Evening star., 1937-07-15
ST.BERNARDPACK .
SAVED BY RECORD
Heroic Rescues of Alpine
Dogs Recounted After
Killing of Girl.

ancestors have saved the lives Of the
famous dogs belonging to the st.
Bernard Hospice in the Swiss Alps.
Faced with determination because one
Of their number recently ran amuck
and killed little girl, the pack OF
huge ST.. Bernards was allowed to
live because of the breeds previous
service to man. For centuries these
enormous, mournful-eyed, orange-a and
white dogs have sought out and guild
ed to the hospice travellers who had
become lost or exhausted in snow
storms while trying to cross the Alps.
THE Great st. Bernard Pass, where
the dogs live, provides short cut
through the Alps from Martigny
Switzerland. to Aosta, Italy" says q
bulletin from the National Geograph-
10 Society.
I'm former times many travellers
crossing this perilous pass on foot died
en- route, exhausted by snow and cold,
buried under avalanches or swallowed
up by crevasses. 1t was to prevent
such disasters that Bernard de Men,
pA4OAi. a ~ 1CSU VI f1CSUd, 1OuIluSu
hospice near the summit of the pass
In about 962
Is Dogs Kept Ready.
destroyed by fire and storms sew
eral times, the hospice has been re-
built and enlarged until now it Is
composed of several buildings, one of
which Is an Augustinian monastery
and another of which functions as a
hotel for Summer tourists. Situated
more than 5000 feet above sea level,
the monastery is one of the highest
permanent all-year habitations in
Europe. The air is 50 rare and raw
that few Of the monks can live here
for more than a dozen years without
developing rheumatism and heart dis
ease. Then they have to be sent down
to the orders headquarters at Mar
tigny. Even the dogs become rheu-
matte.
In Winter snow piles up nearly to
the caves Of the monastery, gales beat
against its massive walls and small
windows, and pine logs. brought up
the previous Summer, blaze on granite
hearths. The monks. expert skiers
in mountaineering costumes, patrol
their rounds searching for travellers
lost in drifts. Sometimes the St.
Bernards are sent out alone to search,
little kegs Of restoratives fastened to
their collars.
About IS dogs are kept at the hos
pice and more at Martigny. The best
dog of each generation is named Bar
~ after the hospice's most famous St
Bernard. The original Barry saved
the lives Of 40 persons ad was killed
by the forty-first, who misinterpreted
his friendly act as an attack.
Dog Carried Child on Its Back.
Once finding 10year-old child
freezing to death in the snow, Barry
carried the child on his back to the
monks. This was a difficult but not
impossible feat, since St. Bernards
weigh anywhere from $50 to more
than 200 pounds. Barry's stuffed
skin is preserved in museum at
Berne, and in the dog cemetery in
Paris, q monument depicts his heroic
deed.
I'm Summer, when sightseers visit
the st. Bernard Pass by automobile or
bus, snow has left the level ground
but still caps the f1anking peaks. This
absolutely treeless region of gray
rocks looks bleak and desolate. Iron
crosses mark places where monks and
travellers have met death by ava
lanches. More cheering is the large
stone cross bearing lantern Near
the pass summit stands large bronze
statue OF Bernard de Mention, who
was made the patron saint of noun
tain climbers in 1928.
THE exterior of the gray stone
hospice looks grim and forbidding.
Inside it is snug. heated by steam,
lighted by electricity. A radio and
telephone to outposts in the valley
keep the brethren in touch with the
world below. One is surprised to find
them using typewriters, studying or
reading modern French periodicals
IN their library OF 10000 volumes.
Most colorful building is the small,
frescoed chapel, where monks in gor-
geous robes genuf1ect before black
marble and gilt affairs. Most grue-
some building is the small morgue,
now closed to the public, In which
were preserved for many years the
frozen corpses Of snow victims, in
cluding some OF Napoleon's soldiers.
Was = Religious Mecca.
Free food and lodging, once &C.
corded all passersby. is now given only
TO pedestrians and poor wayfarers.
Since 1925 wealthier travellers have
been required to put up at the hotel.
This measure was necessary, because
visitors abused the monks hospitality,
England's Edward VII was a grateful
lodeer, however, sending the hospice
. piano IN return for his stay there.
Before the days Of motor trans
port the pass was traversed annually
BY thousands Of pedestrians, religious
pilgrims from as far north as Eng
land on their way to Italian shrines
ana laborers returning from work In
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