1960-07-23 — Page 5

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY 23, 1960.

Four fell to their deaths-and another was accused of murder

THEY CONQUERED THE UNCLIMBABLE

FOR an hour, they stood triumphantly against the

sky.

Far below in Zermatt, hotel guests ran out excitedly from their dining tables to stare at the tiny figures 14,782 feet up.

This was something to see and remember. The first men on the summit of the Matterhorn. Men who had conquered the last great jutting peak of the Central Alps-the mountain that experts in: sisted could not be climbed.

Conquered It, moreover, from the Swiss. side, not the Italian. It was a day for rejoicing, this

crisp, clear 14th of July, 1805-

Just 95 years ago,

At least it would have been, bad" not sensational tragedy followed fast.

At the great peak's lip, seven

felt

and only pride

men

happiness as they set carefully about their descent.

CLINK OF METAL

Only the dink of metal against rock broke their thought- ful allence as, roped to each other, they grappled with the

first precipitous rocks,

First strode bearded. Michel Croz, the famous Chamonix guide. His professional reputa- tion was invincible now.

Next, young Douglas Hadow, an inexperienced amateur who would not have been there at all had he not been the companion of the Rev. Charles Hudson, the Alpine veteran on the rope behind him.

Afler

them, Lord Francis Douglas, another seasoned amateur and Zermatt guide Feler Taugwalder and his son.

And, between the Taug- walders, the English climber- ertist Edward Whymper, who had pitted tris skill vainly seven times before against the famous, infuriating peak.

HELPED BEGINNER

As they picked

their way down the steep slope, Croz put down his axe to help the weary young beginner behind him.

Then, as Croz turned back to his axe, Hadow, missed his footing and fell heavily on to bim.

The rope jerked faul, snatching Hudson forward. Another jerk sent Lord Dong-" las plunging.

Peter Tauzwalder, next in line, clung for his life to the rook-face. Again the rope Lauteaed-then suapped.

And down the sheer slope, then out dizzily into space,

hurled the four powerless climbers-4,000 feet down, in

great plunging death- OND dive, to the glacier.

For five dedicated, near- obsessed years, Edward Whym-

12

MOUNTAIN

Anniversary Story

by

GUY JONES

Again the rope tautened-then snapped.

per had been trying to tame the tunting perk. Once he had plunged 200 feet, escaping with cut bad injury, Another time, he had dimbed alone to 13,400 feet.

KNEW WAY

And now, on the eve of his eighth bid. it seemed as if he was not even to be allowed to start.

A British Crossword Puzzle

20 21

18 19

13

18

15 16

Ю

13

15

16

26

27

128

29

ACROSS

1 Send into exile, (0)

6 In a fix, (5)

8 Laid for breakfast, pechaps,

(5)

9 Gear compartment, shall we

say? (0)

24

22

DOWN

Together they returned to Zermatt and there ran into Hudson and Hadow.

All were intent on the Mat- terhorn. All now decided to join forces. And a day later, they were already pitching camp 13,000 feet up on the namow Swiss ridge.

ין י

+

Libellously sensational counts in foreign newspapers were even suggesting -- quite without foundation-that Taug- walder had cut it.

For three weeks, Whymper "was silent. Then, responding to sa appent by Mr Justice Wills, Fresident of the Alpine Club, he described in detail what had happened in a long letter, to "The Times,"

Whymper remained, as he had always been, a proud, lonely, almost friendless man. He did litle climbing in the Alps after the disaster. Instead he led mountaineering · expedillons `in Greenjari, the Andes and the Rockies.

He had never,' anyway, loved mountains for themselves: only for the challenge of their virgin peaks.

TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY

: •

Peter Taugwalder emigrated to America, but returned to Switzerland to end his days.

Their guesses had been right, The Swiss ridge was far less sévère than

had anyone bedeved

Next morning, they moved Blowly On..

One short, stiff

An Alpine era had ended climb, and they were on with the day of triumph and easy snow slope. Unroping themselves, the leaders raced tragedy on the Matterhorn., But

another had begun. ahead-and Edward Whymper stood at 'last on the rocky bluff that had defled him for so long,

NO FOOTPRINTS

Nor was here any eign of footprints in the snow. Peering down on the Italian side, they saw Carrel and his party still 2,000 feet below,

Whymper could not resist Ariumphant whoops. Carrel hearing them felt the bitterness of defeat dragging at his heart as he turned disconsolately back, To his credit, he led a party successfully to the summit by his own much more difficult Italian route three days later.

But Whymper's elation was sadly brief. The victorious party were still near the sum- mit when the rope snapped and sent the first four spinning to their deaths.

For almost an hour. Whyun- per and the Thugwalders stood stock-still as the humble of fall- ing stones died to a thin echo, then stopped.

ROPE SNAPPED

Examining the snapped rond, Whymper was distressed to find that it was the weakest of the three they had been carrying. The greatest Alpine triumph had been marred by the worst Alpine disaster. And the affair of the broken rope sparked off a bitter controversy that be- came famous in mountaineering history, and muges stil today.

First, bad weather- held him up at Breuil. Then there was even more upsetting news. Jean Antoine Carrel, Whymper's old

A court of inquiry, in its long- Alpine climbing companion, was withheld findings, cleared every also making a strong-bid for the one involved of blame. But for the rest of his life Edward summit.

Whymper, conqueror of the remembered Matterhorn, 1963 better for the tragedy.

'When he returned to England, it was to find the public clamour over the accident at its height.

A 'rival 'bid—with "an" Itallan parly, from the other side."

Angrily Whymper remem- bered how, despite their liaison, Carrel had excused himself from joining this eighth expedition.

Now he knew why,

At Breuil, the fuming English- man was joined by Lord Francis Douglas and Taugwalder-who

Queen Victoria was asking whether climbing should be prohibited.

There were malicious whis- rope had been claimed that at fast he had pers that the figured out the way up the weakened deliberately in ad- Swiss ridge.

:vance.

.BY. THE. WAY.

LO

by Beachcomber

ORD MORRISON OF LAM- been known to have 91 or 197. BETH has pointed out And now there is one with only that under the Public Bodies 74 feet. I advise him to put his (Admission to Meetings) Bill a best foot forward without de mayor who has a tomato thrown lay,

at him has no power to have the Last wordi

REFERENCE to Sir Walter

thrower thrown out of a counRaleigh's

all meeting.

The sensational publicity surrounding the affair of the broken rope ewoke thousands for the first time to an interest in mountains.

Today, using fixed ropes and ladders many tourists scale the Matterhorn each year. The proud peak that took four lives as the price of conquest has be- come a playground.

Carrel's route has become 45 popular as the Zermatt climb.

But the exploite of that proud, disastrous day when Matterhorn mirrendered en- dure none the worse for that.

¿tra bathr T-17

T-50

wit op the

There should be an amend- scaffold Brought to mind the ment, distinguishing between a French nobleman who, as he tomato thrown in anger in was about to be guillotined, said boredom, playfully, and by mis- to the executioner, "Send for a take. A vicious, violent pat bottle of wine my friend. Work shot is one thing. A gentle lob, like yours needs strong nerves." accompanied by a smile and the

Per ery "Catch!" is another. haps the giublic should be searched at the doors before admitted. and any tomatoes found immediately

1 No doubt leaves a ring in being

the grass, (8)

2 Decoration of material part-confiscated.

ly. (8)

3 Dish to cook," (4)

4 Facial defect (7))))))

10 Shout after the girl to vex.8 Punished open-handedly, (?)

(6)

11 Loses a little liquid. (6) 20

12 Should count as a story, (4)

13 Trees in couples? (5)

16 Members of the human race.

18 Made some fly complaint?

(6)

20 Situation of the Sapper. (8) 22 Light overhead. (4)

28.Sweets paradoxically, (5)

25 Paid about a pound for

material, (5);

24 Got very heated (f).

27 Backless Beat. (5)

29 Spurred on, (6)

6 Froze into innobility.: (6)

7 Harmony group,^, (6) |--|

14 Went into attack. (8))))

16 Backed up the propom. (8)

16 Extent of me's view? (7)

17 Source of fuel, naturally, (7) 19 Constable? (6);

21 Sunk on the green, (6), 24 Yet it may be accompanied

(4)

KALYESTERDAY'S CROSSWORD,Acrom: 1 Rebels,

8 Aloe, 9 Serene, 11 Carat, 12 Sleeve, 14 Slay, 16 She

10 Best 20 London, 24 Kedze 25 Donate: 24 To

28 Tellers Down: 1 Rush 2 Bars 3 Lane, 4 Bleepy

6 Bauer Titlark; 10 Elite, 13 Cricket, 14 Blender 17 Heron, 19 Bandit, 21 Dole, 23 Mail, 28 Jeer,

A shining

example to mayora

NE good-natured major

caught a fomato hurled af

(London Express Service).

TALKING

POINTS

him and returned it in expert Youth is a blunder; man- cricketing style to the thrower, hood a struggle; old age a

The essailant chucked it back, regret.

the mayor again returned it, and no, on, for"four" minister The sympathy of the public was 1000 won by tala-sporting "con- duct, and the thrower, laughed All and made to feel ridiculite left the chamber in a stomas t Jeering. The mayor, whenext

jen e place in the local

DISRAELI.

Danger, the spur of all great minds,

GEORGE CHAPMAN:

Pride is at the bottom of

RUSKIN.

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