Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-28

I'm the latter half of the eighteenth CEN
fury a Swiss scientist, Horace Bene-
dicte de SausSuro, lived in the pleasant
city of Geneva. He inherited from his
father moderate fortune and a strong
impulse toward investigation in the regions OF
physical science. He was one OF those whose
ives. to a great extent, are nodded by certain
n;ases of their early surroundings. AS boy
he spent long hours on the quais that lie along
the north shore of Lake Leman. Across Its
blue waters were the low wooded ranges OF the
Alpine foot hills, and far beyond these on
clear days rose the snowy dome of Mont Blanc.
The mountains, seen year after year, was an
GENITAL part of the boys life. Climbing about
the vineyard slopes back of the city. he found
the points from which the great snow peak
could best be studied, and soon he learned its
fern by heart. The desire grew in him to ex-
AhSore its Heighborhood, to stand on its slope,
TO penetrate its secrete. In common with all
others of his time, re regarded its summit as
totally inaccessible, hence its fascination.
That fascination did not loosen as he grew
older. 1t was in 1850 that he had the first
opportunity of coming TO close quarters with
his mountain At that time the expedition to
Chsmonix, the nearest habtabe valley, was
rarely made and was considered an adventure
mt without danger. De Saussuro made the
trip on foot. He entered the valley at its lower
end and, as he walked up the banks OF the
Avvo, he had his first close view of the massif
Of Mont Blanc.
NE SAUSSURo found the simple inn of one
Couttot and there established himself
Every day he walked along the banks Of the
Aryo and studied the great white mass above.
He began to wonder whether the mountain was,
after all, impregnable. 1t even seemed that he
mi ght lead an assaulting band that would ex-
plore the white valleys that lay back of the
rock peaks and, perhaps, stand on the summit
Itself.
So he went about the village inquirrg for
stout men who were fitted for the hardships
of climbing in the SHOWS. The natives were
MT encouraging. OF course they were familiar
enough with the lower slopes, for they had to
b, climbers of sort to get about their pastures
o. to go from valley to valley. But they had no
Id of climbing except for unitarian purposes.
and they had scarcely speculated on the posi-
biiities of reaching the upper slopes. AS to the
summit that was out of the question.
De Saussuro was not downcast by the dis
couraging attitude of the natives. He offered
q stable reward to the man who should first
scale the summit of Mont Blanc. This made a
difference in the general attitude. Among the
bo.der spirits discussions were started as to
possible routes up the mountain.
Although for years no material progress was
made in its conquest, several attempts were
made TO reach the summit and the chance of
accomplishing it began to seem less fantastic
Season after season De SousSuro came back,
renewing his offers of reward With him some
times came a Geneva friend, M Bourrit, a
gentleman in whom the coming of middle age
had not dampened bold spirit. His zeal for
the enterprise soon equaled that of De Soussuro
himself
An important attempt was made in ITS 1t
had been pretty generally agreed that the most
feasible approach to the summit lay along
La Coto, the long wooded ridge that bordered
thu tumbed ice falls of the Blossoms glacier.
This ridge ended in a wilderness of crevasses
and twisted ice, but above this a long snow
valley led nearly all the way to the summit II
Che ice barrier could be surmounted the only
serious obstacles would be the length of the
route and the uncertainty of getting to the top
and back in single day. The thought of being
trapped for the night on the Arctic wastes Of
che snow fields made even the hardest
ChamoniardS shudder.
Four men made the attempt. They were I'M
exrectedly successful in passing the crevasseS
of the ice fall, and found themselves on the
upper slopes with most of the daylight hours
lett In great elation they made their way
uD the sloping valley. But, imperceptibly and
W;saout their knowing how it came about the
vier of their spirit Slapped away. Such
Il que gripped them that it was a grievous
n, ser to lift one foot above the other. The
s. beat down upon them with a fierceness
tx they had never known. Breathing was
g cunt and they found themselves to have a
n unacoustomed distaste for the food and
~ carried. The thin air of lofty alt-