HIT BY AN AVALANCHE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12663, 17 September 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

HIT BY AN AVALANCHE.

Seven Alpine, tourists, representing five dif« ■ Cerent nationalities, namely, two Englishmen, a German count, and bis valet, * ; young Russian. lady, a Dutchman, and a Swiss guide, have just had an extraordinary escape from destruction; by an avalanche The party started from Arosa to ascend Ilia' Aroser Weissborn on ski. When -bout 7<X>ft from the summit, which is 8710 ft above sea • level, the steepness of th& ascent and th* hardness of the snow necessitated the removal of the ski, and the party proceeded on foot. When nearing the top an immense avalanche suddenly rushed, down the mountain side. Most ox the party at once sat down to receive the impact on their backs, and - i'« succeeded in riding the waves of www v t. tolerable success for some distance. Then cam© a series of somersaults. Fire ti :!.*> party were involved in the avalanche ■'■'■ , four were swept down to the bottom of th« slope, a distance of about 70Oit arriving in all manner of attitudes. The German count collided with a, rock .nd was cut abo i the face; the Dutchman finished up in a standing posture buried in snow to his chin. Ihe Russian lady was the first to extricate berself, and behaved throughout with remarkable pluck and endurance. Wonderful to relate, no bones were broker. and all escaped with a, few bruises an* scratches, and reached Arosa id safety. H»« not the ski been taken off before the accident, serious results must almost certain!? have ensued.