Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-11
THREE N1aHTs,MoA cREvAssE.
Terrible Experiences Of Three German
Climbers on the aungfrau.
Corr. Pail Mali Gazette

Geneva Corr. Pail Mall Gazette.
The adventures of three young Germans
on the Jungfrau have been the topic of
much discussion and the cause of great
anxiety at Grindelwald. y few days ago
the three young men, two of whom have
had considerable Alpine. experience, while
the third. an Alsactan, is1 novice started
without a guide to Ihake.ene more of those
foolish attempts at big climb unaided
which have been so common and so fatal
this season. Leaving Lauterbrunnen In the
afternoon they passed the might at the Rot
tai cabin. storm, however, overlook
them on the way up, as'signal of danger
which no prudent Alpinist would have
failed to profit by. At am. the next
morning, though bad weather was threat
ening, they resumed their march The AL
sacian was already showing signs of dis
tress, but refused to go back or to listen
TO the advice of his more experienced COM
panions Three hours afterward binding
snowstorm broke over them. rendering
progress both dangerous and difficult and
blotting out all signs of the track and
landmarks. Flooding doggedly on, how
ever the trio managed to reach the Silber-
horn slopes, little below the summit,
where they were compelled to pass the
night.
Shelter was difficult to find, and their
position appeared desperate, when one of
the party noticed that a creyasse near at
hand appeared to terminate at a depth of
some twenty feet Carefully roping him.
SELF. one of the party was lowered over
the edge and found that there was suf-
hcient space and excellent shelter at the
bottom By firmly wedging their ice axes
into the Ice his companions were able to
lower themselves also and in this con-
lined space, walled in by solid ice and in
imminent danger from falling ice above
the night was spent. FOrfnpafe1y oil
stove and good supply of eatables form
ed part of the climbers equipment and
the hot coffee which they were enabled
to brew probably was the means of saw
ing their lives. Huddled together and al
most frozen, the three waited for dawn
The snow. however, still fell pitilessly an
next day and the day following; progress
or retreat was impossible, and a second
night, and then third, had to be faced in
the icy shelter.
The Alsacian, unable to stand the bitter
colo, began to complain of severe pains in
his feet, well-known sign of evil omen
among snow climbers. Next morning his
TWO companions emerged from their refuge
to find the weather still and clear and
completed the ascent returning to find their
companion evidently in great pain and quite
unable to move. The two others thereupon
set off for the Concordia hut, half leading
and half carrying their unfortunate COM
rade There the half frozen man was left
while one of his friends fastened down to
the Eggishorn Hotel. relief party was
at once sent out and with great difficulty
the sufferer was borne down to the hotel
Both his feet were frozen and his condition
for some time caused the greatest anxiety.
Meantime, from the Lauterbrunnen side
search parties were at work hunting for
the missing men, who 1t was believed could
not have lived through three days of such
weather on the icy heights of the Jungfrau
1t Is said to be the first time that a climb
Ing party has ever emerged safely from
so prolonged stay below the surface of
the glacier ice.