The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-10-23
LIVES IN ANY tANQNATTERHQRN FILMS
Climbers Risk Their Lives to Pro-
cure Them.
Victory Meant Fifteen Hundred Feet
of Thrilling Views for European
"Movies"--Operator DangIed
Over $500 Foot Precipice.

The Matterhorn is one of the Alpine
giants that is treated with great re-
spect by even the most experienced
climbers. .-.,r@.
When Whymper made the first as
cent in 1865 Lord Francis Douglas and
three others of his party were killed
by falling 1000 feet, and since then
accident has succeeded accident.
The form of the mountain inspires
awe. A steep pyramid in shape, 1t
rises 14,795 feet in a series of tremen-.
dous precipices. On all sides 1t stands
menacing, it's overhanging crags defy
ing the amateur, writes the Paris cor
respondent of the Detroit Free Press.
When l suggested cinematographing
the mountain there were smiles of de-
rision.
We made arrangements to leave Ter
matt on the morning of July 1, and
sleep that night at the Matterhorn
cabin at 10000 feet. The news spread
through Zermatt like prairie fire and
when we started early in the morning
a considerable crowd was out to see
us off.
There were five of us. My first
guide was Gabriel Zumtaugwald, who
has been in the Himalayas with Mrs.
Bullock Workman, who holds the
worlds record for altitude for women;
and with Miss Annie Peck, the Amer
lean climber, on Mount Huascaran in
Peru. The second guide was Heinrich
julien, a very capable man, while the
task of carrying the cinema camera
and tripod fell to the lot of David
Biner and Franziskus Tangwalder,
who accomplished a feat of endurance
rare in Alpine history.
One may imagine us, ascending a
steep granite ridge with precipices on
either side falling almost sheer to the
glaciers below. In the gloom the Gre
vassed ice appeared dull gray be-
meath, while above the mountain itself
now and then blotted out the stars. In
one place while paying close attention
to footholds nearly cracked my skull
on an overhanging ledge above.
Arriving at the shoulder" we found
wind in violence amounting almost to
gale. From the expression on the
faces of the guides l could see they
thought the game was up. So strong
was the air current that we were in
imminent danger of being blown off
the mountain and used every precau-
ton known to mountaineers to prevent
such an accident taking place.
1t was too cold to remain long still.
so prepared to cinematograph the as
cent of the shoulder, keeping one guide
with me and sending the others be-
fore the camera To do this l was
roped Gin safety" behind projecting
rock. The guide helping me placed
himself below, where he could brace
the tripod and hold me by the knees.
1t was a delicate thing to remain
poised on such slope and take pic
ture where a slip would have pre-
cipitated us both some $500 feet be-
low. The extreme concentration need
ed to get the picture wanted prevent
cd me from thinking of the abyss at
my feet.
Occasionally in the rocks one is
forced to turn, lie on his stomach and
then descend clinging by the toes and
finger tips as best one can to the
crags. Not knowing the mountain as
we'll as the guides, there was one
place where the handholds were doubt
full, and after starting to negotiate
the passage l could find no foothold,
search as l might. l was practically
dangling over a precipice. / called
out to julien, who was above, to hold
the rope tight, and simply dangled
down to where / could again get into
secure contact with the mountain In
these bad places the last guide down
resorted to what Is called the 'corde
de rappel," that is, doubling his re-
serve cord behind a rock above and
after using it to descend hauling it in
by pulling on one end only.
We passed over the difficult places
with considerable .rapidity, but never
once did any one take chances with
the mountain. Had any one slipped
he would have been held by the 9TH
ers-unless unfortunately the rope had
broken.
The Matterhorn was cinemato-
graphed from Zermatt to the summit
1,500 feet of film taken-so what mat
tered it if we were half frozen and too
tired to eat?