Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1878-09-14 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

ASCENT OF MONT_BLANC WITHOUT  GUIDES.  On Monday, September 2, Messrs. J. B. Colgrove, of Loughborough, and A. H. Cewood, of Reseal], ascended Mont Blanc without guides from Chamounix. They started at 2.30 a.m. from the Grande Mullets, a hut in the centre of the upper part of the Glacier des Boesons, 10,000 it, above sea level, and, by the aid of a lantern reached the Grand Plateau in about three hours. Thence, mounting to the base of the Bosse du Dromadaire, they encountered • bitterly cold wind, but on rising along the steep and narrow arNe which constitutes the Boise they suffered lees annoyance from the wind, and were somewhat refreshed by the warmth of the sun. Their wine, however, wee completely frozen, and remained in a solid state during the remainder of the ascent, and until they had again reached the Grand Plateau in their descent. From the Dromaclaire they continued up the steep and narrow edge of the upper part of the mountain, and reached the summit, 15,780 ft. above the sea, at 9.30. The top of the mountain consists of a narrow ridge of snow about 100 or 150 yards long, very thintowarde its western extremity, but widening tower& the met. The centre of this ridge, which is a few feet higher than the rear, forms the actual summit. The view vets magnificent; all the higher peaks of the Overland, Zermatt, and Dauphine mountains, as well as those in the immediate neighbourhood, were clearly discerned. Many of the valleys were, however, filled with cloud.; in fact, during the whole of the ascent the level sea of clouds below, broken only by the intrusion of a few of the higher peake, formed by itself a view amply repaying all the labeur of the ascent. The climate on the summit was so genial that the travellers found they could have stayed there any length of time without discomfort, except that their wine refused to liquefy. After remaining some time upon the summit, thoroughly enjoying the extensive scenery, they descended by the same route, bum were much surprised on traversing the snow slopes between the Grand Plateau and the Grande Mules to find how much more intricate and dangerous their track was than it had appared to them in the darkens of early morn. mg for the greater part of their course here lay amid enormous crevasses, often passing along the upper lip of a yawning chasm on steep, hard snow, in which a secure foothold could only be obtained by use of the axe. The Grand. Mulets were regained at 1.30 and Chamounix at about 531) the same evening. Unfortunately, the cold wind had not been contented with attacking the contents of the wine ear., tut had also left more permanent souvenir, in frost-bites on both of the feet of one Of the gentlemen. This feat of ascending Mont Blanc without professional assistance has been aceouiplished but twice previously, once by the three brothers Young, one of whom lost his life in the attempt, and again by a Scotchman, who successfully made the ascent, not only without guides, but even without any companion. Meagre Cawood and Colgrove spent about ten deys at Chamounix in Betting into proper condition for this expedition, and they had neither of them been on this mountain before they made this ascent. Two years ago, in company with Mr. Oust, they ascended the Matterhorn without guide., and during previous excursion. in Switzerland they, by themselves, ascended the Jungfrau, Grosee Windgelle, Oberalp Stock, and Galenstock, and made two or three of the higher cote  A MAN ORDERING RIB OWN COFFIN.—At an inquest held at Newton-on-the-Hill, Shrewsbury, en the body of ass independent gentleman named William Reynolds, the following facts were elicited: The deceased had committed suicide by cutting his throat. A few days before his death he waited upon an undertaker and ordered a coffin for himself. He said he wanted the ends left out, no that if he woo buried alive it would give him a better chance of getting out. Subsequently he met the undertaker and said he had altered his mind about the style of the coffin and he had better leave the ends in. The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide while temporarily insane.' TEE DURK OF CONNAUGHT.-44 Several papers" (nays the Army and Navy Gazette)" speak of a junior lieutenant.colrmel being borne on the establishment of the Rifle Brigade to • assist ' the Duke of Connaught in the duties of commend. The truth is that when the Duke of Connaught was appointed to the command of the let Battalion Rifle Brigade it was felt that it would be unfair to deprive the regiment of the run of promotion which the retirement of Col. Man. niusham Buller was creating. Thus the senior major was promoted; not because it was thought the Duke of Connaught was unfitted for the responsibilities of I command, but because a sense of justice prompted the War Office not to make his Royal Highnesa's appointment an excuse for stopping the flow of promotion. We make this explanation, as it would appear that many labour under the impression that the Duke of Connaught needs assistance, which, in reality, he is quite able to dispense with, es all agree who have met his Royal Highness, and know what a most conscientious, hard-working, and efficient commander he mates." 

Article type: Incident