Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1889-10-04
A TRAGEDY OF MT. BLANC.
RECITAL OF THE HORRIBLE EVENT
OF SEPTEMBER, 1870.

A Party Of Eleven Lost, Including Three
Americans = Overt,,Ien by Biindini
Snow Storm-The Message Penciled by
Dying BaltImorean.
1t was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon tina
we entered the village of Chamouni in 1870
and halted at our hotel As we did we no
ticed that something unusual had occurred
Groups Of men and women were standing
around in the little square in front of the vii
lage church, all earnestly discussing some ap
parently important matter Many of th,
women were weeping, and there was a shad,
Of sadness on all the faces that attracted oul
notice. At first we attributed it to the waI
that was raging only few leagues away.
We were not long in learning the truth
however. for we bad hardly descended from
she diligence hefOre the terrible announce
ment was made that eleven men had been lost
on Mt. Blanc.
WHY THERE WAS WEEPING.
An intelligent English gentleman, who
had been at Chamouni some time and was
conversant with the facts, told Us the sad
story. He said that on the previous Monday
mornh.g-this was Wednesday, Sept -
three travellers, two Of whom were Ameri-
cans, had started with three guides and 1--WE
porters for the top Of the mountain. Their
names were John c. Randall, of Quincy,
Mass; DR.. James B. Beano, of Baltimore,
Md, and G.. NJ. Corkendale, Scotch clergy
man.
The three guides were the best and most
reliable in the village, namely: John Balmat
Joseph Breton and August Cottet-all web
known and esteemed 10y the professional
mountain climbers of that time The party
had reached the Grand Mulcts and spent the
night Of Monday there, setting the usual
signal 10 inform the jewellers below of their
safe arrival. On Tuesday morning they
completed the ascent and reached the sum
nit spending the usual time there On the
afternoon of that day they were seen slowly
descending the upper part of the mountain
They looked like flies crawling over white
sheet. IN at once, he said, theTa seemed 90
be a veil thrown over them, and they van
ished from his sight, never TO be seen again.
AT first not much anxiety was felt in the
valley, as slight snow storms are not mcoiu-
mon at that season. But whom night came
on, and there were 40 signals set at tie
Grand Mulcts, or any lights TO he seen about
the little hut where they should have spent
the second night, fears began TO take shape
that some terrible catastrophe had taken
place
As soon as the people had partially recov-
cred from the, shock occasioned by realiza-
ton Of what had occurred the MARIE of the
village, who was also the clief guide. called
Tor volunteers TO go in search Of the missing
men How forlorn hope it was may be in
fcrred from the fact he would accept no
married man, neither any who were over
thirty years Of age Ii was about 3 o'clock
when these volunteers, thirty in number,
with packs Of clothing and provisions ON
their backs, coils of ropes and axes over their
shoulders, and alpenstocks in their hands. |
gathered in front of the mares office to get
their final instructions.
That night there came on about o'clock, |
tempest Of wind and rain, accompanied by /
thunder and lightning, such rs l have rarely |
listened TO or witnessed, except in the Swiss /
Alps The next morning, looking from our /
hotel windows, we saw that snow had fallen |
upon the mountain sides far down toward |
the valley, and we instinctvey felt that the |
Efforts of the brave volunteers must have |
been fruitless, oven if they themselves had |
not fallen a sacrifice to the fury of the ele.
ments
But about 10 o'clock that forenoon they
were seen emerging from the woods and
were soon greeting their friends. yet with
saddened faces. They reported that they had
reached considerable height when the
storm suddenly overlook them-a storm not
OF wind and rain, as we had it, but a fierce
tempest of wintry sleet and snow. They had
spent the night under the best shelter they
could Finland small choice it was-and
early next morning had proceeded on their
upward journey. 1t was not far, however
that they could go, for the show had fallen in
such quantities that not only We're all land
marks and paths obliterated, but it was inn
possible to make any progress without mo
mentary danger Of being hurled into some
abyss which could not DO avoided because
hidden under treacherous covering of snow.
They knew, also, too well, that no human be-
ing could have survived such night and
such a tempest at point above that which
they had reached.
THE TERRIBLE SEQUEL.
And now, dear reader, YOU know why
there was weeping and wailing that afternoon
of Sept. Z, among the women and children.
aye, and men, too, Of Chamouni. Eight of
their best and bravest citizens had been
wiped out Of existence as suddenly as if the
earth had opened and swallowed them up
some OF them left families and some aged
parents dependent upon them for support.
1t was several weeks afterward that ]
learned the sequel to this terrible affair. A
week or more elapsed before it was deemed
missing men, and then only with the bare ex.
pectation Of finding and bringing down their
iieless bodies. There was no other hope
Fifty of the most experienced mountaineers
81 the village We're detailed for this purpose:
ana after long and tedious search they came
ipon the stliened corpses of several of the
party, among which were those Of DR.. Became
md AIR. Corkendale They were in sitting
GESTURE, as though they had sat down to rest .
md so had persisted In the cold hands Of DR. 4,
Beanie was found note book bearing several /,
iates the last of which was that tcrrible !,
light Of Sept. Z. The record stated that they },
lad been two days in the midst Of a terrible !
now storm; that they had had trouble with !
her guides and the party had become sepai- !
ted They were conscious that they were j,
ost, for the record closed as follows: eve =.
ave dug grotto in the snow at a height OF Il
o'OVo ieet have no hope Of desceeding, ,
ly feet are frozen, and | am exhausted /,
ave only strength to write these words !,
lie believing In Jesus Christ, with the sweet :
bought of my family, my friendships. and n
w. hope we shall meet in heavenm DIR
cane was highly esteemed young physician q
Baltimore, and had in his possession letei,s Il
ON prominent officials connected with the -
mlthsonian institution. The object of his y
sit TO Chamouni and his fatal ascent Of the =,
ountdin was mainly for scientific investira. m
on. Mr., Randall, who persisted at the same =,
me, but whose body was not recovered. Ibe-
I'VE, until some days after, was q well known :.
sident of Quincy, and think was treas :.
'er OF a savings bank-Boston Transcript. <,
Flood sufferer Ii
81 You look played out, p said The proprietor tie
the paper 70 the managing editor. w