Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06

we Will resume our journey ana CROSSING
the great glacier ascend the Hohe-Dach-
stein. The snow line IS reached, for an
hour and half we behold the hut, which,
instead of growing nearer appears to be-
come more remote, and finally after having
climbed five hours we reach its very well
come shelter and throw ourselves upon
its roughly constructed cots. The guides
prepare meal and having partaken OF the
same we go out of doors to seek a sunny
rock and bask in the sunshine until the
cold and nightfall drive within. BY
this time the little room is crowded with
tourists who, smoking and drinking. to-
the room so close and uninhabitable that
there is no sleep save for the httest, and
at o'clock in the morning, before any
one else, we leave the hut, and path
illuminated by a dinly lit lamp held in
the hand IF the head guide leads us to
the glacier five hundred feet below. Al
though the cold night has hardened the
snow there are places where 1t has been
rer del ed slushy by the innumsrahle rivu-
lets of water pouring over it's surface, ard
there are treecherous crsvices and deep
holes, within which there Is an ominoas
re airing, and at the bottom of which rush
ing water is dscernibie. TO step in one of
these would mean certain death, and 1t
has happened this very glacier that a
party of tourists have fallen within the
same ard reaching the bottom. to the dis
may of the onlooker, have been carried
away-their bodies never to be recovered.
Before stepping upon the glacier the Ice
rcpes or better, the lfe-lnes. are re-
moved from tie backs of the guides and
adjusted around the waists, space OF ten
feet being left between each tourist. Seven
of US are roped together, Our chain'b being
unusually long. Step by step we move
along. the head guide piunging his stick
now and then into the snow to determine
its character. There is such a din of the
rushing water above and beneath the
glacier that our voices are drowned. and
we progress in silence. One of the guides
makes a misstep. In second he has dis
appeared from sight, but, with the agility
Of a cat, he leaps from the icy pitfall, and,
recovering himself. gives the lire such
tug that it throws the ladies and myself
eff feet. We retreat, and, circing
around the slushy area, leave ii far to the
right, and, at the suggestion of the guides.
walk with the greatest haste toward the
pyramid OF rock, nearly three hours dis
tant. The condition OF the glacier is bad.
and we must hasten SO as to get back be-
fore the sun shall have softened the snow
still moro. The grade has become very
steep and our task herculean. Every
muscle is strained, and 1t is really Won
derful to note with what pluck and per-
severance the ladies are wading ankie-deep
through the precip'tous banks of snow,
and how very much better they appear to
The endurance which they display is in
deed something wonderful. but I noticed
to my sorrow, that the guide whose clothes
mad become drenched by reason of his ac-
other three are not at all pleased that the
ladies stand the trip SO WELL and 1 observe
that two of them are weighing the poor
women down by throwing their combined
weight upon the rope. 1t is q mean adj
vantage they are taking OF the weaker sex,
and. when reminded Of their most con-
temptible actions, they sneer and make
de precating signs about the snow. They
have been paid, and their object seems to
be to tire them or to induce them to offer
additional :ecompense to carry them to
the top. The ladies' perceive the guides
object and wish to turn back, but 1 beg
them to continue, and assure them If they
will but allow me l shall yet take them to
the summit of the huge cliff, the base of
which is now not more than half an hour
distant.
A Pcriious ascent.
Finally it is reached and 1 behold such a
spectacle as 1 have never witnessed any
where in the Alps. and my blood fairly
curdles when l see what confronts the
ladies'. There is a huge ledge abou 500
feet high, with wallssalmost perpendicular
ard this is to be assembled by means of the
massive iron rings fastened at irregular
to the walls by means of PROJECT
ing iron spikes, upon which the in5tep Of
the shoe is to be placed-by means of a
hempen rope rendered rotten, as l later
learned, by three years exposure to the
weather-by means of footholds cut into
the rock, by means of wire strung along the
crevices, and. finally, by the assistance of
sure-footed guides. 1 have no doubts about
my ability to ascend this rock, for outside !
Of the accompanying danger it seems caste |
than walking through the snow. The hands
and arms VIII be called into play, and it
will be some thing like climbing tree. The |
ladies, stimulated by a drink of wine, ex-
press their desire to make the attempt to
reach the summit, and having my wife |
roped to the head guide, l bid him to |
ascend, taking my place between my wife |
and one of the English ladies. The start is
made, the fourth member of our party, !
roped to both a guide in front and behind.
Is in our rear and slowly we ascend the |
Hone Dachstein. l caution every one not |
to talk and not to look back. but to watch |
each step and to heed the guides; but one |
of the party losing her foothold, when |
about 500 feet are covered becomes I'M
nerved by this mishap, and to my horror
notice she is dangling at the end of the |
rope as pale as death. and as though she |
were goinS to faint. We halt, and admin