Year: 1875

The Journal de Geneve Of q recept


date contains the following account OF


catastrophe on Mont st. Bernard :


ga few days ago it was rumored in


Sion that frightful accident had hap


pened at a few kilometres from the


Great st. Bernard. This rumor, unfor-


tunately, proved to be we'll founded.


On the 10Th of November, at the break


of day, caravan composed of twelve


italian Workmen, returning to their


country, left the Bourg ST. Pierre and


the tavern of PROF., where they had


passed the night, and, despite the foul


weather and difficult state of the roads,


attempted to cross over the mountain


pass or to reach the refuge, as circum-


stances might allow. The sky was


dark and there was violent snowdrift.


On reaching the spot known as the


Montague st. Pierre, halfway between


the starting point and the place of


refuge, they were joined by two monks,


preceded by the convent servant and


large-sized dog, who, according to the
rule of the monastery, came to meet the
travellers. At this moment the drift of
snow became intense. Suddenly a
frozen water spout, called veara in the
language of the mountaineers, whirled
through the air, and whisking up the
fresh, fallen snow. enveloped the travel
ers. The first column, composed of five
italian workmen, two monks, the SER
want, and the dog, disappeared under a
shroud of snow several metres thick
without any avalanche having fallen
from the mountain the seven others
who were following were stricken down
by the same cause short distance from
the first. A deadly silence followed.
Suddenly the seven last victims buried
in the snow succeeded in emerging
from beneath the white surface. They
were saved, and they returned to their
starting place after having made every
endeavor to rescue their comrades from
the grave in which they are probably
at this moment of writing still alive
One of these men succeeded by the
force of instinct and the energy of des
pair in breaking through the ice piled
above him. It was the monk Contat
from Sembraucher. He dragged his
bleeding limbs about a mile and half
from the grave where he had been
buried for several hours, and reached
the first hut called the hospital and
situated close to the Velan. It is there
the young monk was found the next
morning nearly insensible, after having
been twenty-seven hours alone, without
food or assistance of any kind, by his
brother monks of the convent who had
come to look after the victims of the
accident. How had they become aware
Of the catastrophe? The dog Tuco had
succeeded in scratching through the
snow and found his way back to the con-
vent. At the sight Of this noble ami
NAL, with his bruised and bleeding |
body, the monks no longer had any |
doubt as to the fate of their two breth-
rem, and started at once to seek for
Them. A flask of spirits applied to the
mouth of the only survivor of this
scene, which is here narrated from his
own description, restored him to life
'or brief space, for few minutes later
he was a corpse. His colleague and
other six companions, buried beneath
5he veura, have not yet been found.
This is the most terrible accident which
has happened on Mont st. Bernard since
;he year 1916"