Smyrna times., 1905-11-01
AN ALPINE TRAGEDY.
Thrilling; Story of FAN Down tb.
M.tterhorn

Thrilling Story of n Fail Down the
MGtterhOrn.
"One of the most thrilling stories in
Alpine history is that of Mr.. Sloggett's
fall on the Matterhorn," writes Aubrey
lie Blond. With two Zermatt guides |
-Alphons Furrer and Augustin Cent? |
netta-this young Englishman had |
made quick ascent of the mountain
and was long way down on the re-
turn journey. At one spot it is neces-
sary to cross a couloir, or gully of
snow and ice. and down this channel
fall most of thesstones that detach
themselves from tie shattered face of
the peak. The leading guide. Furper.
was making his way over when
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-
carious foothold to resist the shock and
We're Immediately swept away down
the couloir at terrific speed. Their
axes were torn from their grasp. and
ness, was convinced that death must
await them at the end of that awful
journey, but this man of iron nerve
Kept his presence of mind and showed
what stout heart and a keen intel
hgence can do even in the most des-
perate situation.
about 800 feet below the spot where
the party were carried off a small
bergschrund or crevasse ran across the
Ice slope which forms the base of the
| Matterhorn on its eastern side. This
crevasse is not always open-in fact,
in October, 1908, when l went on to
the mountain to photograph the scene
of this accident, it did not exist at all.
Beneath it are ice cliffs, and any one
shooting the crevasse and falling over
these would have a sheer drop which
must Immediately be fatal, but in Mr..
Sloggett's case the crack was several
feet wide and into it the two still liv-
ing men and their dead companion
were precipitated. The chasm was
partly filed with stones and sand, and
Mr.. SlOggett fell face down. Cent.
Meta, though terribly bruised, without
an instant's delay seized the helpless
form of his employer, pulled him out
of the position in which he lay, almost
suffOcating, and cleared the sand ou
Of his throat and eyes.
"EIis jaw was broken, and his bruises
were even worse than those of Cent?
netta, but no other bones We're broken
The disaster was already bad enough
but at any moment an even more ter
rible catastrophe threatened the tive
poor wounded men in the crevasse
!, The cOuloir was, as 1 have said, a nat
ural channel for falling stones, and i
! was just the hottest hour of the day
when the snow was thawing fast ant
loosening from its fetters the missile
! it had earlier held fast frozen to tn
, mountain. 1t was imperative to los
no time in waiting for assistance iron
; the other parties who were on the Mat
terhorn. So the guide and the English
, man, without axes, bruised, shake
| and weak, started on the desperat
T task of climbing back up that CLASSY
r blood stained wall, a task hard enoug
a even for an uninjured and fully equiv
il ped party.
q How it was accomplished Gentine
= ia declares he does not know, but b
o an extraordinary display of pluck an
= skill the two at length reached the
= old tracks and gained a place Of saf
: ty. Assistance was now at hand, an
!, with the help of the other parties Il
: wounded men eventually arrived
the Schwarze hotel. Though laid l
!, for many weeks after, both in the Ell
made an excellent recovery. Poor Flu
= rer's body was with much difficult
- brought down next day from the CT
" vase"