A mountaineering accident which took place on one of the
mountains of the Ortler Range on Friday, August 19th, has raised the ethical problem of "cutting the rope," and whether such an act can ever be justified. Two brothers, one with some experience as a climber, and the other a beginner, were crossing a small glacier, and most absurdly roped themselves together. It is always unwise to rope less than three people, but these foolish and unfortunate men added to their folly by using slip-knots, which may easily add strangulation to the horrors of an accident. The brother who was leading fell into a crevasse. The other brother in order save himself cut the rope. If he did this merely for fear of himself being ultimately dragged down, he committed a base and cowardly act. If, on the other hand, he was being strangled by the slip-knot, as is alleged in some accounts, he has, we think, a good deal of excuse. The reason why it is base to cut the rope is that as long as the rope is not severed there is always a chance of the man who has fallen being saved. There is a fine story of an Englishman whose guide, to whom he was roped, fell over the edge of a precipice. The English- man, by a great effort, was just able to keep his feet, and by clinging to the rocks, to prevent himself being drawn over. It was impossible, however, that he could for long hold up the guide, and the latter very pluckily urged the Englishman to cut the rope and save himself. The Englishman refused and held on, the two men swaying together and the rope fraying itself against the rocks. The courage of the man who thus insisted on giving the guide his last chance was rewarded. By a fortunate accident another party of climbers came to the place just before his strength was exhausted, and both men were rescued. Even if this story is not literally true, and we cannot profess to vouch for the details, it illustrates the fact that no man has a right to cut the rope and assume that his comrade's chance is gone.
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