New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-24
PERILS OF A LONG WALK.
THE EXPERIENCES OF A REPORTER.
WHITE MOUNTAIN RESORTS ARE NOT so AGREE
ABLE IN WINTER AS IN SUMNER.

WHITE MOUNTAIN RESORTS ARE NOT so AGREE
ABLE IN WINTER AS IN SUMNER.
Newspaper correspondents sometimes have start
ling experiences, reports Of which do not appear III
print. for the reason perhaps, that men who cohhhe
| themselves to writing about affairs OF news eNclu
| svey have little time and less inclination TO write
about their dongs and mishaps 1t often happens
! that reporter will pass through series OF Diood
chilling adventures while in pursuit OF fac'' ana
when the fact has been found VIII regard as oi il"
moment the exciting course he has followed IN accom-
plishing his mission Ills report deals with the Iaco
and not with the manner in which he found IT, ou''
some Of the adventures worth telling
\ few years ago n reporter Boston newspaper
wa, sent to the White Mountains late in February 10
ascertain the facts Of an alleged atroclous muiuer
| Arriving at Fabyan's, near the base OF MI "ashIns
ton at noon, he found that he would have 10 20 paN
as far as North Conway to begin his investigator
There wa, no train due TO 90 south until p m and as
the place was exceedingly dreary at that time 81 the
year the five six hours Of waiting formed an uii
pleasant prospect. General NJ. {. Wcntworth' pio
prleor Of the Thorn Mountain House. at Jackson nap
pcncd to be at Fabyans and after dinner he suggesu
to the complaining reporter that he might fnd IL ch
| joyablc to walk down the railway track 10 the oIa"
| ford House. near the gate OF tfl Crawford Nolcn'
where he could wait for the down train. THIS Ten
eral Wentworth said would enable the reporter ~ 'eo
Mt Washington on two sides in all its rugged gra'eu
II +, only five miles from Fabyans TO the CRAWFORD
| House. and as the warm and the "aiAii's
! good the newspaper man decided 10 take the tilp
The mountains were even loveler In thelr oicaA
| grandeur than they are in summer. There hau oeen
a thaw and innumerablc siloery streams had udelieu
I'm flashing cascades down their rugged sIue'' Inv
! snow had melted on the surface, and then COW.
! snap had interviewed suddenly. The streams h'i
frozen solid and the melted snow had taken Oh all
! icy crust In the sunlight whole mountain '1e9
seemed covered with FURNISHED silver, and the eJes
| were dazzled by the brllliancy of the spectacle
When the pedestrian reached the Crawford House
ne found il tightly closed. Not soul was Ill siSii'
! executing a track walker, who said that the down
| - did ro sion AZ Crawford at that season Of the
! vear lie advised the reporter to go on down 10
| pcmi, where the train sure TO STOP oo'a
wind had come up. blowing through the No'ch WIN
Nc velocity Of a mill race through slulcegaoe'' ino
sun became obscurcd By heavy white CLOUDS anu ''O
temperature fell quickly. comior'aoie a'oin ,D
! had become one Of intense cold. 1t seeneo ioia
way back - Fabyan's and the track walker sau ",'
| pn,i. was only two miles below BeniS II ID
ticur exclaimed the reporter to himself as lie uio~
his overcoat more tightly around him ana s'atUcu
| s,uthward Even at that early hour the ora"io 'u
| Notcb WAS dark and uninviting. The gate OF the
| notch a narrow passageway Just "lue ehouo" io =
,,, track between prccipous walls OF rock seeineo
ike an entrance to forlorn and desoate region
| the curves Of the line making te inoui'0
| 40. n interval, seem like frghuul barriers VT
dir,ry there was sufficient room between the raii'
| and the rock, for man 10 stand In safety "hle d
Elm rrsbcd nv but now all this space was filed with
| ,,r 81, completely that marks were plainly visible
berc tlo side, Of the pilots Of the engines had ooo
into contact with the walls Of snow. -
! vbe, the pedestrian had gone half the distance
through tho gate, the rumble OF the wheels oil 'Ial
| ,,,,iu,. north was heard. In another moment d
| no,,v engine drawing a train of freght-cars' ap-
| -d around Il curve. II was too late 10 reach
r cpd Of the gate In time 20 escape tie tram, anu
a solid wall Of snow lankcd either side Escape ITO"
| horrible death seemed impossible IN uc'pers''o"
the impcred man kicked at the crust oil slo" "neio
thor, anp,ared 70 be a slightly cOncave surface Inc
cru.t Welded and he squeezed into the aperture as
,pi.,lv ~ a rat leaps into his hole. lie was not
moment FIX, soon for the sides of the cars actually
| rr,zcd his coat as the train rushed by' li'u Hci0
been A loose nail on one of the cars OF any 9nHP PV
lection he would have been dragged iorth anu sou'u
to atoms After the train had passed ne went oh ~,
way dripping with perspiTauon' ana 'l'Ai'A'"i '''''
| he still lived. 49,,
Having pa,,ed the southern end Of the gate, other
danger. apnegrcd The Frnhcnstein trestle' bridge
over 100 feet long, crossing gully elgnV 'V' r0'p'
| must be crossed. There was not even !" Pi''"
walk upon and the ties were covered WIFI ice -V"1
nm, end Of Mount Webster the wind came IN ner'o
i, lint II, force was not felt until the middle Oh tc
bridge was reached Then 1t lifted the PEDESTRIAN o'
bi feet and lac would have plunged INTO the ao' >
,v, had he not seized a string piece aiohsspi' INC
! track a, he Wa, going over. a. IL was H'' lio, w
tD. lower part oi hi body swung over anu no ii''r
! ip'rd,d by hi, olhOWs the inghtlIl chasi'
Gradually he wVhed himself up Oh ',s0 t, Wind and
'b, hr ,ontln7cd across on his hands ana Knees.
the Wiley BroOk bridge. similar 81, od knees
! another deep chasm, Wa, crossed on htIiu' anu 0
Without any attempt BEING made 10 VAN; lana ,vas dis
penn, was reached at last. but again tncIo -
! ,i,,tr,.ut irui, consisted OF one Hou,' ailu
ltlc bit OF station. clc Wa 1 nv co'd now was in
| s,,s,. and a heavy SNOW squat hd 'et NJ - ,ran
,iic an The station Platform showed uAl no 49,,
VIZ" nm ~, A junction where all trains must SUP
~ irn fIom freezing, the reporter dcoued 70 ~ 49,,
iy, - the junction. although his fccl dIlt"S ,no
badly biistcrcd. IT "a' WV"'! ypountains his
i'St Mere mainly of home, and he wanted mos VI
| SrytGne In the world t. be thclS lnc t mo Nm AZ
had los, most ol their grandeur anu p0' ,rc,t nealS
III, lime. Si-ht wa tp.hhr oi' an" nv I'm, meet
seemed like grim schtlhcis Md.'ht b iunrtton the
,omc untmcly fate On lIo way !" ~ ~ dor hanging
-,r,u .aw the mauglcd carcass Oh uc.' ,,,T
pc9 'n,i,ction OF rocks. Curiosity was stronger
man WEAKNESS great ana Iio T S'eu h 1amh@rcd
tnrd M TO examine the animal lhen He I ~
DuiIi idovn again for the carcass bOGc tio iahe ".
HuSMSg hccn torn by teeth and claws, ana me snow
was tIamplcd down by thc ec' ., sum ,hn fnnc.
Better time was % anT o %M"u stage S' of the
t Won wv" The reporter didn't know much aoGa,
| he habits Of wild beasts. ana nc was S'"''" ''''
aiIT,id that this one might CONF DAN ,s vber the
,ctinn was reached seventeen miles from fdDS"hs
IIT.rr too the station was Locked IhSIc WIZ , ho
one in sight, AMI no hghi wa '' stovc inside Witch
NlnIUm "' 1nntrincd no fire. II took but shOr,
m t 49, ,smosh pane OF glass open wlniow ana
crawl inside Materials Tor Dn niIo th protlfync
I Manu-, '" when he heard the train coming the re-
Uortcr crawlcd ont again ana got Oh uot, itrRS "
| ho once more safely out OF the Crawloiu N't'L