The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-18

conception of the risk TO life and limb
which accompanies even a successful
ascent of the mountain under such cir
cumstances. | once assembled Mont Blanc
on day so unusually fine that we could
lie on the summit for an hour, light
matches in the open air, and enjoy the
temperature. Yet in two or three hours
before sunrise the guide of another party
which assembled the same day was so Sc
Verely frost-bitten as TO lose his toes.
Such things may happen in the finest
weather, when proper precautions are ne
elected; but in bad weather it is simple
madness to proceed. Why, one cannot
help asking, did not the guides oppose the
wishes of their employers
Among other dangers that the mount
aineer has to reckon with are ice ava
lanches and cOrnices.
A cornice is a mass of snow projecting
over the edge of precipice and resting
upon empty space. Occasionally it will
bear the weight of one. or even several,
men: but more often ii gives way when
trodden on, carrying a whole party to de-
struction. This was the case in the fam
Gus accident on the Lyskamm-a mountain
where the corniccs are particularly treach-
erous-when Messrs. William Arnold Lew
is and Noel IT. Paterson. with the guides
Niklaus. Johann and Peter Joseph Knubel,
met their deaths in the year 1877. THE
cornice." writes Mr.. Hartley, who visited
the scene Of the accident Immediately aft
erwards had broken away in two places.
leaving some ten feet I'm the middle still
adhering 10 the mountain. The length of
the parts which broke away was perhaps
forty feet on each side of the remaining
portion. The distance of the fall we esti-
mated at from 700 10 1900 feet. The
bodies. from the nature of the injuries
they had received. had evidently fallen
upon their heads on tho rocks. and then,
in one great bound, had reached almost
the spot where they were found.
4 typical instance OF the ice avalanche
accident happened 10 and has been record
Cd by Mr. Whymper. Accompanied BY \.
w. Moore and the guides CroZ and Almer.
he was trying TO discover a shorter route
than those usually taken between FINAL
and Zermatt After spending the night in
n chalet on the Arpitetta Alp, they started
and struck directly I'D the center of the
Morning glacier. The route proved inn
practicable and IL became necessary TO cut
stems across an Ice slope Immediately be-
low the great pillars and buttresses Of the
icefan which were liable to break away
and descend upon them at any moment
"T am not ashamed to confess" wrote
Mr. Moore In his journal. that during the
whole time We were crossing tho slope my
heart was in my mouth, and ! never felt
relieved from such load Of care as when.
after. suppose. "a passage Of about twenty
minutes, we got on 20 the rocks and were
in safety. ! have never heard a positive
oath come from Almer's mouth, but the
language in which he kept mp running
commentary. more TO himself than 10 me
as We went along. was stronger than I
should have given him credit for using
His prominent feeling seemed 20 he one Of
Indignation that We should be i'm such a
position and seif-reproach al being n par
" 70 the proceeding. while the emphatic
way in which at intervals. he exclaimed
Quick; be quick. sufficiently betokened
his alarm"
And now let the rest OF the story he told
in Mr.. Whymper's graphic words. Croz IS
should be remembered was leading, and
had advised the perilous route:
1T was not necessary" Mr. Whymper
SAYS. ito admonish Croz to be quick He
was as fully alive 10 the risk as any of the
others. lie told me afterward that the
place was not only the most dangerous he
had ever crossed. but that no consfdera-
tion whatever would tempt him to cross il
again. ManfuIly did he exert himself 10
escape from the impending destruction
His head, bent down to his work never
turned 10 the right or TO the left One
two. three. went his AK, and then he
stepped on 20 the spot whore he had been
cutting. How painfully insecure should
we have considered those steps at any
other time, Rut now We thought OF moth
inx but the rocks fin front and OF the
hideous seracs lurching over above us.
apparently in the very act Of falling"
At last they reached the rocks in safety
and. SAYS Mr. Whymper. IF they had been
doubly as difficult as they We're we should
still have been well content. We sat down
ard refreshed the inner man. keeping our
eyes on the towering pinnacies OF ice
which we had passed bat which were now
almost beneath Us. Without preiiminar
warning sound one Of the iargest-as high
as the monument at London Bridge-feIl