ADVENTURES ON THE ALPS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2421, 9 January 1882, Page 4

ADVENTURES ON THE ALPS.

Recently Dr. Darmataodter, a gentleman from Mannheim, and two guides, set out from Nesscnthal with the intention of oroßsing by ■ the Triftjoch end tho Rhone glaoier to the Furki. Before they reached the hut on the Trif t it began to rain, and tho aapeot of the ■weather became decidedly threatening. In these circumstances, says a Geneva correspondent, their wisest courae would have been to return. But, hoping for tho boßt, they resolved to pass the night in tho hut, and see what the morning would do for them. The aiorning brought worse weather Btill; to the rain had sucoeeded snow, and it foil so heavily and the wind blew so wildly that it would havo been the height of temerity to vcn.tr.ra out, either for the purpose o£ retracing their ntcpe or continuing their journey. So Dr. D irnmtaedtor and his guides stayed where they wore all the day and the next night. Tha folic wing morning the storm had somewhat abated ; but the snow about the hut was nearly tbreo feet high, and the general outlook by no moans promising. Pood was running short, however, and the risk of descending tho mountain being considered preferable to the alternative of starving to death in tho hut, they ventured forth, intent on returning to Nessenthal. In ordinary oiroumetances tho ascent or descent of the Trift is a very ordinary affair; but in view of the great quantity of snow whioh had fallen, and still continued to fall, the three men took the precaution of roping themselves together. And it was well they did, for as the trio reached a part of tho mountain known as Tolliabookplata, the | (leading guide was struck down by an avalanche, and it was all the other two oould do to drag him from under it. With Tgreat difficulty, and after maDy hours* painful exertion, they sucoeeded in reaching Nassenthal. If the two guides had not known every foot of the way, and been strong and courageous withal, the whole party would have been irretrievably lost. A few days later a German party of fcur persons, two gentlemen and two ladies, had a perilous experience and a marvellously narrow eacape from destruction in the Furka Pass. At sevon o'clook in the morning they left Hospertbal in a two-horse open carriage for Gletch and tbe Rhone Valley. As they reached a part of the road about midway between the Furka Inn and Gletob, a small earthslin, failing from the mountain above, narrowly missed striking the carriage. The startlod horses sprang snddenly round backed violently, and the next moment they were over the preoipice, hereabouts a thousand feet deep, whioh rises above the Rhone glacier. Happily, however, the precipice is not very steep, and the falling carriage, after twice turning somersault and losing all its wheels, alighted on a narrow lodge of rook and there remained. Though the passengers had all survived their flight through the air, their position was a terribly dangerous one. Three of them lay unconscious under the oarriage. The driver was so badly hurt that he oould not rise, and only one of the gentlemen was in a oondition to make the least effort. His first proceeding was to attend to his wife, who was lying on the verge of the ledge, with her oloak entangled in the remnants of one of the hind wheels. He out the oloak with his pocket knife, and placed ner in such a position that if the oarriage fell she would not be carried with it; and by judicious uao of his brandy flask sucoeeded in restoring her to consoiousness. They then turned their attention to the others, who seemed worse hurt than themselves, and after a while succeeded in restoring them to conlolousness. But climb up into the road they oould not, to go downwards was impossible ; ■0 thoy resigned themselves to the inevitable, and remained where they were until a passing pedestrian perceived their plight, and ran to G-letoh for help. With considerable difficulty they were hauled up and taken to the Rhone Glacier Hotel, when a surgeon was sent for to dress their wounds. Though muoh shaken and bruised, none of them were seriously lmrt, and after a few days* rest they were able to continue their journey.—Home paper.