The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-05
Thought Of impending evil could have

oppressed their minds.
They passed the Grand Plateau an,
the Petit Plateau dn safety and reached
4 the labyrinth of crevasses between tn
cliffs OF the Dome du Coulter and tn
Grands Mulets. Just what happened
then no one will even know, but Their
they disappeared from the world OF tn,
| living.
Eight days went by and then tele
gram was received at Chamonix from
the family Of the guide Savoye, in Cour
mayer, italy. inquiring If he and hi,
| party had been seen. All Chamoni,
| comprehendcd in an instant the sfrnifi
canoe oil that telegram, and thlrt,
guides started post haste for the noun.
tains.
The fact was now recalled that SOW.
eral days before some OF NJ. Janssen's
porters had noticed an ice-axe living on
the snow n little aside from the ordInar,
route.Thcy thought nothing Of 1t a,
tha time, supposinG THAT the implement
had ether been thrown away. or left be
hind by some one who would return to
get II. This abandoned axe now became
the first object Of the search. Huyinc
discovered 1t the guides knew well where
to look for its owner. 1t lay on n slopo
of snow almost as hard as ice. and MT
the foot OF the slope was the inevitable
crevasse; not one of the largest, being
only 10 feet wide by 200 LONG. and 100
dSSP. Jul LOU SulllClGnt. InGy CrpDt
TO the edge and peercd Into the gloomy
depths. There lay the missing men still,
tied together. Schnurdrcher and Snyoye
had apparently been killed ut once. but
there was heart-rendlng evidence that
Brou had survived the fall and made a
pitiful effort to scalJ the perpendicular
walls of the ice ckasm. Enclosed In
bags of rough sackinS the bodies were
dragged with rones down to the Pierre
Pointue, and thence carried to Chamo,
NIX. This is q timc-honored procedure
in such cases. Every boy In Chamonix
understands how Il body should be
brought down from Mont Blanc
On the night of my arrival Savoye and
Brou had just been buried at ChamoniA
and money was being raised for the re-
lief of their almost destitute families;
but Schrurdreher, in his mountain dress
with his spiked shoes on his feet, still
lay at the undertalser's awaiting the
coming of relatives.
a RACE FOR THE SUMMIT
The morning OF Aug. a9th was cloud
less, and with the same outfit as before,
but with scion OF the house of Balmat
for porter In place Of the man who had
filled That office OH the first occasion, l
started once more for the frosty TOP
knot OF Europe. At the Grands Mulets
we round two Germans. with their reti-
nue. OF guides and porters. six persona
In all. who were also bound for the sum
NIT. They left the Grands Mulcts at
midnight and we followed them three
quarters of an hour later. There was
no moon and Couttot carried n lantern.
On reaching the Petit Plateau we saw
the lights OF the other party flashing
ahead or us and at the foot of the
GlNhdS MontceS we overlook them
They had talked confidently of making
me ascent in extraordinary quick time,
and some goodnatured chatting now
passed between Couttet and the riynl
guides. Jerking !thc rope to attract
Couttet's attention told him, in a low
voice to pass the others at the first
opportunity.
We'll do ~ on the Grand Plnteau,"
he whispered
Five minutes later, however, the adj
vance party paused to take brea tn We
Immediately broke out OF their tracks
IN the snow and started to pass around
them. but they instantly accepted the
challenge and u scrambling race began
up the steep slope. Sometimes we sank
so deep that time was lost in extrlcating
our legs, and again we slipped back
winch was even more annoying than
sticking fast. The powdery snow flew
about like dust. and was occasionally
dumped into my face by the piston-like
action of my knees; the lanterns jan
gled and fickered wildly and In their
smiling and uncertain light, with our
OLD habiliments, we must have resem-
pied company of mad demons on q
lark
Such race in such n place could only
last couple of minutes, but we came
out ahead. Getting upon the Grand
Plateau we did not stop to rest, but
broke into a dog trot
Whatever happens. Couttet, we must
be first at the top
Very WELL monsieur"
From the Grand Plateau there are
two ways to the summit: one by the
Bosses du Dromadaire, which we fol-
lowed on the first attempt, tho ether,
which we now adopted, by the "Corri-
DOR This lis Il steep furrow, crossed
by an ice precpice with a great Gre
vase near its foot. which leads upward
from the left hand border OF the Grand
Plateau to a. snowy saddle between the
Mont Maudit and Il precipitouS outcrop-
ping of rock called the Muir de la Cote
a faint glimmer Of approaching dawI,
now lay on part OF the rim of noun
tains surrounding us.
When we reached the foot of the Cor.
ridor the lights of the other party were
not visible, but here steep cutting be
came necessary, ana this delayed us Sc
much that presently | caught dancing
CLEANS from the pursuing lanterns NOV.
Ing rapidly at the bottom of the bowl OF
night ont OF which we were climbing
They We're fast gaining upon us.
I'VE must hurry, Coulter"
Yes. but no man goes quick here
who does not go for the last time"