The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-16
DISASTERS ON MONT BLANC.
The Worst Occurred In 1850 q Cost
Eleven Lives.

Eleven Lives.
In the long list Of disasters which darker
the history OF Mont Blanc the worst
according to Edward whymper, tn
famous mountain climber. occurred TO
scratch party in 1870.
The amateur alpinists were two Ameri
cans. Mr.. Randall and Mr.. Mclean. ane
a Scotch minister. the Rev. q. McCorkin
dale 81 Gourock. They took with then
as guides or assistants no fewer than igh'
persons from Chamonix, a quite sufficient
number. As is usual. they passed the
night at the inn upon the rocks which
are called the Grands Mulets.
On the next day, writes Prof. WhympeI
in the Strdsd, a number OF persons below
watched their progress, through tele-
scopes. They we're seer TO arrive on the
summit and to bsgin the descent. By
that time the weather had changed
The wind was something frightful.
Even 1900 feet below 1t was seen whirl-
ing the about 80 that the members
Of the party were obliged to throw them
selves down to avoid being carried away
by II. Then the summit became clouded
and was not seen again for oight dave.
No oneHcame back, and on Septem-
Der 7 fourteen men from Chamonix
started out TO try to lean something.
Bad weather came on again, and 1t
was not until the 18th that the fate Of
the party was ascertained. When the
rescue party got up they found MIR.
McCorkindale and two Of the portsrs
about $50 feet below the top, with their
heads right way up. but with their clothes
somewhat torn. as II they had slipped
and fallen.
About three hundred feet higher up
they came upon MIR. McBean and another
porter sitting down, the former with his
head leaning on one hand and thee elbow
on q knapsaok. ropes coiled up, batons,
axes and knapsaoks round about them
still containing a little food.
Upon Mr.. McBean a note book was found
containing several entries in respect to
the oocasion. All tho Ave corpses we're
hard frozen. They were put into sacks
and dragged down to Chamonix. 1t
took three days to transport them. The
bodies Of the six others have not yet been
recovered. but they win probably come
to light in the course Of Q few years.
on Mont Blanc occurred in 1890. when DR..
Hamel. q Russian. set out on August IS
to 90 up Mont Blanc accompanied by two
Englishmen and eight guides. They
had assembled to q height Of more than
fourteen thousand feet, with five guides
in front. who were cutting or making
steps, when all at once the snow above
them gave way and the entire party was
carried down q thousand feet over the
slopes up which they had toiled.
Snow again broke away above and
more or leas covered up the whole party.
Some of them struggled out. but three
Of the leading guides were hurried into
q crevaas and buried under en- immense
mass OF snow.
Ten years afterward, when conducting
another tourist up Mont Blanc by the same
route, me Of the surviving guides pointed
to the crevasse and said to his employer.
They are there
He wa wrong. At that time (1s30)
the bodies were no doubt q considerable
distance from the spot where the accident
occurred. for tho di~smembered remains
Of the three u~nfortunates commenced to
reappear at the lower end of tho Glacier
des Blossoms In 1861. moro than four miles
away IN q direct line from the place whore
they persisted. and must have travelled
down on an average at the rate OF i've
I'M feet per annum.