The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-08-01
GLACIER TO GIVE
Up ITS DEAD
Ice Pack in Which Bodies Are
Encased Will Break
into Sea.
JOHN C. RANDALL VICTIM
HE WITH OTHERS BURIED IN
SNOW AND ZOE IN 1875.

New York. July S1.-Some time this
summer. in the foothills Of Mont Blanc.
near ChamoniX, where the Blossoms gia-
cier breaks into the sea, a tragedy OF
forty years ago will see written its first
chapter.
John c. Randall, treasurer of bank
OF Quincy. Mass. with two other friends
and eight guides, were frozen to death
at the head of the glacier, buried in the
snow and ice, September z. 1870. All
the bodies. except that of Randall and
five guides, were recovered. They are
supposed TO be drifting slowly with the
glacial ice a few hundred feet each
year. -Four children await the return
of the dead. Mr. Randalls widow died
in 1891. but Miss Edith Randall, the
second child, twice has been abroad to
look with awe on the slow-moving
icy tomb of her father. She has talked
with the widow and the daughter or
her fathers personal guide. and has
verified what she had read of the mex
Orable scheme OF the Blossoms glacier
that in forty years il yields 10 the
living its dead.
Other Bodies Have Been Returned.
Nearly half a thousand persons are
known 10 have died on Mont Blanc be-
fore Mr.. Randall and those who went
with him were lost in its conquest,
but the force that overwhelmed them
has not failed to return one. For gem
erations the icy rivers have brought
back the travellers who died, but always
after forty years
Although no tragedy of Mont Blanc
Mr.. Randall, DR.. James b. Bean Of
JonesbOrO, Tenn, and the Rev. George
McCOrkindale of ScOtland-Were not
known at ChamOniX None was interest
from a diversity OF sources can an ac-
count approaching accuracy be COM
piled.
Lost in a storm.
John c. Randall went away from
Quincy on May 20, 1870, and in his
diary under that date he wrote that the
trip TO Europe was the realization OF
his dream OF a lifetime The diary
tells of the ascent Of Mont Blanc. Ma
tives of ChamOnix saw the party re-
turning September z; then clouds en-
Veloped them from view. The skies be
gan TO brighten on September Is, and
five black specks were discerned 10 the
left of the Petits Mulets. On the 18th
party Of twenty-three men Jared
forth from ChamOniX, and on the 18th
they found Mr.. McCOrkindale and two
of the guides.
About three hundred feet higher they
came upon the bodies of Mr.. Bean and
anOthsr guide.
memorandum book in Doctor Beans
pocket contained entries which picture
the incidents as death swept down with
the storm The penciled messages fol-
low;
Tuesday, September Temperature
"a degrees F. at a. m I have made
the ascent OF Mont Blanc with ten per-
sons; eight guides. Mr. McCOrkindale
and Mr.. Randall. We arrived on the
summit al 2:3O O'Clock. Immediately
after leaving it l was enVeloped in
clouds of snow. We passed the night
in a grOtto excavated in the snow, af-
fOrding very uncomfortable shelter,
and was i'll all night.
Note for His Wife.
The next entry is dated:
Mont Blanc September If anyone
finds this notebook I beg that 1T may
be sent 20 Mrs. II. N. Bean, JonesborO,
Tenn, United States OF America.
My Dear Hessie: We have been on
Mont Blanc for two days in a terrible
snOWstOrm. We have lost our way and
are in a hole scoOped out OF the snow
at a height Of fifteen thousand feet
/ have no hope Of descending. Perhaps
this book may be found and forward
ed. (Here were some instructions on
my feet are already frozen and 1 am
exhausted. 1 have only strength TO
write a few words 1 die in the faith
of Jesus Christ with affectionate
bFanee to all. Ny effects are In part
at the Hotel Mont Blanc. and partly
with me in two portmanteauX. Send
them 10 the Hotel SchWeitZerhOf at
Geneva; pay my bills at the hotel. and
Heaven will reward your kindness.
Below this farewell message were
these last words in nearly iIlegible
writing:
MOrning-Intense cold. much snow,
which falls uninterruptedly guides
restless.
That was written forty years ago.
The glacier gives up its dead in forty
years. when il has run its course to the
sea. Relatives Of Mr.. Randall and the
five guides have implicit faith in this
years outcome, and maybe with Mr..
Randall's body will be found the story
OF his death.