The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-10-18

mer Of 1897 a party OF Englishmen ex.
ploring the Canadian Rockies get out
TO climb Mount Gordon, peak more
than 10000 feet high, which had never
been scaled. On the way, near the
summit, crevasse interposed between
their party and their goal. Over it
lay bridge of snow, and on this all
crossed in safety except the last, Mr..
Thompson. The bridge gave way with
him, and he disappeared from view
far down in the ley mass, where he
could be heard calling for help. Mr..
Collie. the gGographer of the party, be-
ing the lightest of the number, was
sent down into the crack on a rope to
attempt rescue. In his book, "Climbs
and Explorations" he describes the eX-
perience.
put my foot into loop of the rope.
was pushed over the edge of the abyss
and swung in mid-air. On one side
the ice fell sheer on the other it was
rather mdercut, but again bulged out
ward about eighteen feet below the
surface, making the crevasse at that
point not much more than two feet
wide. Then it widened again and went
down into dim twilight
When / descended sixty feet, almost
the entire length of the rope, l became
tightly wedged between the walls, alb
solutely incapable of moving my body.
My feet were close to ThOmpsons. but
his head was farther away and three
feet lower than his heels. Being face
downward and covered with fallen
snow, he could not see me.
! shouted for another rope. and when
it came down managed to throw one
end TO Thompson's left hand, which
swayed about until he caught the rope;
but when it was pulled it merely
dragged out Of his hand. Then with
some difficulty, putting my hands
above my head, l managed TO tie
moose in the rope, and with it lassoed
only part of Thompson which could
be seen. Then came the tug of war.
If he refused to move l could do no
more for him. Moreover, / was afraid
that any moment he might faint. If
that had occurred, | do not believe he
could have been got out at all, for the
force of the fall had iammed him
farther down than it was possible to
follow.
Slowly the rope tightened as it was
tNp11pI 1,tr nI I
my heart humping in the ghastly still
ness of the place, but at last Thompson
began TO shift, and after some time
he was pulled into an upright position.
To get a rope round his body was Of
course hopeless. Partly by wriggling
and pulling on my own rope l so shift |
ed that by straining one arm over my |
head l could get my two hands to-
gether, and then l tied the tightest |
iamming knot l could think of round |
his arm, Just above the elbow. A shout |
TO the rest of the party and Thompson |
went rapidly upward, dragged by one
arm, till lie disappeared round the |
ice bulge forty feet above me.
l was full of dread lest the rope slip |
md he come laundering down atop Of |
me; but the rope held, and he got |
safely out. / followed.
Most marvelously. no bones had been
broken in his fall. His pack must have
saved him. Perhaps it acted as
brake in the first narrows. But he em.
gave it as his opinion that
whatever scientific explorations might
)a necessary on the summit of the
Rockies. Investigations made alone, siX-
y feet below the surface of the ice, in
IN inverted position, were extremely
and unworthy of record.