Kanchenjunga's Tithe

The world received a reminder last week of what happens to men who, in the name of Science and Adventure, seek to scale the highest protrusions of the earth's crust. With trembling hand, Correspondent Frank S. Smythe of the London and New York Times pecked out the story on his typewriter in a tent 20,000 ft. up on Kanchenjunga, No. 3 peak (28,146 ft.) of the Himalaya range between India and Nepal, which is being essayed this season by a party under Geologist Guenther 0. Dyhrenfurth of Zurich (TIME, May 26).

It was a warm day early last month. Correspondent Smythe had not accompanied his four comrades and eleven porters of the advance party on the morning's push to move camp one ice ledge higher. He was typewriting in his tent when: "... I heard the thunderous roar of an unusually large avalanche. Going outside I was horrified to see an enormous portion of the ice wall . . . breaking away and sweeping down the snow slopes below, on which was the climbing party. . . .

''I saw the climbers--mere black dots-- halt as one man, looking like rigid dolls. Then they dashed frantically to the left. The next moment a rolling cloud of snow preceding the avalanche swept down upon them and they vanished, completely blotted out like insects. "It was the most terrible spectacle I have ever witnessed. The roar grew louder as the clouds of snow swept nearer, moving with incredible velocity, while here and there vicious tongues of ice shot out under the confused jumble of great ice blocks rolling and sliding down." The dead: Chettan, oldtime porter, member of the last three Himalayan expeditions. Injured: Climber E. Schneider and two porters.

Concluded Correspondent Smythe: "Our blood is up. We intend to get as far as possible on the mountain." Warned by the avalanche, the expedition changed its route to another ridge approaching the summit.

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