The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-11-21
AVALANCHE
ON jUNCFR
Visitors See the
Wonder in the
Alps.

Watching the descent OF an ava
/ lanche from the summit of the reRown-
ed Jungfrau, Switzerand's death
mountain. was one of the exciting in
cidents of Henry Warehouses; recent
| tour of Europe. The spectacle was
viewed also by Mrs. Warehouse, who
assembled the mountain as far as 1t Is
safe for women to go.
Mr. and Mrs. Warehouse toured
] Switzerland in July, undertaking the
I sights with courier who remained
with them until their departure from
| Italy. They decided to visit Jungfrau,
the most magnificent of the chain
of craggy heights in the Alps, in the
attempt to scale which hundreds OF
| lives have been lost. At Interlachen
they occupied apartments in hotel
whose windows looked out directly up
on the summit of the mountain.
1T was a magnificent spectacle"
sair Mr.. Warehouse, in recounting lis
! tour There is magnificence and
splendor about the Alps which one
| rarely sees in other mountains of the
world. From lnterlachen we went by
| the odd little train far up the noun
tain. winding and crossing, until We
came to the terminus. The intention
is to carry the railroad to the summit.
! We dsembarked and walked ahead
quite a distance until we came to the
snow belt. From this point on it is
dangerous to essay the trip, and we
decided to remain on terra firma.
Suddenly we heard low rumbling
as of thunder far up the mountain in
the clouds. Deeper and deeper the
noise came to our ears. We saw peo-
pie below us looking upward toward
the summit and then our guide called
out: Look! Look! The avalanche"
We did look, and beheld a scene which
was indelibly impressed upon our
memories Thousands of tons of snow
and iceblocks were crashing down the
side of the mountain just across the
chasm from where we stood. Then
came a cracking noise as of thousands
OF pains of glass being broken. On,
on, came the constantly accommodating
mass until it seemed that the entire
side of the mountain was sliding
down to the depths. 1t was a wonder
full sight, and we stood speechless until
it was over. Two days afterward an
avalanche occurred just on the opposite
slope and village, with it's entire pop
ulation. excepting one man, was de-
stroyed. While these avalanches are
terrible things, yet they are wonderful
to behold.
at is foolhardy to attempt to scale
Jungfrau. While we were at the hotel
three men were dashed to their deaths
while on the road just beyond where
we stood watching the avalanche. Had
the tragedy occurred that day we could
have seen it. and it was a place where
we would have ventured upon had we
decided to go upon the snow and ice
belt. While at the hotel we were
constantly using the telescope to view
parties making the attempt. We could
easily make them out, laboriously
moving upward towards the goal
Jungfrau's summit. A young man at
that time thought he would go alone.
They found his body where he had
died, almost in the track.
Then | had the pleasure of looking
! into Nesuvius's crater. The railroad
carried me part of the way up, and
three men literally carried me the rest
of the distance. l peered over the rim
into the depthes. 1t was a splendid
scene. so unlike what we are used to
at Kilauea, but the fumes cut my in
| spection short, for | told them to take
me away. The view of the Bay of Ma
pies from Vesuvius is grand. At night,
from our hotel on the hillslopes, the
bay presented a scene of dazzling
splendor. A dozen war ships were in
port, and all used their searchlights.
1t seemed almost like a carnival.
I'VE went to Pompeii, and saw the
latest excavations. There was a large
residence almost as it was the day the
1T, doc ThA rtln
was beautiful and the mural pictures
were as fresh as If painted yesterday.
The Appian Way, with its monuments,
arches and tombs, was interesting, too.
We reached Venice just three days af-
ter the fall of the famous Campanile.
1t was a mass of pulverized mortar and
sand. 1t was really sad to contem-
plate the fall of this stately monument
of the days when Venice was in her
glory. The apex of the Campanile, on
which was a craven dove, fell just at
the door of the church and the super
stitious Venitians looked upon this as
a sort of miracle. Just that portion
Is screened off at the portico OF the
church, and visitors are allowed to gaze
upon 1t. -,
Venice is sinking. The city, built
unon 80, 900 islands and upon countless
piles, Is being undermined. The great
historical buildings and residences,
once the glory OF Venice, are all be-
coming Leaning Towers OF Pisa. y
The piles are giving way. The Doge's
palace is out OF plumb, and there is
need Of much engineering work 10
put them In place again,
we were disappointed, OF course
not 10 see the coronation, We saw the
decorations and all the preparations
/ W. Mnrn moi In Innnnn when the cor