The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-14
AMERICAN WOMAN FIGURED AC-
lively In SEARCH FOR BODIES.
story of the Rescue and Also the One
Survivors, Account of Party's I'm
fortunate Experience.

village of Kilchberg, near Zurich, Friday
morning to climb the Mont Blanc, there
being eight in our party, among them three
Americans-Dr. Alfred Smith, Mrs. Smith
and myself. The rest were Frenchmen and
Germans whom we had met at the hotel
On Saturday afternoon at o'clock, when
we had reached a height of 10000 feet, we
met a number of Swiss on the way down,
who told us quite casually that some twen-
ty-four hours before they had passed Henri
Manduit and Joseph Staeling, well-known
Alps climbers, accompanied by guide and
carrier. The two gentlemen, they said,
found an icy grave during the night. dying
of the frost and cold while their assistants
were now trying to reach place of safety.
Some of our party felt inclined to return
Immediately but we Americans persuaded
them to continue, If only to bring aid to the
survivors of the disaster, who doubtlessly
needed clothes or stimulants, If not phys
ical or medical help. AS for myself, had
woman's feeling that we were needed,
that we must go on, even if the weather
conditions higher up were ever so dis
couraging.
FIRST TRACE OF DISASTER.
At the end of an hour more 1 happened
to be in the lead of the party,
when suddenly my eye was attract
ed by an ice pick and ak sticking
out of the deep snow. Every experienced
mountain climber knows what that means
no one loses this integral part of ones
equipment unless he has to. L beckoned to
my friends to hurry their ascent, and upon
their arrival engaged in a systematic
investigation, soon TO discover a trail on
the mountain side where body seemed to
have glided or rolled down. The evidence
struck terror into our hearts, for the in
cline was steep and torn by a hundred
gaps and crevices "chmneys" leading into
the interior of the mountain, as they say
here. l suggested that we form into an
exploring party. secured by ropes, and be-
| ing the smallest of the lot, was sent ahead,
| the rope being secured around my waist
| and to hooks and eyes in the girdles of my
fellows. Our guide, a Swiss of Herculean
| build, brought up the rear leaning on his
| iron pointed stock" If either of us threat
ened to fall, those coming after had to pull
him or her up, while the guide held on for
dear life. bracing himself against the rocks.
A TERRIBLE FALL.
| The incline we faced was a snow field,
between two mighty rocks, running apeak
| for several miles it seemed. We were
| forced to take 1t at an unequal gait, for
| its steepness made lose control Of our
limbs time and again. Investigation showed
| that the body, or whatever else glided
down, had bounded over two broad crevices.
AT the other side of the third gap the Gid
| ing marks ceased abruptly. This chin
| ney,' them had proved a mausoleum.
We removed the ropes from our bodies
| and the carrier offered to drive into the
black hole-for a consideration, of course,
| for mo money, no Swiss" When the men
| had lowered him about one hundred feet
| he called out that he had found something.
| A minute later he shouted that 1t was the
body of man, lying head downward.
| He worked over II for quite while and
then signaled that we must send down the
| guide, too, as he couldn't manage alone
| The guide then dispatched in the same
manner and those two men remained in the
| bowels of the mountain for over an hour;
| the body was stuck fast between the ridges
| and could be removed only inch by inch
| and by sacrificing part of the clothes
When finally it was brought to light our
servants recognized it as that of a man of
their own class, one of the most popular
carriers of Mont Blanc district, only twen-
ty-three years old, and leaving wife and
| several children. AS this man had accom-
panied Messrs Manduit and Staeling, our
| guide thought the body of the party's
guide must be near. Consequently, we took
| up the search anew, investigating all the
crevices on the route one after another
but without result. While thus engaged a
rescuing party. consisting of six guides,
| had he
authorities of Chamounix. and we left it
to them to continue the search, while we
proceeded upward to look for the frozen
men and bring them aid, If such was still
| possible.
| We had no sooner reached the Grand
Plateau now an ice wilderness. when we
saw two bodies in the snow lying face
downward, the other remaining in a sitting
posture, arms extended and the gloved
hands grasping pieces of ice. Dr. Smith
made an investigation and concluded that
death had overtaken the two men more
than sixteen hours, or probably still longer,
ago. At the same time we noticed traces
Of footsteps leading east from the bodies,
which seemed to favor the idea that the
missing guide might be in the neighbor-
hood, dead or alive.
| Inc search on the frozen snow beds and
over ice-clad rocks was one of the most
exhausting and perilous undertakings /
ever engaged in. After hour my hands
and knees were bruised and bleeding in a
dozen places from falls. and the clothes
| of all of us were in tatters. However, we
finally discovered the spot where the foot
prints ceased-at the edge of a large
crevice.
A VOICE FROM BELOW
While We were making preparations to
send down the carrier. inarticulate cries
rose from the bottom of the pit. You may
imagine our surprise. The man searched
for was alive then, or half alive.
Are you alive down there?" cried our
guide through a tube formed Of his i'm
mense hands.
Eyes. indeed. you idiot" came back a
CHEEKY voice in Swiss-French patois. You
didn't suppose my ghost was calling for
help?"
''Will one man suffice to bring you up?''
The man below made some references TO
the animal kingdom. prefacing the informa-
ton that a rope would do. He knew enough
| to fasten 1t round his belly
We sent down our strongest emergency
rope, seventy-five long. only to be rewarded
| by a flood Of oaths. IF you haven't a longer
rope 60 home and let me die In peace. -
Numbered the polite unfortunate We at