Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-03-07
DEATH FROM FREEZING.
A TRAVELLER DESCRIBES HIS EX-
PERIENcE IN THIS LINE.

from sTartigny to the Hospice OF the
Great st. Bernard-First indication OF
Something wrong-strange and DELI
cious Sensations.
On the particular occasion referred TO, /
started from Martigny at 9 a. m. and in
tended To traverse the thirty miles TO the
hospice of the Great St. Bernard before
night. Time being of consequence,
thought it prudent, so as TO get to the
summit of the pass before dark, not TO step
for a meal TO be cooked at Orsiercs or
Liddes, but pressed forward to the | ast
place before the snow tramp commenced,
the Cantne de Proz. There | met with
young nobleman and his guide. AFTER an
interchange of inquiries, and an offer on
my part of some chocolate AMI biscuits to
the other travellers, as the cantine was
hard up that day in eatables, we set out
together, and had crossed the Plan de Ma
rengo without any presentiment of what
was going 10 happen. The first indication
of something wrong was the peculiar ap-
pearance which my surroundings seemed
to assume. Everything looked hazy to
my vision-even the snow and the rocks
Iying about looked rs if enveloped in
fog, although the afternoon was beauti-
fully clear. Then ! felt that | must sit
down and enjoy it; but the guides flask
of kirschwasser set me going again. Very
soon, however. the former feeling re-
turned; but the same treatment tempo
rarily recovered me. At last took to
stumbling along, fell down several times,
and at length could not help myself My
companions urged me in vain to arouse to
one more effort, but it was useless.
rr,f,lafc xv,tc NOW cf fha
utmost service. Divining the exact state
of the case, and what might happeD, he
took a very sensible course Leaving the
marquis to see to me, he hurried forward
to meet the two monks who always came
down from the hospice at a particular
hour each day, so as to obtain their
efficient help. On their arrival, the mar
quis either went on, on his own account,
or was requested to go forward with the
news. Anyhow, was informed the next
day that his report was, that IN. lie -
had perished in the SHOWS" In the
meantime the two monks and guide took
me in hand, and, shaking me up, made
my hands clasp a belt around the guides
waist. and each of the monks took an
arm The former acted as a substitute
for horse power and the two latter rs
wheels. AS for myself was fast becom-
ing dead weight, Between the cantine
and the hospice there is a space Of seven
and half miles Of very rough walking,
uphill, of course, and with a depth of
several feet of snow where the cantonniers
had not cleared path. / suspect that
my deliverers had very difficult task,
over at least five miles, to keep me from
getting into that sleep from which there
is no waking.
sI1 Of hot
occasional CLEANS of consciousness will
never be erased from my mind. Is there
such an essence of ecstatic delight as
elixir mortis? If there is, it must have
been something like it, or the very thing
itself, which / enjoyed that day. No
words can possibly express the surprising
desire which felt to sit down and enjoy
my fclicity-and sleep. But my inexora-
BILE friends knew that sleep meant death;
and though my repeated appeals of
'Doucement, doucement,n - were plaintive
enough, they were met by rcdoubled
efforts to force me onward, even when my
own legs would not move any longer. The
collapse was complete. During the sus
tanned efforts of the three men, had but
momentary glimpses of consciousness. ]
remember seeing two something's, black
one on each side, but very indistinct
These, of course, were the friendly
monks. The one overwhelming idea that
filed my mind then was how to get to
that sleep, that blissful euthanasia which
poets have sung about, but which my
companions were doing their best to rob
me OF, just when had got it within my
grasp.
Another lucid interval occurred just as
we approached the door of the hospice, for
saw two or three Of the dogs; and then
I was lostagain, till found myself in the
large room, surrounded by several of the
canons One administered some extract
of orange flowers, and that was followed
by some warm broth. Then another
tugged off my boots, socks ETC., and be-
tween them, somehow or other, they got
me into bed. (This particular room would
not have been mine Ii had gone as an or
dinary traveller usually does. am under
the impression that Ii was looked upon as
the best bedroom, being the one used by
Napoleon Bonaparte when he stopped at
the hospice en- route to the Italian cam
paign.) In the night woke, breathing
very quickly and very hard. The room
itself had the appearance Of being one
mass of cotton wool. Congestion Of the
lungs had got hold Of me now, and felt
very i'll indeed. But, however, the next
morning did what the monks had inef-
fectually tried to impress upon me the
night before, and ! made an effort. Ny
first duty to others was to see the excel
lent guide and make him due acknowl-
edgment; and as the noble and heroic
monks, who live only for others, would
not hear of anything but thanks, / had
recourse to the tronc OF the church. To
the three men am. humanity speaking,
indebted for my life. A grateful heart
need never be ashamed Of its precious
burden. Chambers journal