VICTIMS OF “WHITE DEATH”

Dunstan Times, 13 May 1935, Page 3

VICTIMS OF “WHITE DEATH”

Nine Viennese— four girls and five young men —were killed lecently y the third most serious avaknche of the hist ten years m the Aus J n |J Alps. All were between 19 ami JO y< Six °oi aoC the bodies have been recovered. From the peaceful, and even laughing expression on the J aces of most of the victims, it was seen that the “ white death ” —as the Austrians speak of it—came to them S young skiers were members of a ski-ing course of 25 persons formed bv the ‘‘Young Vienna branch of the German Sudmark School Club, which comprises 10,000 members. They were all experienced, and their skill had been tested before they staited on the fatal expedition. As the party, headed by the experienced ski-teacher, Medl, who is well known in Davos, was returning from a tour across the Ursprung Alps, one o the skiers stepped on a so-called “snow ridge.” Enormous masses of li'dit frozen snow were released and swept the majority of the skiers to the bottom of a steep slope into a hollow. There they were buried under the heavy weight of fallen snow. Three of the remainder made olt on their skis to Schladraing to summon a rescue party; others remained to mark the spot where their comrades had disappeared. Immediately a rescue party of 20 from the Schladming Alpine Rescue Society set out,accompanied by gendarmes, and worked by torchlight during the night to dig out the bodies. . .. It was found that two of the victims had been flung’ head first into the snow and crushed to death by the weight of the avalanche. , The surviving members worked with the rescuing party all day, saythey would not leave the mountain until the bodies of their missing comrades had been recovered, . Among the dead are a married couple,- Hedwig and Franz Saner, who had postponed opening their first business undertaking in order to join this skiing class. A tragic case is that of the 18-year-old Erica von Littrow, a brilliant but penniless orphan student, who, by taking on all kinds of odd jobs, had managed to work her way through her. university course. She had not vet been able to take her degree, because she could not save enough money to pay her final examination f ees —she was at the same time paying for the education of her younger brother, Franz. Franz was standing close to her as the avalanche swept her to instant death and left him untouched. A warning was issued in Vienna cf the present danger of avalanches. It is urged that no skiers should venture to cross any steep slope without attaching the so-called “ avalanche cords ” a long trailer of coloured cord. It is hoped that these cords, should a skier be buried, will lie on the surface of the snow and guide rescuers.