FOUR ALPINISTS KILLED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13355, 8 December 1906, Page 9

FOUR ALPINISTS KILLED.

PARTY ROPED TOGETHER FALL 800

YARDS.

Tut: greatest Alpine disaster since (he famous Mattethorn accident happened last month on the precipitous slope. Deu* de Morclcs, 9685 ft in height, in the VaUia Mountains.

The climb is a difficult one. exceptionally so when the accident took place,, owing to several inches of new snow having fallen during the previous week.

'.i lie guides thought, thai climbing had finished, but on a Saturday afternoon four young Alpinists, whose ages were between 20 and 2t>, arrived at the Pension Tanner at Los Plans, a mountain resort above Bex, with the intention, according to their tonvet sation, heard at table, of climbing the Morcles. , ..-:■ .., Three guides presented themselves, but their services were laughingly refused. "We are not old women,' said one. "t have climbed the Alps alooo fox severalyeats," said another. ~ Finally, they paid » for the guides' refreshment, and dismissed them., .-» ! ; , : ~'.. , '

As they Mere leaving a guide said to them, "Gentlemen, personally 1 have known these mountains all my life. Be very careful. It is very dangerous just now. Again 1 advise you to take * guide." They only laughed, however, and before dayoreak next day the gay Alpinists, believed to be students of Lausanne University, and of Swiss nationality, left the hotel. Nothing definite is known ot their subsequent movements. Two Swiss peasauts, seeing curious objects on the Glacier de l'lan-Neve, descended, and found the bodies of the Swiss. = t- ■• ■ t «\ : i<-

Iu the morning, being curious to solve the problem, they followed the footsteps of the victims up the mountain with the following results: — * - * According to the traces evident in th« soft snow, the Alpinists experienced difficulties from the start. One of the climbers was very inexperienced or ill, and with difficulty followed the footsteps of the others. Finally they attempted to climb in a parallel line abreast of the leader. At the first dangerous arete the inexperienced climber slipped and fell. The others, in. insecure positions, one directly above another, careless, and not expecting ati accident, were unable to resist the force of his fall of fully 20vds, and, being roped together, were picked off the mountain like flies. One after another fell backwards headlong, slithering*-50yds down the ice slope, and then falling, perhaps. 800 yds through space. - *< , The bodies were smashed and mutilated in the glacier below. They lay all night, in t-ue open, and presented a terrible sight. One climber's head was a. block of ice, streaked with blood. Another's arm was frozen to his head. Another lay curkd m a circle, with every bone broken. All were covered with frost. Three were stilt joined, by the cord, and the fourth lay 50yds away, with bis skin cub by the cord. ■ The glacier was covered with toe contents of the haversacks. Near oue victim the photograph of an elderly lady, perhaps his mother, was found. Strangely enough, one man was lying on his back smiling a o-hastly smile. The others lay on their side, two of them with one boot each. .'