The Irish standard., 1899-10-28
DANGERS IN CLIMBING ALPS.
Three of the Most Remarkable Aoci-
dents Have Just Happened.


Three of the most remarkable Alpine
accidents upon record have just hap
pened. They were the strange death OF
Hamilton Smith, the escape from death
OF Sir Henry Bergne's son and the
death OF an Englshman named Jones,
who was killed with three guides.
All three OF these accidents occurred
in Switzerland
MIR. Smith was the only son OF fam
lily staying in Vcvcy. He set out with
Rev. Pastor Graham and another Eng
lishman from the Cabanc dc Charlton
to make an ascent OF the Pointe dOtem-
ma. This is not one OF the famous
Alpine ascents. No guides were con-
sdered necessary.
The ascent was made in safety On
the way down Smith stumbled 1t was
about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and
he may have been tired. At any rate,
he could not regain his footing. There
was no precipice. simply a long, steep,
rock-strewn slope. Down this Smith
rolled. His companions were not at
first much alarmcd but Smith did not
stop rolling. He swept out OF their
sight, whlzzing from rock to rock, bat
tered, bleeding and bruised.
The two survivors found Smiths body
800 feet below. There was not bone
that was not broken. and the flesh was
indcscribably mangled.
Only day or two before the son OF
Sir Henry Bergne assembled the Schrcck-
horn with two guides. He had learned
mountaineering from his father. ia
nous member OF the Alpine Club. and
his guides, JOSH and Burgener. were
skilled, experienced men, for the
Schrcekhor;,-"bad mountain lis a
dangerous climb.
The three men. ropcd together, were
coming down the mountain shortly after
noon, when the danger OF avalanchcs is
greatest, owing to the action OF the sun
on the snow.
Burgcner had the post OF honor at
the upper end OF the rope Suddenly
he heard above him noise rs OF many
thunder pcals combined.
Before the three men could seek shell
ter the roaring, angry mass was down
upon tilcn-black rocks bounding along
the slope, white SNOW churning into
foam.
Then began race with time Caught
i'll the snowslide, the three men were
hurried down the slope faster than men
ever travelled before and lived
A thousand feet the mass slid at
lightning speed then reached gcntler
slope, slowed and finally stopped.
Wonder OF wonders, Mr.. Bcrgne and
JOSH were able TO get up, though stiff,
sore and bruised Burgcncr was badly
hurt The two others dug ll;rl out and
carried him to the Schwarzegs hut.
MIR. Bcrgne and JOSH are as well as
ever. Burgcnc will be in bed a long
time; but he is a lucky man at that
Not often does one slide 900 feet will,
an avalanche and live.
The English mountain climber Jones,
met his death with three guides last
week. The accident occurred near Ter
matt, on the upper slopes OF the famous
Dent Blanche.
The party which attempted to climb
the mountain consisted of Jones', a
friend named Hill, also all Englshman,
and the professional mountain guides.
This mountain is Io,3So feet high, and
can only be assembled when the ice is
in favorable condition
The party after hours of the most diff
flcut climbing had reached point only
100 feet from the summit, when the
leading guide fell hcadlong into an
abyss several thousand feet below. In
his fall he dragged with him two other
guides and Jones, who was an amateur
mountain climber.
All four men were instantly killed on
the rocks far below