Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1885-10-11
ALPINE Gil MBERS.
HOP Full TOURISTS WHO REACH
THE HIGHEST POINT IN EUROPE.
Demorest's Monthly.I

OF Mont Blanc Each person must nave
guide and porter TO carry luggage, pro
visions etc. The luggage is limited to four
teen pounds for each person. On tHe after
noon II the first lay tle party ascends
generally by the Pavilion OF the Pierre
| Poiutus. Saris, OF hugo pointsl rocks
where the fist rsst Is taken, t1 tho Grand
Mulets wl.ra the night Is passei in two
stone bnts or rnbnns rs they arc called.
We say the night; properly only a p rtion
| Of the night, for tie party is rousel by the
| guides as early as / O'Clock in the morning
| for the start An American gentleman,
who nude the ascent some twenty years 90,
| gave "a thrilling account uf the night spent
| on tue Grand Mnlets
| after the sun went down. hc sail, "we
/ sat a ing time on the narrow lelse OF rock
| on wacl the nus ara bu 10, 10 wltcl ths
/ daylight die along the length OF the valley.
| All was peace aud stiffness about u' in our
isolation We coul hear the ti1kls Of bells
and Zee the glimmer OF lights ia the hotels
OF the village far below, Looking up, there
were the thr.e peaks cleaylng the star-llt
sky above u.s. the Dome du GJut'r. Mont
Blanc, an tn, AgIiil, du Midi We hut
derei as we thought Of wat lay
between u, AMI tho silent submits
from which We were, Gbl wiling TO
see the sun rise over tao h'ight' ut italy.
SilentlS we puff. our cigars, Watching
the stars thickeI anl clu t,r IN the lark m
ing sky. The gui les gathered alb 'ut the
fire ON which oar suppar hal been prepared
and sat like n wsirl c IN any smoking !eIr
pipes and sin ing wild mountain oas' in
their strange ) vlss patOi.
HOne by one We disappeared In the little
/ hut, rolled ourselves in our blaukets an
lay down to rest The songs cea~eI, the
fires went out and il drew On to mi might
We uid not sleep. Sleepi With the
SOUND Of the falling avalancheS in the dis.
lance laundering and booming in our
ears, ami feeling as we did that into that
wild chaos AMI fury we were 60
ont ia few hoursl Ones courage
sinks low, and like ths sad, still picture Of "A
lost happiness, all that /, left bshinl OF love
and life comes before us. 'Messleursl II faut
leverr The voice of the guide rings in our
ears. In an instant ali is action aud in pira-
ton. Rpps, axes packages, everything
for safety and strength, is arranged by the
guides in the most business-like manner
The pas age Of the broad plateau of snow,
the oluctiun OF what can never cease u
be a haZr lOus undertaking Is bSgun.
Hours OF brsathless strain AMI nervs-tryinl
work follow Deep crevasses, where treac l.
erous clasm, are often covered by fall OI
snow whu>e lightneSs is ouly recognize by
the eye II { ne pra ,ticsl guide, yawl before
the careless step
on THE MOUNTAIN TOP.
an som. portions of the rputs ulb rS,ksr
silence Is preserved, lest the slightest vibra
ton. even from the voices in that rar,
atmlsphrrs, might detach an avalanche Of
snow and stones trembling in tn balance
And then tbs last desperate elm A soil
wall OF ice, which must be met with all th'
defiant, resolute courage OF a mans nature
One by one, guide AMI traveller alternating
clinginy aul bracing Ourselves. while th'
leader cuts the steps in the cold blue ic W,
go surely, firmly up
The view, even at its best. is said 10 b.
unsatisfactory; only the outlines OF the Jura
and the Lpsnnines loom dimly up ON ac
count of the great distance But then il is
the highest point in Europe Nothing o
earth stands between one and the eyerls,t
ing firmamenG IC would seem that Cne
might look into the very face OF g q
through ths pure ether OF that staiule'
sarth-rid height
Climber. are affected by various en-,
tions, il is said, when this climax OF cl,
makes is attained. Some give way 10 To,
most violent demonstrations Of JOY, singing
and dancing like an Indian brave. Will
Others are dazsd and stunned at the realza
ton Of -ucn high hopes One lady. who's
spirit was stronger than her body, was $
enthusia ,tic that when there was danger 0
her giving out on the way up, she made tn
guide promise that, should she lie from ex
haustion, he wJuld carry her lifslsss bod
% the summit
We know OF several American gentlemel
who have made the ascent of Mont Blanc
and in each casa they went 10 Chqmoix a
ordinary visitors, and were inspired to IN
dertake the trip by hearing Of the exploit
Of their predecessors With members q
the Alpine club who have a yearly meetin
in London, this climbing grows into a pas
sion Any One who can, during the SUN
mer, reach some height whsrsJa ths foot OF
man has never. before rested, has an nc
count % give which he con, iders ia som
degree worthy the consideration OF hi corp,
NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE.
The word practicable" is literally cu
struel by these Alpine climbers Nothin
man to accomplish, and nothing i danger
Gus that can be safely done. Tue air at th
height Of lO,O OO VI IL, 600 feet is so refrest
ing to them that to live in the valley pro
duces the effect Of suffocation, and on III
brink OF precpice thousands Of feet hig
they are a, free from dizziness as In thei
beds. Aud So we find in their club journl
account that take away the breath OF lct
bouni cliff, mounted step by step, as "
have said, by the intrepid guide who clear
the why for the party following attached I
each other, and 10 him by ropes tied aroun
the body. Each man plants his pick ilrml
In the solid ice and rests upon IL while th
steps are cut
Sometimes one Of the party may make
false step, Io-s his hold and then IL is on Iii
strength u tbs rope and the nerve Of hi
companions that the safety u all depend.
II Is but the qne.tion Of q moment whethe
he IA ~ Le drawn back into place, O
WHISTLER BE- u b drag the whole company /
the bottom ~ the precpice hun lrcis OF Zoe
DslOw