The Portland daily press., 1894-02-02
How the Bodies Were Discovere

Wluu SUOTIn SW6pG GucIu Oll.
How the Bodies Were Discovered.
Sebastian, Hutter, guide. who placed
himself at the head of the rescuing party
and helped to bring back the bodies,
gave the following account of their ex
periences:
On Tuesday, two hours after mid
night, three of us assembled to the Stuedl
hut to see if we could find any trace of
the gentlemen. When we left Luckner
hut we were struck by intense cold. The
wind was high and the danger great.
After twelve hours we reached the
Stuedl hut, where we still found sDnle
fire in the stove There was also a cloak,
a compass and barometer that had be
longed to the missing party. We found it
impossible to go any further that day.
as the storm had increased to cyclonic
force At noon the next day extraordiu-
airy darkness prevailed ON the mountain.
While we were preparing to leave three
other guides came to the hut, who had
been sent out by the authorities to look
for us. Together with them. we ascend
ed to the point called Eagles Rest. In
the Archduke John hut there we found
almost the entire baggage of the three
gentlemen, namely, two valises, with
change of linen, provisions, brandy,
three hats, pair of new spectaeles,
broken in two, and small pocket book,
with cards inscribed by DR.. Kohn. Three
of our party then descended to the lower
route, and after a few hours they shout.
ed to us, Here they are We tried to
go down but the storm prevented us.
1t was the worst we ever experienced.
We thought every minute the hut would
be blown down the incline. During the
;-nIt Ell 1oc vrnnd
and provisions became scarce. The cold
increased to 90 below zero.
"On Thursday morning four guides
came to our rescue, who were afraid that
we would fall victims to the cold. They
helped us to descend. The body was
still in the position it occupied when
first discovered. 1t was that of Dr.
Kohn: who was lying on his back, per,
haps 700 feet below Eagles Rest, with
his head toward the valley. A mighty
glacier rock rising above it, protected
the body from the snow fall. DR.. Kohn
had taken off his gloves, probably in
order to write down some memorandum,
or to rub his face with snow, but un-
consciousness overcame him and he froze
to death. There were footprints in the
snow, showing that the doctor had lived
after his fall,
Son Friday / returned to the spot
where his body was, with sixteen guides
and ten carriers. The weather was then
clear, and we espied, with the old glass,
black spot near the Koenitzkees, which
proved to be the body of DR.. Patzau.
Both feet of the unhappy man stuck in
a hole surrounded by ice, the upper part
backward. The body had rope around
the waist, on the other end of which
DR.. Pick was hanging, about ten feet
lower down the mountain. Both had
scaling irons on their shoes and an ice
ak in hand.
at seems that the three men were en-
gagged in ascending the mountain in this
fashion when misfortune overlook them.
Dr. Patzau was the first of the party,
Dr.. Pick behind him the two were
bound together by rope, which DR..
John held in his hand, in order to pro-
| tect his comrades against falling. 1t
seems that either DR.. Patzau or the gen.
| tleman walking behind him lost his foot
| hold, or perhaps was overcome by the
cold. He slid down the glacier carrying
| the other with HIM. After the fall ..they
| did not live more than ten minutes ;"
| The bodies,,were brought to the CLOCK
ner inn on low sleighs, under great diff
culties. Relatives of the dead men haG
| assembled there to receive them ano
bring them back to their own homes
| The bodies were frozen hard as stone
| the faces and hands yellow as wax.
Their clothing was very brittle wher
touched, emitting sounds like tin. DR..
Pick was lying on his right side, one
hand on his breast, the other was lifted
high. The face was drawn in agony
| The body of DR.. Patzau was lying on thu
back, with the knees drawn up. TIL.
| bodies had to be thawed before they
could be placed in cofins. None of then
| was disfgured by the fall, and no bones
| were broken, as far as could be discov
i nod