The Portland daily press., 1886-07-26
A FATAL ACCIDENT
At the Famous Tuckerman Rayine,
Mount Washington.
sewaII Faunce of Boston, Killed, and
Young Lady Seriously Injured.

MOUNT WASHINGTON, N. H., July "a
The famous snow arch in Tuckerman's Ira
vine admired every summer by hundreds OF
visitors, was the scene today of the saddest
calamity that Mount Washington has wit
messed for many years, and promising
young life went out under the shadow of
the granite cliffs. A party of eleven, six
ladies, four gentlemen and boy of Is, near
ly all from Boston, drove in the morning
from c. E. Philbrook's grove cottage, in
Shelburne, to Ben Osgood's ''castle." near
Crystal Cascade, and Walked up the Appa-
lachian path to the snow arch. The arch
was about 100 feet long and seemed firm
enough to last several weeks. The party
had lunched, when the best climber among
them decided to walk to the top of Mount
Washington and back, his friends agreeing
to await his return. He began to ascend
the precipitous path, and was out of sight of
the party, when sudden cry recalled him,
and to his horror he discovered that the arch
had fallen, burying underneath it two of the
party, who had ventured to explore its depths
The missing ones were Miss Pierce of New
Bedford and Sewall Faunce of Boston, a 10
year. old son of Mr.. Faunce of the law firm
OIL w lSSlll N TduHC6, OCuOOl SIIG6l, DUSIOu.
The young lady was near the edge OF the
fallen mass, and she was quickly released,
though seriously injured, but the poor boy
was buried under the heaviest part the arch
andwas wholly lost to sight. The snow was
packed together with the solidity of ice and
efforts to penetrate it without tools were
fruitless. The leader of the party before re-
ferred to started up the mountain for help
before Miss Pierce's rescue, and in forty
minutes had accomplished the difficult as
cent and given the alarm. The bare sugges-
ton of human suffering and death was
enough to start large relief party from the
summit, including the hotel employees, the
signal officers, and the whole force OF the
office up among the clouds. Axes, shovels,
blankets, and restoratives were taken, with
the faint hope of finding the poor fellow
alive. Thirty minutes brought the advance
guard of reScuerS to the ravine just as the
sad company were starting of carrying the
helpless form of Miss Pierce, having aban-
doned hope of finding young Faunce alive.
A fter nearly half an hours hard work the
lifeless form of the unfortunate boy was
found and taken out. His death had evident
ly been instantaneous, crushed as he was
under tons of ice and snow. Wrapped In
blankets he was lab0rlously borne up the
perilous ascent of the head wall, when an
other party were met bringing stretcher,on
which he was carried to the top.
DR.. Cove of Whitefeld came up on the
evening train and went to the Glen House by
stage in the evening in charge of the remains
Young Faunce had been stopping at Grove
Cottage with his.parents who did not join
the ravine party. This sad accident is the
first fatality for many years on Mount Wash
ington, and the only one ever occurring in
Tuckerman's ravine-an extradinary fact
considering the dangers of that locality. The
snow arch is formed every spring. lasting
the greater part of the summer, and its in
ner surface, beautifully sculptured by the
action of water, together with the tumultu-
Gus torrent pouring down beneath it, tempts
many visitor to enter its cold depths.
Last summer it fell within twenty minutes
after several sightseers had been under it,
This event ought to serve as a warning
against venturing therein. The injured lady
was carried down the ravine path to Os-
goods, where a carriage was sent for her,
and she was brought to the Glen House
little past nine this evening. She is now
comfortable, and her injuries are not serious
no bones being broken.
GLEN HOUSE, N. H., July 25.-Miss Pierce,
the young lady injured at Tuckerman's
Ravine yesterday, passed very restless
night enduring much pain but was bright
and cheerful this morning. The body of
young Faunce was put in casket and ac-
companied by his parents taken to Gorham,
where it was packed in ice and will be taken
to Boston.