The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-26
DEATH IN THE ALPS.
Tourists Killed While Climbing
tho Mountains.
Fourteen Lives Lost Among tho Rugged
Heights During tho fcar 1890
Some miraculous
Escapes.

fcSCupCS.
Since Alpine climbing became popu-
lar amusement there have never been
so many fatal accidents in any one wear
as have marked the season of 1890.
The last number of the British Al
pino journal says that fourteen per-
sons, travellers and guides, have per
ished in accidents above the snow line
during the last summer This does not
include some very serious accidents oc-
curing, not to pleasure tourists, but to
people whose line of duty REQUIRES
them to travel in the high Alps. For
instance, about fifteen italian soldiers.
required to march from fort to fort in
the Alps during the last summer, have
been ovcrtalcn by storms or avalanchcs
which have cost them their lives. One
party of six men, swept from their feet,
were prccipitatcd more than one thou
sand six hundred feet to tho bottom. of
valley, and four of them were killed.
but two miraculously escaped The
most astonishing escape of the season
is that of few Italian soldiers who
were ovcrtaken by an enormous ava
lancho and rolled down the mountain
with the speed of an express train, yet,
strange to say, they were suddenly
stopped on level space after a fall of
six hundred and fifty feet, and were un-
hurt beyond n few scratches. The ava
lanchc swept on past them, leaving the
young soldiers staring at one another.
astonishcd to find that they were still
alive.
The accidents, however, which are
l1.lrsD ~ hal II.
and their guides. June 81 n German,
MIR. Poppc, was killed in the Octathal.
lie fell from ledge and dragged with
him his guide, who also persisted July
81 DIR. Mayer, of Vienna, and his young
son attempted to ascend mountain in
the kapruner Thai, under the guidance
OF the experienced Iaountainccr, Schcrn-
thalcr. The usual search party was or
ganl2cd after the tourists had been soy
cral days missing and tho bodies of tho
entire party were found ut the foot of q
dangerous cliff. 1t was evident from
the appearance of the guide that ne had
made remarkable efforts to save the
lives of his comrades. On the same
day guide named Untcrstcincr, after
having conducted q tourist in an cx-
cprsion on the Nencdigcr, set out to
return alone to his home. Some DAYS
later his tracks were found across n
glacier, but his body has not been dis
covered.
Two Italian gentlemen on August II
assembled the Col du Gcant with a we'll
known guide named Brunod. lie left
them to fill water bottle near the
summit On returning to the party he
OH f,Nn
sand feet, and when the others reached
him he was dead. Six years later
Count Villanovn of Turin left the can
teen Of Niaaille to cndeavor to make
the ascent of Mont Blanc by a new
route lie had with him two we'll
known guides, one of whom has long
been regarded as among the half dozen
most competent guides in the Alps.
Not one of the party has been heard
from since. This is one of the very few
casualties which, in recent years, have
occurred on the slopes of Mont Blanc.
The tracks of the party were discovered
after few days upon the upper por-
ton of the Mage glacier. The proba-
blllty is that the party canpcd at a
great elevation on the evening of Au-
gust is and were lost in n great storm
that occurred on the 10TH The tour
lists were very wealthy, and the most
extraordinary efforts have been made
to recover their bodies, but without
success.
Seven days later Carrcl. an Alpine
guide who is known among mountain
GERS all over the world, whose name
appears in every Alpine book that has
been written within the last twenty
years, met an honorable and indeed a
glorious death on his own mountain.
1t was he who made the first ascent of
the Mattcrhorn from the Italian side,
and also accompanied Mr.. Whymper on
his ascent of Chin borazo. On his last
fatal trip he led Sig. S;inigaglia and
conradc from the cabin ON the Italian
side to the foot of the mountains in
perhaps the worst snowstorm that ever
ragged on that famous mountain. For
fourteen hours the party of three con-
tended with the bitter cold, during
which they did not dare stop to take
food. Carrcl, as usual, in spite Of his
rather advanced years, took the lions
share OF the. work. At length they
reached place of safety at the foot of
the mountain. No sooner had they
emerged from danger than Calrel cried
out: Il know no longer where am.
havo no strength left" eve tried to
lift him." writes Sig. Sinigaglia, 'but it
was impossible. He was getting stiff.
We stopped down and whispered in his
ear If he wished to commend his soul to
God With II last effort he answered
family: Yes and then fell on his back
dead in the snow"
The accident was not due to any rash
ness or carelessncss. The party had
chosen a fine day for the journey, but