Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-09-05

elm the earlier part of the morning,
when the snow retained some of the
nights frost, progress was satisfactory,
but as the sun melted it rand it became
soft and deep the climb was fatiguing.
However, in due time the summit was
reached and the view from it was mag
nificent. From the saddle down the
upper couIoir the quantity of soft snow
made the descent trying, and 1t was
not always safe. There was the proba-
bility either of the party by their own
weight starting an avalanche or OF
their being caught in one. 1t is just
possible that Grindelwald guides, who
are familiar with the mountain in all
its phases and moods, might have
avoided the risk of accident by keep
ing at the side of the couloir or by
taking a longer and more circuitous
route 1t was the state of the snow
and it's quantity, and not the natural
features of the mountain, which were
the sources of greatest danger.
Coming down the lower couloir
there was no slight anxiety and every
effort was made to get out of it as soon
as possible. Suddenly there was
shout, It's comingv and in an instant
they were all caught in 1t and swept
down the couloir with fearful rapidity.
Imboden was first on the rope, Garden
was second and Brown third, while
KnubeI came last. They were hurled
hither and thither and tumbled over
again and again. They were blinded
by snow and threatened with suffoca>
ton They were tossed about like a
piece of wood in a mountain torrent.
when the avalanche, after bearing
them down by its resistless power over
1900 feet, stopped, Knubel and Mr..
Brown were a few feet above Mr.. Gar
den, and Imboden about fifteen feet be-
low, and the rope was cut to pieces
even round Mr.. Gardens waist. and
knapSacks and ice axes were all gone.
After a moment or two Mr.. Garden,
more or less dazed by the terrible fall,
rose to his feet, spoke to Mr.. Brown,
and by shaking endeavored to rouse
him, but in vain. Knubel was gasping
for breath and Mr.. Garden tried to
pour some wine into his mouth, but it
was too late and in Il few moments he
died. He turned his attention next to
Imboden, whose mind was wandering
and who was crying aloud in mingled
distress and fear. and he attempted to
move him out of the bed of the ava
lanche, but was too weak to accC npltsh
his purpose. He himself struggled to
some rocks on his left, and on the
chance, which was remote, of attract
ing the attention of some one, he shout
ed again and again at the top of his
voice for assistance.
THE evening closed in; the heavens
became black with portentous clouds.
Presently hail pelted furiously. The
cold was intense. The moonlight tried
to struggle through the darkness, but
receded again Immediately. No sound
broke the solitude except the piteous
wailings of the half demented I'm
boden. The lightning flashed and made
everything around look CHASTITY. 1t
was no dream, no nightmare, but stern
reality, and these hours of indescrib-
able misery moved with the slownesS
of a lifetime. No outsider can enter
the sacred Enclosure of the inner being
at such a time-the keen sensibilities,
the vivid and crowded memories, the
activities of a living conscience, the
emotions true and deep and tender, the
submissiveness of humility mingling
with the hope that life may yet be
spared and be life such as never was
lived before.
''SuccOr came at length. Guides car
ried the living and the dead with a
skill and tenderness which always
characterize them. From the hut Mr..
Garden walked supported on either
side by guides, and with all his pains
and bruises this must have been no
easy task. Nature gave no relief to the
gloom. 1t poured in torrents, and the
solemn procession moved with noiseless
tread as the dead and living were
borne down to places of safety"
Tourists in the Alps, however, are
particularly free from one common