CONQUEROR OF THE MATTERHORN.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1271, 28 October 1911, Page 14

CONQUEROR OF THE MATTERHORN.

■ 9 DEATH OF MR. WHYMFER. Mr. Edward Whympcr, tho famous Alpinist and conqueror of the Matterhorn, died recently at Chamonix (France), at the age of seventy-two ,as the result of an apoplectic seizure. Ho was only ill two days. With Edward Whympor tho greatest of Alpine pioneers, the most famous of British climbers, passes away. Born in 18-10, he began cliinbing in the Alps in ISGfI, and his first great ascent wa.s that of Mont l'elvoux in Dauphine during ISGI. That samo y«ur opened his combat with the Matterliorn, for the conquest of whicli his name will ever be remembered. Driven back by the want of resolution of his guide, in ISC2 and 1563 he made six moro unsuccessful attempts, on one occasion narrowly escaping with his life. His eighth and successful attempt on tho Matterliorn was made on July 13, 18G5 He had six companions—three guides, Croz and the two Taugwaldcrs ; Lord Francis Douglas, and Messrs. Hudson and Hadow. Moving up from Zermatt, tho party reached the summit of the Matterliorn without misadventure on the following day, and thus cxpolled the guides's belief that it was inaccessible and haunted by demons. They spent ono hour on the top and then began the descent.

They were passing a point near tho top when Mr. Eadow slipped against Croz, the leading guide, and knocked him down. Both slid down the mountain face, and Mr. Hudson and Lord F. Douglas were dragged after them. Mr. Whympor was roped between the Tr.ugwalders, and was last but one in tho party. He and his two guides braced themselves to meet the shock; tlwy resisted it, but the ropo broke midway bctwoen Taugwalder and Lord F. Douglas. "For a few seconds," says Mr. Whympor in his thrilling account of the catastrophe, "we saw our unfortunate companions sliding downwards on their backs and spreading out their hands endeavouring to save themselves. They passed from our sight uninjured, disappeared ono by one, and then fell from precipice to precipice." All were killed on Hie spot. The descent of tho difficult part of tho mountain had now to be achieved by Mr. Whyraper and his shaken guides. "Tho two' men, paralysed by terror, cried liko infants and trembled in such a manner as to threaten us with the fate of tho others. . . . The men were afraid to proceed, and several times old Peter Taugwalder turned with ashy face and faltering lambs and said with terrible emphasis, 'I cannot.'" For many years after this fearful accident Mr. Wiiymp&r climbed no more in tho Alps. In l.Sti? and 1872 he explored Greonland; in 1879-80 he climbed in the high mountains of Ecuador, and twice ascended the volcano of Chimborazo. Between 1901 and 1905 he ascended many of the Cauadian Rocky Mountains and explored and mapped" the country of tho Great Divide." Tho lato Mr. Whympcr was buried at Chamonix, France. For the last few years he had resided at Teddinglon, whero lie was noted for the unusual stops ho took to keep intruders away. A poster, printed in Inj'ge letters, stuck on his study window, and which could bo read from the roadside, was worded as follows: "Notice. Guns and revolvers are kept here, loaded aad ready for use." On the window-sills Mr. Whymper always kept a number of brickbats, and thesa could also he seen from the roadway.