THE MATTERHORE ACCIDENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2069, 19 October 1893, Page 10

THE MATTERHORE ACCIDENT.

A FALL OF 3000 FEET.

The Rev. C. T. Porter, English chaplain ati Zermatt, has sent to The Times some particu* lars, gathered from an eye-witness, of the distressing accident that took place on the Matterhornthe other day. I believe, he says, this expedition to climb the "Lion of Zermatt" originated with Herr Andreas Seiler, a young man of 18 years, who invited a iriend, Mr Oscar Gysi, of Manchester, to accompany him, and engaged three guides — Johann Biner, aged 23 ; Josef Taugwalder, and Leo Moser. The ascent was made from the Italian side, the most difficult and dangerous. The mountaineers started together, but after a while young Seiler determined to push on in advance of the rest of the party, with Biner for his companion. All went well till towards 3 o'clock ia the afternoon, by which time the travellers had nearly reached the new " Cabine de la Tour," erected by the Italian Alpine Club at a height of 12,760 ft up the mountain's side. Suddenly the guides Taugwalder and Moser were startled with what they thought to be the sound of falling stones. To avoid this danger they pressed themselves, with Mr Gysi, close to the rock. Their horror can be betttr imagined than expres-ed when they saw the bodies of Seiler and Biner shoot past there, and within two or three yards of the spot where they were clinging to the mountain. Th* catastrophe might easily have involved tbc whole party. How it happened no one willeve*know, as the two victims had climbed out of sight of their companions. Who first slipped we cannot tell. Biner and Seikr were rope' together. The rope held throughout that terrib] fall of something like 30001 1. The accidei recalls that of July 14, 1865, when your;, Douglas Hadow, aged 19, Mr Hudson, Lord 1 . Douglas, and Michael Croz fell 4000 ft on tL«other side of the same mountain. Thirteui lives havo now been lost on the Matterhorn Mr Gysi, with the two remaining guide?-, hastened, of course, to descend with thei. dreadful tidings. The descent under sue! circumstances was at once trying arc dangerous, but they succeeded in gettin, intelligence of the disaster to Zermat on Tuesday morning, when 16 guides a once proceeded to search for the bodies. Thesi they found feai fully mangled, the body c young Peilcr resting upon that of Johann Bine^ In the Roman Catholic churchyard, where li the bodies of Hudson, Hadow, and Michae Croz, poor Biner's shattered frame was alp< laid to rest, in the presence of a crowd of syru pathising visitors, as well as guides an> villagers. He leaves a mother and thrci sisters to bewail his early death.