Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-08
SCALING THE ALPINE HEIGHTS
MANY VICTIMS OF THE SPORT
OF MOUNTAIN CLIMBING.
The Alps Sometimes Called the
Playground of Europe-Some-
times the Graveyard.

Rome Correspondence Edinburs Scotsman.
The close of the last and the commence
ment of the current century has witness
ed the elimination of new cult. AS in
the medical world we have the 'valetudi-
MARIAN and in the clerical the 'Iatitu-
diEarian' (M "broad'), the "altitudina-
rian df "high') and the "platitudna-
rian f "low'), SO In the world Of the
holiday hunter we have the "altitudina-
rian. whose aim and delight it is to as
cend to the highest elevation possible
above sea level.
Year by year the votaries of this cult
are adding to the tale of victims. but year
by year, In spite Of such deterrent, the
sale votaTles seem to multiply and to
replenish"-not the ''earth," in the theo-
los1an's sense. but the earth in the grave
digger's. Strangely enough, 1t is the
peak stormer' south of the Alps who
is now most in evidence, greatly outaum-
bering his rivals from the north. and even
outclassing him In the daring and variety
OF his adventures and also cit need
scarcely be added in the list of casual
ties. You cannot open Piedmontese.
Lombardy or Venetian newspaper with
out coming on prominent headline such
as "Dramma Alpine" or "ImpressioEante
Digrazia' sensational fatality, narrating
the disappearance and death of this or
that "Alpinist.' hailing from Turin or
Milan or Venice. who, either singly or
as one o. party, has strayed in a mist.
and been subsequently found at the foot
OF precipice more or less mutilated, or
who, having lost Ills head or lis footing
has plunged into crevasse, to be re-
covered a corpse after days of abortive
search.
Imperfect Equipment.
Truth to tell. the Italian adventurer is
a Mt study N q u N q
to sally forth imperfectly equipped Or
"a still grayer miscalculation) unaccompa-
MED by an experienced guide. and to suffer
accordingly. This seems to have been the
policy and procedure OF the three Milan
ese 'Alpinisti." who started from Macug-
maya on the night of the 14th instant in
tending to gain the highest point OF the
Nordend and come down again by the
same route. Every effort has since been
made to get news OF them. but without
success. This ''misadventure' has for
its scene the Monte Rosa. that fascinat-
ing and fatal temptress: but the Splugen.
not to be behindhand in her tale of vic
tins. has just registered another. Again.
Milanese, we'll known pharmacist Of
the Lombard capital started thence last
Sunday evening with two others. and
was making the ascent of the PiccOla
sea level. when an avalanche. with scarce
minutes warning, descended and swept
him to instant destruction. miraculously
sparing his companions.
said day by day-the death roll Of Alpine
misadventure unfolds itself till the stay
at-home world begins to wonder and spec
ulate as to where the attraction resides
In the peak-storming meter. Swiss ply
sicians, may add, have special ad-
monition to give to the "altitudinarian. -
to wit. the state Of his health-above all,
the condition OF his heart-before he starts
on his adventure.
Heart Failure.
Some twelve years ago the Dowager
Queen Margherita. a passionately devoted
Alpinista. had in the company OF a well
known peak sormer' Baron Pecco..
been for days on the Monte Rosa, and
was In the act of crossing the Lyss-
kamm, when the baron, few yards in
front OF her and on the brink of a Gre
vase, dropped suddenly dead-not from
misplaced footing. as was at first given
out, but from, instantaneous heart failure
Such occurrences. the Swiss faculty fore
see. will occur frequently in the case OF
| middie-aged tourists whom the fnnicuar
railways. row in working or in cont NJ
platior on all the Alpine ranges. tracs-
port rapidly to great elevations. at which
the sufferer from unsupported or even
partial cardiac lesion must inevitably col
la pse.
This consideration. these circumsrect
onsutants point out must have due
weight in regulating TIE mode OF travel
ere long to become fashionabie-thst o.
aerial navigation which, besides the per-
| lis peculiarly it's own and as vet but I'M
perfectly realized. has also .thos. inner
| emf in the individual passenger. exposed
| as he will be to new conditions under
| which his point of least resistance, -
| alphabetically speaking, is found, soon
| er or later to be attacked and in the en-
counter to succumb.