The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-12-19
AN ALPINE TRAGEDY.
ThriIifng story of a Fan Down the
Matferharu.


Thrilling story of FAN Down the
Matterhern.
s0ne Of the most thrilling stories IN
Alpine history Is that OF Mr.. Sloggctt's
sall on the Matterhorn." writes Aubrey
lie Blond. with two Zermatt guides
--Alphons Furrer and Augustin Cent.
netta-this young Englishman had
made q quick ascent of the mountain
and was long way down on the re-
turn journey. At one spot II is beces-
sary to cross couloir. or gully OF
snow and Ice, and down this channel
fall most Of the stones that detach
themselves from the shattered face OF
the peak. The leading guide, Furrer.
was making his way over when a
stone. dropping from a considerable
height. struck him full on the head
and instantly killed him. The two
others. attached by their rope to his
dead body, were unable In their pre-
earious foothold to resist, the shock and
were Immediately swept away down
the couiolr at terrific speed. Their
ares were torn from their grasp. and
Gentinetta, who never lost conscious
ness, was convinced that death must
await them az the end Of that awful
journey, but this man Of iron nerve
kept his presence Of mind and showed
what q stout heart and keen intel
ligence can do even In the most des-
perate situation.
About 500 feet below the spot where
the party were carried OF a small
bergschrund or crevasse ran across the
Ice slope which ferns the base Of the
Aatterhorn On its eastern eide. This
crevasse is not always open-in fact,
In October. 1908. when I wen, on to
the mountain to photograph the scene
OF this accident, II did not exist at all.
Beneath II are Ice cliffs, and any one
shooting the crevasse and falling over
these would have q sheer drop which
must Immediately be fatal, but in Mr..
6iogeett's case the crack was several
feet wide and into II the two stili liv-
ING men and their dead companion
were precipitated. The chasm was
partly 6lied with stones and sand, and
Mr.. Sloggett fell face down. Gent.
Meta, though terribly bruised, without
an instant's delay seized the helpless i,
form Of his employer. pulled him out |
Of the position In which he lay, almost |
sunocating. and cleared the sand out |
Of his throat and eyes.
His jaw was broken. and his bruises
were even worse than those Of Cent?
netta. but no other bones were broken.
The disaster was already bad enough.
but at any moment an even more ter.
rible catastrophe threatened the two
poor wounded men In the creyasss.
The couloir was, as have said, q nat.
iral channel for falling stones, and Il
vas just the hottest hour Of the day.
when the snow was thawing fast and
from lts letters the misslles
{ had earlier held fast frozen to the
1t was imperative to lose
70 time In waiting for assistance from =,
he other parties WHO were on the Mat !
erhorn. 30 the guide and the English.
nan, without axes, bruised, shaken t
nd weak, started on the desperate =
ash Of climbing back up that CLASSY,
Hood stained wall, a task hard enough
ven for an unlnjured and fully equip
ed party.
How IL was accomplished GentInet.
declares he does not know, but by
u extraordinary display Of pluck and
Kill the two at length reached their
Id tracks and gained place Of safe
?. Assistance was now at hand. and r
nth the help Of the other parties the
Vounded men eventually arrived at
be Schwarze hotel. Though laid up
or many weeks after, both In the end
nade an excellent recovery. Poor Fur
er's body was with much difficulty
rought down next day from the Gre
asse."