The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-23


the Alps affords interesting but also trag-
ic facts and figures, writes a Geneva cor
respondent of the London Express. Dur
ing the past few months there have been
so many accidents, so many records Gre
ated and broken, that it is difficult to
know where to begin a chronicle Of the
chief events
Perhaps the most pathetic fatality of
the season was the tragic death Of Nine.
Octavia Koumanine, a Russian lady who
went to collect Alpine flowers for her lit
tie sick child at Chamonix. Becoming sep
arated from her friends, above the Mer de
Glaze. she slipped and fell sixty-five feet
on the glacier.
The flowers for which the Russian lady
had sacrificed her life were gathered by
kindly guides and placed on her coffin.
Not far from this spot an equally sad
accident happened some weeks before,
when NJ. and Nine. Schoring, Of Paris.
who were on their honeymoon. were
killed with their guide. Lucien Balmaz
by the breaking Of a footbridge over the
gorge Of the Tete NOire. They fell 10
feet into the torrent below, and their
mutilated bodies were not recovered until
several weeks after the mishap.
Miss Beameton, an English governess,
had a terrible experience in the Bemese
Alps on August H. Accompanied by a
young girl. she was gathering flowers
above NIcrlingen. when she slipped down
a grassy slope and fell over a precipice
Some fifty feet down she struck a pro-
jeCting tree and. her dress catching in the
branches, she hung suspended in mid
air There she remained for six G0urs,
and when rescued it was found that she
had broken leg and an arm.
Dreadful Adventure.
Fraulein Haase had even a more trying
experience. though she herself was not
injured Accompanied by her brother. a
young engineering student from Dresden,
she climbed the Stanserhorn, 6,235 feet. in
safety, and after enjoying a magnificent
view over the neighbor!ng snowy giants,
began TO descend.
The couple wandered from the path
while seeking a short cut, and Herr
Hsase fell into the Kraehenhuh gorge. In
attempting to reach her brother, Frauein
Haase reached a ledge where she could
neither advance nor return. Her cries for
help were heard by some shepherds during
the night, but II was not until late the
next morning-after she had spent n
night OF agony on the mountain ledge.
calling piteOusly TO her brother-that the
relief party was able 10 extTicate her by
means of ropes. Her brother, however.
was beyond human aid, having been
dashed 90 pieces by the fail
On the same day as this tragedy-Au-
gust 1.-THE jeweled skeleton Of Fraulein
Dora Buchler. who disappeared in the
mountains thirteen years ago. was given
up from her tomb Of ice by the ever-mov-
ing glaciers at the foot Of the Aiguille du
Geant in the Mont Blanc range.
EngIishyvOmen I'm Peril.
Two EnglishwCmen, Miss Webb and
Mrs Henry Cross, Of Newcastle were
also injured in the Alps, the former falling
on the rocks on the Buss Alps above
Grindelwald. and the latter being thrown
out Of a carriage on the Grand St Ber-
nard pass. near the bosDice. They were,
however, not seriously hurt.
Some Of the most remarkable climbing
feats Of the season have been accom-
plished by women Alpinists-the snowy
giants being conquered" by women with
as much intreDidity and determination as
If they had been mere men
A Swiss girl OF Is Mile Leonie Gior-
draux, Of Zermatt, made the first ascent
/ Of the Natterhorn- Mile. Isabelle LaugeI
/ OF Paris. assembled the Aigunle de I'M
about 1900 feet high. in the Mont Blanc
range one Of the most difficult and dan
[ gerOus peaks I'm Europe. Miss Rhoda
/ Hindley and Miss Louise Murray tray
/ ersed the entire range Of the French and
Swiss Alps. starting at Grenoble, and
after living several weeks above the
snow line and climbing score Of Alpine
giants between 1000 feet and 1900 feet
| arrived al Zermatt in the best OF spirits
and health.
Countess Dunod. Of Paris. accompanied
/ by her husband was the first this season
/ TO plant her piolet on the SUBMITS OF
/ the Aiguille de Beranger III, 257 feeD and
the Aiguille du Midi Q2,6OS feet, in the
/ Mont Blanc range
! Nine. George, Of Geneva. and Mile. dt
! Pressense, of Paris. crossed the Leopon.
/ tine Alps from Zermatt to Macugnaga, in
/ Italy over Monte Moro 10000 feet). walk
/ ing twelve hours without a halt through
/ deep snow.
The Years Death Roll.
Death has created great havoc in the
ranks Of men Alpinists this season. and
! when the Swiss Alpine Club publishes tho
annual statistics on the subject 1t will be
/ found that the death roll in the noun
/ tains will reach the total OF go at least.
As in the past years the chief cause.
/ of fatalities have been foolhardiness ans
| climbing without guides. added TO child
/ like ignorance and cuIpable conceit.
/ Take, for example the recent terrible
ADJUSTMENTS.