Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-18
A TRAGEDY OF MT. BLANC.
RECITAL OF THE HORRIBLE EVENT
OF SEPTEMBER, 1870.

A Party of Eleven Lost, Including Three
Americans - Overtaken by Binding
Snow Storm-The Message Penciled by q
Dying Baltimo rean.
1t was about O'Clock in the afternoon that
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 the
women were weeping. and there was shade
of sadness on all the faces that attracted our
notice. At first we attributed it to the war
that was raging only few leagues away.
We were not long in learning the truth,
however, for we had hardly descended from
the diligence before 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
morning-this was Wednesday, Sept. =
three travellers, two of whom were Ameri-
cans, had started with three guides and fvs
porters for the top of the mountain. Their
names were John G. Randall, of Quincy,
Mass; Dr. James B. Beane, of Baltimore,
Md, and G. n. Corkendale, a Scotch clergy
man
The three guides were the best and most
reliable In the village, namely: John Balmat,
Joseph Breton and August Cottet-an well
known and esteemed by the professional
mountain climbers of that time. The party
had reached the Grand MuIets and spent the
night of Monday there, setting the usual
signal to inform tho dwellers 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. All at once, he said, there seemed to
be 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 uncom-
mon at that season. But when night came
On, and there were no signals set at the
Grand Mulets, or any lights to be 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 a realiza-
ton of what had occurred, the maire of the
village, who was also the chief guide, called
for volunteers to go in search Of the missing
men. How forlorn hope it was may be in
ferred from the fact he would accept no
married man, neither any who were over
thirty years of age 1t was about 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 s O'Clock,
a tempest of wind and rain, accompanied by
thunder and lightning, such as have rarely
listened to or witnessed, except IN tho Swiss
Alps The next morning, locking from our
hotel windows, we saw that snow had fallen
upon the mountain sides far down toward
the valley, and we instinctively felt that the
efforts of the brave volunteers must have
been fruitless, even il 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 a considerable height when the
storm suddenly overlook then-a storm not
Of wind and rain, as we had it, but fierce
tempest of wintry sleet and snow. They had
spent the night under the pest shelter they
r-.l III -.
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 were all land
marks and paths obliterated, but it was i'm
possible to make any progress without mo-
mentary danger Of being hurled into some
abyss which could not be avoided, because
hidden under treacherous covering of snow.
They knew, also, TOO well, that no human be-
ing could have survived such a night and
such tempest at q point above that which
they had reached.
THE TERRIBLE SEQUEL.
And now, dear reader, you know why
there was weeping and wailng that afternoon
of Sept z, among the women and children,
aye, and men, too, Of Chamouni- Eight of
their best and bravest citizens hal been
wiped out of existence 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 afterwurd that ]
learned the sequel to this terrible affair. A
week or more elapsed before it was deemed
practicable to attempt another search for the
missing men, and then only with the bare ex-
pectatlon of finding and bringing down theiI
lfeless bodies. There was no other hope
Fifty of the most eI experienced moUntaineers
of the village were detailed for this purpose;
and after long and tedious search they came
upon the stitfened corpseS of several of the
party, among which were those Of Dir. Beane
and Mr.. Corkendale. They We're in a sitting
posture, though they had sat down to rest,
and 50 had persisted In the cold hands of DR..
Became was found note book bearing several |
dates, the last of which was that terrible
night of Sept T. The record stated that they
had been two days in the midst of q terrible
snow storm; that they had had trouble with |
their guides and the party had become separ-
ated. They were conscious that they we're |
lost, for the record closed as follows: 1--WE |
have dug grotto in the snow at a height Of |
5000 feet l have no hope OF desceeding, |
my feet are frozen. and | am exhausted |
have only strength 10 write these words. l |
die believing III JESUS Christ with the sweet |
thought OF my family, my friendships and |
all hope we shall meet in heaven" Dr.. |
Beane was a highly esteemed Young ph ysiciau |