to heutmost the varied views
of valley and lofty peaks which are pre-
sented to US, until we reach the summit,
6GO0 feet above sea level. A few hours more
bring us down the range to the mountain
guarded valley OF Ghamouni, through
which flows the milky Arve, fed by the
great glaciers which fanks the spur OF the
ra.a
The little village Of chamonni, composed
almost entirely ofhotels, Is located at the
very foot of Mt.xBlanc, which IS not in
Switzerland as Is usually supposed, but
few miles over the border, in France. It
was late in the evening when we arrived
here, but the next morning dawned bright
and clear and the views of the mountain
ranges on either side of the valley were
most inspiring. The lofty summit of Mt
Blanc presented q temptation which we re-
sisted for a time, but all in vain. Long be-
fore noon we yielded to its attractions and
disregarding the counsel of the old resi-
denters who advised us to go into training
before attempting so difficult and danger
GUS a feat, we secured the services of two
hardy young mountaineers as guides, pro-
cured the necessary outfit, consisting of
stout steel shod alpenstock, warm leggings,
mitterts ETC., and like the young man who
bore banner with that strange device,
Excelsior" we started for the top.
The first ascent of Mont Blanc was made
in 1876 by BaImat and De Saussure, and
since that time ascents have been OCCASION
ally made, attended not unfrequently with
accident and loss of life. At times, even
in the summer, heavy snow storms on the
summit or dense fogs which envelope the
for weeks render the ascent alb
solutely impossible; and under the most
favorable circumstances there is enough of
difficulty and dangsE to give spice and ex-
citement to the trip.
We left Chamouni shortly before noon
and a brisk walk of half an hour brought
us to the base of the mountain at point
alongside the great glacier Des Blossoms,
a frozen food from half mile to two
miles in width, and of unknown depth,
which, fed from the SHOWS of the summit
valleys of the range, pours down an i'm
mense gorge in the mountain side with an
onward motion of about one foot day.
For nearly two hours we zigzag up the side
of the mountain, crossing occasionally the
track of recent avalanches which have
swept down great trees like ferns from
their path, until we reach the cabin of
"Pierre Pointue," the first station of the
ascent and an elevation of over 6O0O feet.
Here we stop for lunch, and to enjoy the
fine view of the valley of Chamouni and the
beyond which is here obtained
Shortly after leaving Pierre Pointue we
reach the "snow line " and go out upon the
treacherous surface of the glacier. For
greater protection against possible slip
or fall, a rope of perhaps forty feet in
length is now brought into requisition and
the members. OF. the party are attached to
each other, and with our guide en- chef ahead,
ourself in the middle and our second guide
Or porter behind we go on, avoiding as
best we can the threatening avalanches
which overhang from the cliffs above, as
well as the deep crevasses which open far
down into the glacier in every direction.
Some of the crevasses while extending
downward into the glacier for fifty or
feet are SO narrow that one
can leap across the top, while others are so
wide that ladders are brought into use,
over the yawning abyss. Others are