THE MATTERHORN TRAGEDY.

Lake County Press, Issue 981, 26 September 1901, Page 7

THE MATTERHORN TRAGEDY.

A MIRACULOUS ESCAPI

In 1862 Professor Tyndall, writing to the late Sir Julius Von Haast, in New Zealand, said: "Of all the really difficult mountains the Matterhorn now alone remains, and the man who reaches its summit will, I think, perforin a more difficult piece of work than any hitherto accomplished.” When three years later the Matterhorn was vanquished for the first time by a party of eight, only Mr Edward Whymper and two guides survived to tell tiie tale of that “one crowded hour of glorious life” spent by them on the summit. On t lie way down a terrible disaster occurred, which Mr Whymper thus relates: “ The party had roped themselves together, and Michel Groz had laid aside his axe, and in order to give Mr Hadow greater security was taking hold of his legs and putting Ids feel, one by one, into their proper positions. Cross was in the act of turning round to go down a step or two himself. At this moment Mr Hadow slipped, fell against Idm. and knocked him over. I heard one startled exclamation from Croz, then saw him and Mr Hadow Hying downwards. In another moment Hudson was dragged from his steps, and Lord F. Douglas immediately after him Immediately we heard Croz’s exclamation old Peter Tuugwalder and I planted ourselves as firmly as the rocks would permit. Tho rope was taut between ns, and the jerk came on us both as on one man. We held, but the rope, broke midway between Taugwalder and Lord Francis Douglas. For a few seconds we saw our unfortunate companions sliding downwards on their backs, and spreading out their hands, endeavoring to save themselves. They passed from our sight uninjured, disappeared one by one, and then fell from precipice to precipice on to the M ' terhorn gletscher below, a distance of ik. ily 4,000 ft in height. From the moment the rope broke it was impossible to help them.” Once again a terrible tragedy has occurred on the mountain side, involving the loss of two lives and the almost supernatural escape of Lwo of the party. Quo of the victims was a Miss Mildred Bell, daughter of Mr Edward Bell, a member of George Bell and Sons, the firm of publishers. She was wit Lin a few weeks of her majority, and her mother was just «m her way to choose a birthday present for her daughter when she received the news of her sad death. Miss Bell, although a good walker, had had no mountaineering experience, and it seems folly that she shim! ’ have been allowed to make her first attempt on this dangerous and slippery peak. A party of seven set off on July 25 from the Hotel Mount Cervin at Breuil at 3 a.in. for their first excursion. The first detachment consisted of Miss Bell, Dr Robert Black (brother of Alis.s Clementina Black), and tho guide Leonard Carrel. In the second was the guide Maquignaz, who had wisely refused to tie the whole party on one rope. They climbed successfully the Lion's Head, a. difficult peak, separated from tho Matterhorn up to the Italian Club hut. This is an exceptionally difficult ascent, owing to the outward slope of the ledges, the perpetual fall of stones, and tho ice which glazes the rocks. But both parlies achieved the ascent with ease. It was in the descent, always most trying to novices, that the disaster occurred. They had reached the rocks under the Lion’s Head, and were traversing a slope of snow

iiiul ice of the most treacherous nature. What happened i.s best told in Carrel's own words: ‘‘l was in front cutting steps with my ice-axe. .Second on the rope was Miss Bell. Then came .Miss Trow, and after that Dr Blade they were standing still. All of a sudden Miss Trow turned and said ‘What a view.' As she said this -he seemed to lose her nerve, and slipped. She draped with her on the rope Dr Black, and then Miss Bell. All three went sliding down on the treacherous surface of the ice. I had just time to dig my ice-axe into the ice as the rope tightened. It came on me with a terrific jerk, and all but cut my body in two. I looked round, and saw that we were all hanging over an abyss. For two minutes I kept my hold. You can judge bow terrible the strain was. but it was to sheer life that I citing. The'’ at last my strength gave way. Instantly 1 was torn away and flung forty feet in the air, I felt nothing more." The party coming behind saw this terrible catastrophe at the closest quarters. The two gentlemen ran to give aid. forgetting they were on the rope. Maqnignaz instantly threw the rope over a rock, which prevented a second catastrophe, as the men would certainly have slipped on the place where they had fallen. M hen the relief party came up and began to search for the corpses they were surprised to hear a. shout from Carrel "We are not all killed," and to find him on his feet below the rocks, with his coat wrapped round his head. He was partly stunned and unconscious. Another cry was heard close ;it hand. Then Miss Trow was found, hardy injured. The two others were dead. Dr Black was at the foot of a small precipice, lying on his face, and still fastened to the rope, and Miss Bell was upright, close to the body of Dr Black, and her remains were horribly mutilated. “The first fall,” the ‘Daily Mail’s’ correspondent goes on to say, “ was down a height of 50ft. Then they slid down a less steep slope, after which all fell with a terrific and ever-accelerating rapidity down a gully a thousand feet high. The cord broke between the guide and the first lady. He fell further than the others, who stopped about 500 ft above him. Miss Trow, seeing that her two companions were dead, took a knife, cut the rope, and descended to the guide, and both took refuge under a rock, as stones were always falling down the gully. The Hotel Mount Cervin sent ten men in the morning, who at once brought down the living. A guide carried Miss Trow on his back. The guide Carrel did not wish to come down. ‘f am perfectly well. This place suits me perfectly,’ he said. He has apparently lost his reason for the time being.”