The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-12-04

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to me n bad omen.
With the same impenetrable mist
around us we packed our sacks and con-
tinued cur way. Soon we began To hear
the roaring of avalanches all around
us i consulted the guides. but they
said that the slope up which we had to
go was so slight that 1t was almost inn
possible to start an avalanche. And /
must say that, from my subsequent ex-
perience, / should now be of their
opinion Certainly the south wind that
was blowing was making the snow
very soft, and every now and again
small patches would detach them
selves and go kissing away for about
twenty yards In fact, SO frequent
were the noises of avalanchcs around
us and the slipping away of these
small patches of snow at our feet that
familiarity with them made us-if not
contemptuous of them-at least very
regardless.
We We're plodding on up the slope in
single file, and each one was bewaiiing
the monotony of it Now and again a
little excitement was obtained by one
OF us dropping into n crevasse and be-
ing pulled ont again as best we could
manage it One of these incidents had
just occurred, and we were again on
our way, when we heard a crack and a
hiss, and without a warning found our
selves rolling and tumbling on the crest
of an avalanche. i can only speak of
my own feelings at the time. / remem-
Der thinking to myself: ''Well, we are
all done for now, and at the same time
/ had bitter feeling of regret for hav-
ing persisted in our attempt in spite of
the bad weather. The first effect of
the avalanche was to throw me on my
back and to carry me head downwards
some twenty yards. Then by great
effort / managed to turn myself round
and get on the top of the moving mass.
j saw Andreas-the leading guide-but
few feet from me, and perceived too
that he was in great pain, for his face
was contorted with agony and he was
groaning. i had this view but for
few seconds, for / was once again
turned upside down and my head was
buried in the snow. i had often heard
that in great crises of danger little
things remain impressed upon the mind
that one would think would not even
be noticed. / remember that in the
rough and tumble of the avalanche the
elastic of my goggles" or snow spec
tacles, became undone, and l remember
equally well being determined not to
lose them 1 grasped them tightly and
never let go of them during the whole
of this ride on and in the avalanche. 1t
is useless, of course, to deny that / was
in a most terrible funk" all the
time and heartily wished either
for stoppage or quick death. All the
previous accounts that / had read of
adventures passed through
my brain, and / had the horrible re-
that death generally re-
suited either from suffocation or from
the pressure of the mass when ii
stopped l looked forward, therefore,
to death in any case, but l hoped
and prayed it would come to
me by the pressure of the snow
rather than by suffocation. But,
of course, these thoughts flashed
my head like lig htning, and
when next / came to the surface / per-
ceived that the ma IS was slowing up in
front, and the death 1 anticipated
seemed TO be near at hand But il was
not to be, luckily for me. The mass
stopped, as it were, altogether, and
there must have been but little pres
sure. The front guide seemed to suffer
a little, Tor he gave an extra DlP groan
and then all was quiet AS soon as l
could extricate my legs from the mass
of snow l looked around, and was very
thankful and glad to see my compan-
ions all above us-all safe and sound,
but left in rather a heap by the ava
lanche. / need hardly say how quickly
n run was made to the brandy bottle,
and how we refreshed ourselves and
drew fresh courage from it Nor did
we delay. Gathering up our things, we
fairly rushed down the rest of the snow
slope, the guide throwing away with
deep German curse the flag and stick
he had brought up to commemorate the
first ascent of the Wetterhorn- We
came down the ice-fan in double quick
time, expecting it to be swept every
by another avalanche. Once
in safety away from the snow, we burst
into words, and each recounted his own
experiences in his first and-it is to be
last ride with an avalanche.
Pail Mall Budget.