The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17
ROOF OF THE WORLD.



Brookly Eagle
THE roof of the world is supposed TO be
in the upper wilderness of the Himalaya
mountains, where is i'm fact the highest
mountain in the world, Everest, nearly five
times high as Mount Washington. 1t
must be a great sensation, and a dizzy, TO
stand upon the roof of the world: but what
would you say to marching out upon its
cornice and standing there with your
clothes flashing about you in the wind, look
ing down TO the nearest snow. on which TO
drop. seven thousand feet? This is not an
ordinary experience, but was one OF that OF
the Listeners favorite correspondents,
writing to the Boston Evening Transcript
from everywhere for years-Mrs Fanny
Bullock Workman. a daughter OF Governor
Bullock OF Worcester Joint author with
her husband. William Hunter Workman. OF
books on Siberia. Thibet and the Ice World
of Himalaya. Mrs. Workman tells the
story Of her last summers jaunts 10
glaciers in mountain gulches from ten TO
fifteen thousand feet high I'm a British In
dian paper published at Allahabad, an Au-
gust issue Of which paper has just reached
the Listener.
1t seems that it was at the end OF last
June and the beginning Of July that our
Worcester globe-circlers set out from a
town in Cashmere, and after a three weeks
dozen servants, a long file of coolies tto
carry firewood), sixteen goats and eleven
sheep Ito eaO, arrived at small village
about halfway up TO the roof OF the
world" Their narrow and difficult path had
wound for days upward along barren
mountain TANKS Occasionally the way
was choked by immense fresh avalanches
or cut across by angry torrents.
As for scenery. the whole road. as Mrs.
Wfb6pt 6efe of bsT bdd feesS
climbed $500 feet above the last apology for
a village, and there they camped the first
night OF the dash for the roof I'm rain
and snow under the moraine-covered end OF
the glacier. Coolies laden with wood were
sent up, after n days wait on account OF
the weather, to make ready for the next
story toward the roof Wood is precious in
that altitude. AID when the khansama has
taken what he needs and the coolies begged
or stolen enough TO keep themselves warm
out Of what they have not slyly thrown
away TO ease their loads. IL is absolutely
necessary, Mrs. Workman says 10 keep
from twenty TO thirty men bringing up or
transporting fuel from lower TO higher
camps
The whole account is of that cool. dry
kind that makes the breath come short and
the knees to weaken: but let us get at once
with our friend to the roof. The coolies had
rebelled and been left resting and grumbling
below. They wanted 10 go back, the last
night. at least one story lower True il
was" says the Worcester lady. IAN inhos-
pitable place TO put up in; not a rock In
sight. no water, only the great snow ex-
panse extending below and the stern. pitiless
mountain sentinels watching above, but
camp there we must III the high col was
to be reached the next day. SO / re-
NAMED behind while the sahib and guides
returned TO explain that the mem-sahib
could not possibly stay above without a
tent and 10 drive them up" 10 should
be understood that though the heat in those
mountain tops ranges up 10 10 at noon
time, by midnight IL may drop 10 - about
the firSt OF July. IL Is no wonder that
when the Workmans set out the next morn
ing TO climb the difficult snow slants. rising
at somewhat over 60 degrees angle, "absO-
lutte silence reigned on the rope except for
the sharp click Of the ice AK as the leading
guide chopped out each step" Below, the
flies on snowfelds two thousand feet be-
Meath AS they neared the top the heat
became as oppressive as the cold had been
painful i'm the early part OF tie last dash
All annoyances were forgotten. however,
when on finishing a last snow slope they
realized that the top of the roof was
reached. Great peaks doomed about and they
were pushing forward on the level when the
head guide cried out Halt, IL is a cornicef"
They found they were standing a huge
curling snow cOrnce Overhanging a terrific
marked simply: I'VE had 10 tunnel through
a similar one 10 reach the summit OF a
mountain last summer.
Fascinated as Alpinists always are by the
tremendous chances they take. they con-
Guided 20 risk themselves upon this awful
shelf. Held firmly by the other guides. the
head one advanced slowly upon the cornice.
feeling each step. 10 where he could look
down 700 feet or more upon a large glacier.
and each in turn went out 20 have n look
over the edge Of the cornice upon the sea
OF untrOdden passes and eternal snow. The
wind dashed my clothes about me-" says our
Massachusetts matron coolly. and. sud
denly appreciatnE its force. / turned and
Joined the Others in the places OF safety. :
proved 20 be by our friends barOmeters Ia
600 fee. in the air.