The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-23
UP THE MA%TTERHORN.
Mr.. Garrett p. Serviss Climbs to
Its Very Top.
An AMERICANS GREAT FEAT
With a Guide Who Attended Whymper
in the First Ascent.

ne Legend. OF a.. Great No--t.i- -
why-p.rs Eight F.iI-res .-s Fi.
Ni-th succe.-rui Attempt 80 Cii-b It
Sever Mes e.i.sd the sr--it, b-t o-iy
Three Retur-ea Alive Preparing for
ths Asesnt-A Might ., The Csbsse" -
Tse Terrible "shouldsr"-Ths srnnit
s-d the view Thererror.-Ths Desce.t
Easier on ths Muscles but Harder o. the
Nerves thu, the Ascent OF the Mou.t.i-.
Eight times Edward whymper strove TO as
eend tho Matterhorn. and eight times he failed.
The ninth timo he succeeded. That was on July
II, 1885. But the cost OF success was appalling.
In the little Zermatt clLurchyard last summer |
cav the graves OF three Of the victims: the
mountain crags never surrendered the bones of
the fourth.
Until Mr.. whymper's successful ascent no
foot, except perhaps an eagles, had ever pressed
the proud head OF that Incompatible mountain.
The best and bruvest guides in the Alps had in
vain essayed to win 1t. Switzerland was pitted
against Italy in the strife TO be first at the
summit. but no experience taught sufficient
skill and no courage was complete enough to
achieve victory over the giant. Prof. Tyndall,
whose summer playground was Switzerland,
had moro than once made the attempt. but, re-
coiling from the menace OF tho final p~recipice,
had at last given II up.
According TO the traditions handed down
among the hardy inhabitants OF the surround
ing valleys, the great Alp was not only inacces-
sible to man, but was guarded by demons Jealous
of It's virginity. On wild winter nights, when
the wind roared in tho Rorges Of the Visp and
the ground trembled with the thunder OF ava
lanches, The mountains waging war upon the
valleys, stories were told OF a strange city
perched upon the topless crags Of the awful
.I-.- .-t.. n"I o sI.pA A % lon1d
DO seen red in the rising sun, grim black at sun
set, and cleaning like silver when the moon
hung full above the peak. The faith of those
who believed these things was not shaken by
the assertion ~ less imaginative observers that
the city was only the pinnacles of the mountain
TRANSPORTED by the magic oflight and shadow.
II Is not surprising that the Matterhorn was
believed to be nsurmountable. and that legends
clustered about II. The MANY thousands of
travellers who have gazed with astonishment
At its towering form from Zermatt, the Corner
graf, the Rifrel. Breuil. the Val Tournanche.
and other surrounding points will readily tes-
tify TO the incredible appearance which It pre-
sents. II Is a mountain from Even
while looking at IL one cannot com prehend Ma
lures trick In equilibrium when she set II aloft
with its feet buried in glaciers and its head
soaring amidst the blue. 1t looks as though II
had been conceived in a nightmare and uplifted
IN bOtne mybJerlOus aye "utu HcsttlNc HTdN-
ity" was the law of the earth-a maniac of
yet resistlessly attractive.
Ten thousand feet that wonderful peak towers
above the high green meadows Of Zermatt and
14.S00 feet above sea level, and in every foo
OF its stature there is a defiance; defiance to
gravitation to pull 1t down-but gravitation will
do 1t in the end-defiance to vegetation to cast q
shred Of covering over It's gaunt shoulders, de-
a---- q - .-l A. -,,- --.. a IA.
precipices; yet the former has accepted the
challenge and won. though the latter is too
wisely prudent to attempt the impossible.
THE FIRST ASCENT or THE MArTERHoRN.
shall not undertake to retell here the story
Of the first ascent OF the Matterhorn; | merely
wish to recall the circumstance Of the dreadful
accident that attended it, the most tragic in the
force of its appeal to the imagination that the
annals OF mountaineering contain. The party
consisted OF seven m~en-Edward Whymper.
then already well known as an Alpine climber:
the Rev. Charles Hudson, vicar of Skillington,
Kent, n celebrated amateur mountaineer; Lord
Francis Douglas, who was not without consider
able experience in mountain work; Douglas
Robert Hadow, a young undergraduate OF Cam
bridge University, whose greatest feat of noun
taineering hitherto had been the ascent OF Mont
Blanc. a tiresome but not a difficult undertake
ing; Michael Croz, one OF the best guides of his
day; Peter T~augwalder. also an experienced
guide. and young Peter Taugwalder, then COM
paratively new to his profession.
On attempting todescend, after enjoying their
weli-won triumph on the summit, and when
they had arrived at a point Just above the
brink Of the awful p~recipice that falls three
quarters OF a mile down TO the cradle of the
Matterhorng glacier. Mr.. Hadow. 1t seems, lost
his nerve. CrOz, the guide, was below him cut
ting steps, and then taking hold OF Mr.. Hadow's
feet in order to set them, one by one, into their
proper places. All seven were tied together
with a rope, and those above-the last one being
Mr.. Whymper, who was about 100 feet behind
Croz-were waiting for the leaders to descend
. step or two before moving down themselves.
As Croz turned. after placing Mr.. Hadow in po-
sition, the latter slipped and knocked Croz from
his foothold. The jerk on the rope instantly
dragged the Rev. Mr.. Hudson and Lord Francis
Douglas from their places. Croz in falling ut
tsred . warning cry, and Mr.. Whymper and the
two Tangwalders gripped such projections OF the
rocks as were within their reach. and braced
themselves for the shock. The rope being taut
between them, the strain came upon the three
together and they held fast, but the rope broke
In midAir, between the elder Taugwalder and
Lord Francis Douglas.
"For a few seconds" says Mr.. whymper,
I'VE saw our unfortunate companions sliding
on their backs, and spreading out
their hands endeavoring TO save themselves.
They passed from ours sight uninjured. disap-
peared one by one, and fell from precipice TO
precipice on TO the Matterhorn gletscher below.
assistance OF nearly 1000 feet In height"
The survivors, appalled, by what they had be-
held. remained for half an hour motionless and
slinging TO the face OF the mountain. The
guides, Mr.. Whymper says, were unnerved and
afraid 10 descend further. Finally they eau
ttously moved downward, fixing ropes 10 the
rocks TO aid them, but for two hours they were
IN continual peril OF death. Several times. Mr..
whympsr says, odd Peter turned with Ashy
face and faltering limbs and said. with terrible
emphasis II cannot ."
The bodies Of Croz, the Rev. Mr.. Hudson. and
Mr.. Hadow were found on the MAttsrhorn ElA-
eter, but thAto of Lord Francis Douglas remained
somewhere among the precipices above.
Peter ~TaugwAlder the young Peter OF Mr..
Whympers narrative. but now himself an elderly
man. and with the exception OF Mr.. Whymper