FELL 4000 FEET.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 73, 9 November 1911, Page 3

FELL 4000 FEET.

THE FIRST ASCENT OF THE

MATTERHORN

“KING OF BRITISH .MOUNTAINEERS.”

All Chamonix is in mourning, for the first conqueror of the Matterhorn died there this week, says the London correspondent of the Wellington “Post” under date September 22nd. Mr Edward Whymper passed away suddenly as the result of a cerebral attack, dying in the vicinity of his beloved Alps. Not many, who knew of him only as a great and daring Alpinist, were aware that Mr Whymper also carried on a business as a wood engraver in Ludgato Hill. He lias been, widely known as the “King of British Mountaineers, and by his many achievements in climbing and mountain exploration ho fully earned the title. He first came before the public in connection with the terrible Alpine tragedy of the summer of 1865, resulting in the loss of four lives. It was the eighth attempt ho had made on the Matterhorn, and success had been achieved. The tragedy occurred during the descent. ' It will perhaps be remembered that this time Mr Whymper had the company of six enthusiasts and men of experience—three guides (Croz and the tfvo Taugwalders), Lord Francis Douglas, and Messrs Hudson and Hadow. Moving up from Zermatt, the party reached the summit of the Matterhorn without misadventure on the following day, and thus dispelled the guides’ belief that it was inaccessible arid haunted by demons. Thep spent h'n hour on the top, and then began the descent. “We are Lost!" Ws ar? Lest!” In his book, “Zermatt and the Matterhorn,” Mr Whymper fully described the terrible accident. The order in which the party began the return journey was Croz, Hadow, Hudson, Lord Francis Douglas, old Peter Taugwalder, Whymper, and young Peter Taugwalder. 'The first five were roped together. Mr Whymper was tied to young Peter. The account reads: Lor some little distance we two followed the others detached from them, and should have continued so had not Lord Francis Douglas asked me, about 3 p.m., to tie. on to old Peter, as he feared, he Said, that Taugwalder would nfit be able to hold his ground if a slip occurred. A few minutes later, a sharp-eyed lad ran into the Monte Rosa Hotel, to Seiler, saying that he had seen an avalanche fall from the summit of the Matterhorn on to the Matterhorngletscher. The boy was reproved for telling idle stories; he was right, nevertheless, and this was what he saw. 'Michel Croz had laid aside his axe, and in order to give Mr Hadow greater security, was absolutely taking hold of his legs and putting his feet, one by one, into their proper positions.. So far as I know, no one .was actually descending. I cannot speak with certainty, because the tvyo leading men were" partially hidden from my sight by an intervening mass of rock; Put it is my belief, from the movements of their shoulders, that' Gimp having done as. I have said, -ufas in the' act of turning round to go. down a step or two himself ;• at this: .moinent Mr Hadow slipped, fell against him,, and knocked him over. 1 heard one startled exclamation from C,rot, then saw him and Mr Hadow ilyingi downwards; in another i moment Hudson was dragged fi;qm h>(3 stops, and Lord F. Douglas immediately after:-him'. All this was the Work of a moment. Immediately we heard Croz’s exclamation, old Peter and I planted ourselves as firmly as the-rocks would permit, the, rope was taut between us, and the jerk came on us both as one man. \Ve held, but the rope broke midway between. Taugwalder and Lord Francis Douglasi'jCfFPr a few seconds we saw our unfortunate companions sliding dowbw-ards on Ji their backs, and spr(hiding out • their hands, endeavouring to save themselves. They passed from our sight uninujred, disappeared One by one, aiid then fell from precipice to precipice on to the Muttcrhorngletscher below, a distance of nearly 4UOO feet in height. From the moment the rope broke it was impossible to help them. So perished our comrades! For the space of half an hour we remained an the spot without moving a single step. The two men, paralysed by terror, cried like infants-, 1 and tremalcd in such a manner as to threaten us with the fate of the others. Old Peter rent the air with exclamations of “Chamonix! Oh, what will Chamonix say ?” He meant: Who could ■oelie\ c that Croz could fall ? The young man did nothing but scream or sob, “We are lost! We are lost!” i*'ixed between the two I could neither move up nor down. 1 begged young Peter to descend ,but be dared not. Unless he did, we could not advance. Old He ter became alive to the danger, and swelled the cry, “We are lost! We are lost!” The father’s tear was natural-—ho trembled for his

son; the young man’s fear was cowardly—he thought of self alone. At last - old Peter summoned up courage, and changed his position to a rock, to which ne could lix the rope;“the young man then descended, and we all stood together. Immediately wo. did so, 1 asked for the rope which had given way, and found, to my surprise —indeed, to my horror—that it was the weakest of the three ropes. It ,vas not brought, and should not have been employed, for the purpose it was used.

Ear many years ' after this, Mr Whymper climbed no more in the Alps. In j. 807 and 1872 ho explored Greenland, in 1879-1880 ho climbed in the nigh mountains of Ecuador, and tw ice ascended the volcano of Chimooraxo. Between 1901 and 1905 he ascended many of the Canadian Rockies, and explored and mapped the

country, of the “Great Divide.” He was a brilliant writer, and his “Scrambles Amongst the Alps” has become an English classic.