The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-25
AMONG TIE ALPS.
A TRIP THROUGH THE SlMPLON
PASS IN JUNE.

Avalanches and WhirlwInds OF Snow.
Tho Charms Of the Cascades and
NATURALIZATION Cascades are DIanu.
fncturcd In tho Dry Season.
Wc found the remains of a great snow
drift near the summit of the Simplon pass;
The crest Of the heap rose above the top OF
our carriage. This was a surprise, but not
disarrecablc. On the Italian, or south side
of the Alps the weather had been quite warm
and even cncrvating Although the Sky was
overcast and rain fell at intervals I became
rnplcasantly heated whenever I walked to
case tho horses and pick flowers. But the
moment we began to descend from the ex-
trcmc height Of over G., 800 feet q cold wind
struck us in front and flank. Rugs and
shawls which had been carefully strapped up
were unbound and put to use. Tho road was
as good as when Napoleon made it, and the
horses were fresh from q nights rest Mt tho
halfway inn Of Isel!a. The carriage ratified
down the steep grade, the driver cracking his
whip merrily and making echoes in the deep
end narrow eorgcs We knew that few
hours Of this pace would bring us to Brieg
and warmth. never before realized the full
difference between Il northern and n southern
aspect As we made the gradual ascent from
Domo dOssola snow had been occasionally
seen, but always far above lis. 1t filled
crcviccs at the height Of 1000 feet or crowned
the very peaks.
DANGERS FROM AvALANCHEs.
But when we passed the little village OF
Simplon and ncared the Hospice there was
snow in atchcs for below us. And from tho
road upward it still covered large tracts, and
at times threatened avalanches. These, how
ever, are of rare occurrence on tho Snnplon
in the first week of June Rude crosses mark
the spots where travellers had been swept into
the profound gulf which yawned or our left.
| At one place, the driver said, four men had
| been carried to that awful but instant death.
An enduring crucifix Of bronze had been
| firmly set in O stone socket, just where they
wcrc ovcrtakcn. This Is the part of the
road whero so many "refugcs" have been
| provided. Those places Of shelter, rs we'll aS
the moro comfortable Hospice, have saved
the lives of many persons crossing tho pass
in the fall, winter and spring. The tour
mentc, or whirlwind of snow, Is cause of
more deaths than avalanches In tho high
Alps. They arc bitterly cold and binding,
and in few minutes raise mounds OF snow
through which horses and men can hardly
make their way. We were glad to know
that these icy plaques were out of season at
| the time of our crossing.
The waterfalls-amolg the greatest charms
of the Simplon pass-wcre ut their best The
rains had been heavy for some days, and the
sun was melting the snow in all but its high
est lolcmcnts. The white peaks of noun
| tains, ranging from 0,001 to 1000 feet above
the sea, wcro sublime and beautiful. One
| never tires of gazing at them, and using some
more familiar mountain at homo rs n sort of
measuring scale in order to form better itlea
| of their height. Americans are in the habit
of recalling their impressions of Washington
! Mansfield, Graylock or the CatSkills for this
purpose In the Alps, however, this plan
Goes not help us much, for some Of the most
majestic of the range have their bases at
height Of 5000 feet to begin with, and never
seem to he as high by several thousand feet as
they really arc A mountain of much less
stature would look just as towering springinS
from foundation nearer the sea level.
BEAUTIES OF TIE WATERFALLS.
But when 10 grand mountains are in sight
then onc', spirit is refreshed by the waterfalls.
| l never BEFORE conceived the widely different
forms which falling water could assnme We
passed hundreds of cascades between Domo
| dOssolo and Breg, and no two were alike.
Thcy rescmblcd each other us little IN shape
as in size. Some were simple mill streams.
They came rushing down the mountains i'll
crcat volume to turn the wheels. But they
found no corn to grind or logs to saw. They
were only conducted or through culverts be-
Meath tho roadbcd, where they could do
neither harm nor good What might be
called lace patterns We're inllmcrable. They
were fiat waterfalls, thin and very wide, slip
ping gently over smooth rocks of easy slopes.
Wavy bands Of lines mado the breadth OF
these falls look in tho distance exactly like
snOw-white lace. Bridal wells OF the most eX-
! ouisite texture were common Some kept
their symmetry in leaps of at least SOD feet.
| There were falls which reminded one OF the
dropDinc of brilliantS from fireworks high III
tho air. Each flashing wavelet seemed to pre-
serve its unity rs it fell over the prccipce,
and to come down slowly till broken up by
some jutting rock below.
A fall that always pleased us was ono that
broke into powerful vapor ant sparliled in
the Sunshine like a cascade OF diamonds.
This is the sort Of fall that Swiss innlcerers
are said to manufacture in the dry season.
| 1t only ncctls small boy with few pals OF
water. lie is out of SIGHT on the heightssand
turns on the fall when he sees carriage
coming through the pass. There were too
many falls of this kind to make us question
their gelluinencss. Another style that never
tired camc down in numerous short leaps.
Tue effect was that of stars made of silver.
Sometimes they were solid-as one might
say-and made so little spray that they
seemed to be shining steps leading from the
gloomy depths Of tile ravine to the white and
serene land abovc.-Switzcrland Cor. Jour.
| nal Of Commerce.