The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-09-04
Dangers of Mountain Climbing.

To the Editor of The Herald:
ne sudden ard deplorable death OF an
esteemed citizen the other day on a noun
yam Irall suggests word of warning TO
Us all person reared at or near the
ocean level may in forty-eight hours rise
Dy railway travel. without eNertion 10 an
elevation that viii make walking on the
level severe labor. a person who has
hNeo, say for forty years, in New York
there dozens of times without experience
ing any suffering. might make the same
EFFORT Iort IN Denver or Leadvilie and find
nlmset IN a hospital or he might never
iind himself. In the thinner air the heart
beats harder when one is ct rest. and vio-
lent exerUon is dangerous
Men who live in the mountains are slow
walkers everywhere They have acquired
the habit climbing the sleeps. II a man
Weighing 200 pounds rises 1000 feet in
travelling a mile in which he has made
S,VJV steps, he has lifted his 200 pounds
$3.50 times; that is, he lifted $4,000 pounds
hours Think of the enormous work he
mas done Add to that the fact that the
ar mas been growing lighter all the time
ana the filling CT his lungs more diff
cult, While his heart has steadily in
creased the force of its bea ting. and YOU
may realize that mountain climbing is
something that requires snail-like care
ana conservation of force.
Judge IImmony walked himself to his
Geath without a thought of his danger.
l Know the trail he climbed. having been
Up ana down it Much of it is 50 steep
tnat l would not ride down it. Sitting
in the saddle and looking down parts Of
that tran II seemed TO RE that if my
morse stumbled and should go over his
head l would fall half a mile before
striking ground. Up that road he lifted
his $50 pounds, step after step, nearly two
niles-not all as steep Is have indicated,
but always a very heavy grade. His
strength gave out forever when he had
had he taken three or four hours to make
the climb doubtless he would have Suf-
Tered no great Inconvenience of move
ment of breathing or of heart labor.
AS it happened, I was a passenger with
him and Judge Cherry up the canyon
that morning. Sitting on the car one
rises without feeling the change, except
when he rises to get off and Int the car
upon the rails, which it jumps as often,
claims.
1t was lovely day. The waters of the
canyon ran roaring down their rocky
way, singing the same old song that has
been music of the ages. Life caught 1t
up as song of cheer. Our friend echoed
its gladness and told US his funny Irish
toiled and felt their hearts throb harder
as they lifted US above the valley.
Then MeSSrS- T1mmOny and Cherry lett
us for their toll on.foot. Mr.. Cherry said
good day." but, I remembered after
ward Judge Timmeny os sad g09dD we
reached the same point on our return
there stood Mr.. Cherry, and che car was
already crowded. There Is no room,
said the motorman. II must go. 1 have
had bad luck. Judge Timmony is dead,
gentlemen-drOpped dead within a hun
bred yards of the cabin" Room was
made at once in the silence that was the
most proper reception of such unexpected
and startling news.
Then the music of the rushing stream
changed to & dirge for him who had thus
fallen in his prime. Yet they did not
sing pain. Rather it was glory for one
who had died-on the heights 1 have
often thought, in my mountain climbing.
how appropriate il would be to fan IN
ones tracks, away up there where the
blue wrapped you round as a garment.
far beyond the dust and dirt and turmoil
and scandal of life knowing pain or
regret. and sleep the sleep. that knows no
waking. CHARLES ELLIS