Full Download PDF of (Ebook PDF) Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology 10th Edition All Chapter

You might also like

Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 43

(eBook PDF) Media Now:

Understanding Media, Culture, and


Technology 10th Edition
Go to download the full and correct content document:
https://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-media-now-understanding-media-culture-
and-technology-10th-edition/
More products digital (pdf, epub, mobi) instant
download maybe you interests ...

(eBook PDF) Media & Culture 11th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-media-culture-11th-
edition/

(eBook PDF) Media and Communication in Canada Networks,


Culture, Technology, Audience Ninth 9th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-media-and-communication-
in-canada-networks-culture-technology-audience-ninth-9th-edition/

(eBook PDF) Understanding Media Industries 2nd Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-understanding-media-
industries-2nd-edition/

(eBook PDF) Introduction to Mass Communication: Media


Literacy and Culture 9th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-introduction-to-mass-
communication-media-literacy-and-culture-9th-edition/
Mass Media and American Politics 10th Edition (eBook
PDF)

http://ebooksecure.com/product/mass-media-and-american-
politics-10th-edition-ebook-pdf/

(eBook PDF) Media & Culture: An Introduction to Mass


Communication 12th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-media-culture-an-
introduction-to-mass-communication-12th-edition/

Media & Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication


11th Edition (eBook PDF)

http://ebooksecure.com/product/media-culture-an-introduction-to-
mass-communication-11th-edition-ebook-pdf/

(eBook PDF) Social Media Management: Persuasion in


Networked Culture Illustrated Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/ebook-pdf-social-media-management-
persuasion-in-networked-culture-illustrated-edition/

(Original PDF) Media Ethics Cases and Moral Reasoning


10th Edition

http://ebooksecure.com/product/original-pdf-media-ethics-cases-
and-moral-reasoning-10th-edition/
MEDIA NOW

Davenport
LaRose
Straubhaar
Tenth Edition

Tenth
Edition

Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology


To register or access your online learning solution or purchase materials
for your course, visit www.cengagebrain.com. MEDIA NOW

Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203

9781305950849_cvr_hr.dpc.indd 1 02/09/16 8:18 AM


Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
CONTENTS

Preface xix
About the Authors xxv

PART ONE Media and the Information Age

CHAPTER 1 The Changing Media 1


The Media in Our Lives 1
■ Media Then...Media Now 2
Media in a Changing World 3
Merging Technologies 4
Changing Industries 5
■ Technology Demystified: A Digital Media Primer 6
Changing Lifestyles 7
■ Your Media Career: Room at the Bottom. Room at the Top 8
Shifting Regulations 9
Rising Social Issues 9
Changing Media Throughout History 10
■ Media & Culture: A New Balance of Power? 10
Pre-Agricultural Society 11
Agricultural Society 11
Industrial Society 12
Information Society 12
Changing Conceptions of the Media 14
The SMCR Model 14
Types of Communication 16
What Are the Media Now? 19
Summary & Review 21 Thinking Critically about the Media 23
Key Terms 23

CHAPTER 2 Media and Society 24


Understanding the Media 24
■ Media Then...Media Now 25
Media Economics 25
Mass Production, Mass Distribution 26
The Benefits of Competition 27
Media Monopolies 28
■ Your Media Career: Media Scholar 29
The Profit Motive 31
How Media Make Money 33
From Mass Markets to Market Segments 34
New Media Economics 35
Critical Studies 37
Political Economy 37
Feminist Studies 39

vii
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Ethnic Media Studies 40
Media Criticism 41
Media & Culture: Postmodernism
■ 42
Diffusion of Innovations 43
Why Do Innovations Succeed? 44
How Do Innovations Spread? 44
What Are the Media’s Functions? 45
Media and Public Opinion 46
Gatekeeping 46
Agenda Setting 47
Framing 48
Technological Determinism 48
The Medium Is the Message 48
Technology as Dominant Social Force 49
Media Drive Culture 50
Summary & Review 51 Thinking Critically about the Media 53
Key Terms 53

PART TWO The Media

CHAPTER 3 Books 54
History: From Ink to Digital, From Press to Computer 54
Early Print Media 54
■ Media Then...Media Now 55
The Gutenberg Revolution 56
■ Media & Culture: Goodbye, Gutenberg 57
The First American Print Media 58
Book Publishing Giants Evolve 59
Your Media Career: Author! Author! 61

Technology Trends: From Chapbook to E-Book 61


E-Publishing 62
The Economics of Book Publishing 63
The Book Publishing Process: From Publishing Houses to You 64
Retail Bookstores 65
■ Media & Culture: Distractions, Comprehension, and Sleep: Printed
Textbooks, E-Texts, and the Cost of Learning 66
Book Readers and Purchasers 67
What’s to Read? Book Genres and Content 68
MEDIA LITERACY 69
Public Libraries, Freedom of Speech, and the First Amendment 71
Summary & Review 73 Thinking Critically about the Media 74
Key Terms 74

CHAPTER 4 Print and Digital Newspapers 75


■ Media Then...Media Now 76
History: Journalism in the Making 77
Newspapers Emerge 77
The Colonial and Revolutionary Freedom Struggles 78
The First Amendment 79
Diversity in the Press 79
The Penny Press 80
Following the Frontier 81
Civil War Coverage 82

viii CONTENTS

Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
The New Journalism 82
Yellow Journalism 83
Responsible Journalism 84
Muckraking 85
The Effect of Chain Ownership and Conglomerates 85
Professional Journalism 86
The Watchdogs 87
Technology Trends 88
Newsgathering 88
Print Publishing 89
Online and Digital Publishing 89
Immersive Journalism—Virtual Reality 90
Consumers Habits 91
■ Technology Demystified: Immersive Journalism and Virtual
Reality 92
Industry: The News Landscape 93
Competition for Audiences and Advertisers 93
■ Your Media Career: Reporting the News that Others Use 94
The World View 95
A New Business Model for the United States 95
Content: What Is News? 97
Defining News 97
News Elements 97
Types of Newspapers and Their Audiences 98
■ Media & Culture: Politics, the Internet, and Social Media 101
Citizen Journalism and Citizen News Sites 102
MEDIA LITERACY 102
Summary & Review 108 Thinking Critically about the Media 111
Key Terms 111

CHAPTER 5 Magazines 112


History 112
Early Magazines 112
■ Media Then...Media Now 114
America Reads 114
Muckraking 115
■ Media & Culture: News Magazines 116
Magazines Target Specialized Audiences 117
Technology Trends 119
Printing Since Gutenberg 119
Publishing in the Information Age 119
■ Your Media Career: Wanted! Writers and Editors! 120
Digital Publishing 121
Industry 121
Ownership Changes from Individuals to Conglomerates 121
Economics 122
Circulation and Advertising Trends 124
Distribution and Marketing 125
Content: General Interest and Special Interest 125
Redefining the Role of Magazines 127
MEDIA LITERACY 127
Summary & Review 128 Thinking Critically about the Media 130
Key Terms 130

CONTENTS ix
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
CHAPTER 6 Recorded Music 131
History: From Roots and Records to Sounds in the Cloud 131
■ Media Then...Media Now 132
The Victrola 132
Early Recorded Music 133
Big Band and the Radio Days 133
Big Band Music and the World War II Generation 133
New Musical Genres 134
■ Media & Culture: Black Music: Ripped Off or Revered? 135
Rock and Pop History 135
The Record Boom and Pop Music 136
The Rock Revolution Will Be Segmented 136
Digital Recording 138
Music on the Internet 138
Media & Culture: Twenty One Pilots and the Hard Work of Music 139

Technology Trends: Let’s Make Music 142


New Digital Formats 142
■ Technology Demystified: From the Victrola to Aac 142
Sinking the Pirates 144
Streaming and Cloud Music Services 145
Social Music Media 145
The Recording Industry 145
■ Your Media Career: Musicians, Moguls, Music in Everything
Electronic 146
The Talent 146
Recording Studios and Record Companies 147
Music Distribution 149
Music Industry Associations 149
MEDIA LITERACY 151
Summary & Review 156 Thinking Critically about the Media 157
Key Terms 157

CHAPTER 7 Radio 158


History: How Radio Began 158
Save The Titanic: Wireless Telegraphy 158
■ Media Then...Media Now 159
Regulation of Radio 159
Broadcasting Begins 160
BBC, License Fees, and the Road Not Taken 161
Radio Networks 162
Paying for Programming: The Rise of Radio Networks 162
Radio Network Power 162
Competition from Television 163
Networks Fall, Disc Jockeys Rule 163
The FM Revolution 164
Local DJs Decline: A New Generation of Network Radio 164
New Genres: Alternative, Rap, and Hip-Hop Radio 165
Radio in the Digital Age 166
Technology Trends: Inside Your Radio 168
From Marconi’s Radio to Your Radio 168
High-Definition Radio 168
■ Technology Demystified: Fun with Electromagnetism? 168
Satellite Radio Technology 170
Internet Radio Technology 170
Weighing Your Digital Radio Options 170

x CONTENTS

Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Industry: Radio Stations and Groups 170
Radio in the Age of the New Media Giants 170
Inside Radio Stations 171
Noncommercial Radio 172
Genres around the Dial 173
Radio Formats 173
The Role of Radio Ratings 174
Music Genres and Radio Formats 175
Talk Radio 176
National Public Radio 177
Radio Programming Services 177
■Your Media Career: Local DJs Decline But Other Forms of Radio
Rise 178
MEDIA LITERACY 179
Summary & Review 182 Thinking Critically about the Media 184
Key Terms 184

CHAPTER 8 Film and Video 185


History: Golden Moments of Film 185
■ Media Then...Media Now 186
How to Use Images: Silent Films Set the Patterns 187
Setting Up a System: Stars and Studios 188
How to Use Sound: Look Who’s Talking 188
The Peak of Movie Impact? 189
The Studio System: The Pros and Cons of Vertical Integration 190
Film Faces Television, 1948–1960 191
Studios in Decline 193
Hollywood Meets HBO 194
Movies Go Digital 195
■ Media & Culture: Saving National Production or the New
Cultural Imperialism? 197
Technology Trends: Making Movie Magic 197
Movie Sound 198
Special Effects 198
The Digital Revolution 199
Movie Viewing 200
■ Technology Demystified: Entering the Third Dimension 201
The Film Industry: Making Movies 202
The Players 202
Independent Filmmakers 202
The Guilds 203
Film Finance 203
Film Distribution 203
■ Your Media Career: You Ought to Be in Pictures 205
Telling Stories: Film Content 206
Team Effort 206
Finding Audience Segments 207
MEDIA LITERACY 208
■Media & Culture: Fighting the Anti-Piracy War Here and Abroad 211
Summary & Review 212 Thinking Critically about the Media 213
Key Terms 213

CONTENTS xi
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
CHAPTER 9 Television 214
History: TV Evolves 214
When Television Was New 214
■ Media & Culture: Television and the Days of Our Lives? 215
■ Media Then...Media Now 216
Into the Wasteland 217
Washington to the Rescue? 219
■ Media & Culture: Going by the Numbers 220
New Media to the Rescue? 221
The Big Three in Decline 222
Television in the Information Age 223
Technology Trends: From a Single Point of Light 226
Digital Television Is Everywhere 226
■ Technology Demystified: Inside HDTV 228
New TV Horizons 229
Video Recording 230
Video Production Trends 230
Industry: Who Runs the Show? 231
Video Production 232
National Television Distribution 234
■ Your Media Career: Video Production 235
Local Television Distribution 237
Noncommercial Stations 240
Television Advertisers 240
Genres: What’s on TV? 240
Broadcast Network Genres 240
What’s on Cable? 241
PBS Programming 242
Programming Strategies 242
Media & Culture: Diversity in Television
■ 243
MEDIA LITERACY 244
Summary & Review 248 Thinking Critically about the Media 250
Key Terms 250

CHAPTER 10 The Internet 251

History: Spinning the Web 251


■ Media Then...Media Now 252
The Web Is Born 252
Reining in the Net 253
The Rise of Social Media 255
Old Media in the Internet Age 255
Reinventing the Internet 256
Technology Trends: Metcalfe’s and Moore’s Laws 258
Internet Trends 258
■ Technology Demystified: Inside the Internet 259
Privacy Trends 262
Network Technology Trends 263
Computer Technology Trends 264
Industry: David versus Goliath 265
Computer Toy Makers 266
Where Microsoft Rules 266
Internet Service Providers 267

xii CONTENTS

Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Content Providers 267
Internet Organizations 268
■ Your Media Career: Web Developer 269
Content: What’s on the Internet? 269
Electronic Publishing 270
Entertainment 271
Online Games 272
Portals 272
Search Engines 273
Social Media 273
■Media & Culture: Media, the Internet, and the Stories We Tell about
Ourselves 274
Blogs 275
Electronic Commerce 275
What Makes a Good Web Page? 276
MEDIA LITERACY 279
Summary & Review 285 Thinking Critically about the Media 286
Key Terms 286

CHAPTER 11 The Third Screen: Smartphones and


Tablets 287
History: Better Living through Telecommunications 287
■ Media Then...Media Now 288
■ Media & Culture: What My Cell Phone Means to Me 289

The New Media of Yesteryear 289


The Rise and Fall of Ma Bell 290
Cutting the Wires 291
The Third Screen Arrives 292
Media Face the Third Screen 294
Technology Trends: Digital Wireless World 295
From Analog to Digital 295
■ Technology Demystified: How Telephones Work 295
Digital Networks 296
Mobile Networks 297
■ Technology Demystified: Whistling Your Computer’s Tune 297
■ Technology Demystified: How Your Cell Phone Works 300

Industry: The Telecom Mosaic 302


The Wireline Industry 302
The Wireless Industry 302
Content: There’s an App for Us 303
■ Your Media Career: Mobile Media Star 303
Wireless Apps 304
Location-Based Services 304
Wireline Apps 305
MEDIA LITERACY 305
Summary & Review 311 Thinking Critically about the Media 312
Key Terms 312

CONTENTS xiii
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
CHAPTER 12 Video Games 313
History: Getting Game 313
Opening Play 313
■ Media Then...Media Now 314
Home Game 314
Personal Computers Get in the Game 315
Gear Wars 316
Games and Society: We Were Not Amused 317
The New State of Play 318
Technology Trends: The Next Level 319
Generations 319
No More Consoles? 320
No More Button Pushing? 320
■Technology Demystified: A Look under the Hood at Game
Engines 321
Virtual Reality Enters the Game 322
No More Rules? 323
Industry: The Game Players 324
Gear Makers 324
Game Publishers 324
Game Developers 325
■ Your Media Career: Getting Paid to Play? 326
Selling the Game 327
Video Game Genres: Rules of the Game 327
■ Media & Culture: Video Game as Interactive Film? 329
MEDIA LITERACY 330
Summary & Review 335 Thinking Critically about the Media 336
Key Terms 336

CHAPTER 13 Public Relations 337


Public Relations Yesterday and Today 337
History: Civilization and Its Public Relations 337
■ Media Then...Media Now 338
The American Way 339
From Governments to Entrepreneurs 340
PR Pioneers in the Modern World 341
Public Relations Matures 343
Global Public Relations 344
Technology Trends: Tools for Getting the Job Done 345
Traditional Tools 345
Video and Audio Tools 346
E-Mail and Texting Tools 347
PR Databases 348
Media & Culture: PR And Social Media 349

Industry: Inside the PR Profession 349


PR Agencies and Corporate Communications 350
Elements of Successful Public Relations 350
Professional Resources 352
PR Functions and Forms 352
The Publics of Public Relations 353
Four Models of Public Relations 354
■ Your Media Career: PR Numbers Are Stable 355

xiv CONTENTS

Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
MEDIA LITERACY 356
Summary & Review 360 Thinking Critically about the Media 362
Key Terms 362

PART THREE Media Issues

CHAPTER 14 Advertising 363


History: From Handbills to Mobile Ads 363
■ Media Then...Media Now 364
Advertising in America 364
The Origins of the Advertising Profession 365
The Rise of Broadcast Advertisers 366
Hard Sell Versus Soft Sell 366
The Era of Integrated Marketing Communication 367
Advertising Now 367
Technology: New Advertising Media 369
Advertising in Cyberspace 369
Social Networking: Advertisers’ New Frontier 371
■ Media & Culture: College Students Rule the Marketplace 371
Mobile Ads: The Newer Frontier 372
They Have Our Number 373
E-Commerce 373
Advertising Everywhere 374
Industry: Inside the Advertising Industry 374
Advertisers 375
Inside the Advertising Agency 376
Advertising Media 378
■ Your Media Career: Becoming a Madperson 379
Advertising Research 381
Content: Advertising’s Forms of Persuasion 383
Mining Pop Culture 383
Consumer-Generated Content 383
Relationship Marketing 384
Direct Marketing 384
Targeting the Market 385
Understanding Consumer Needs 386
The Changing Nature of the Consumer 386
Importance of Diversity 387
Global Advertising 388
MEDIA LITERACY 388
Summary & Review 394 Thinking Critically about the Media 396
Key Terms 396

CHAPTER 15 Media Uses and Impacts 397


Bashing the Media 397
■ Media Then...Media Now 399
Studying Media Impacts 400
Contrasting Approaches 400
Content Analysis 401
Experimental Research 402
Survey Research 403
■ Technology Demystified: The Science of Sampling 404
Ethnographic Research 405
Big Data 407

CONTENTS xv
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Theories of Media Usage 408
Uses and Gratifications 408
Learning Media Behavior 409
■ Media & Culture: The Active Audience 410
Computer-Mediated Communication 411
Theories of Media Impacts 412
Media as Hypodermic Needle 413
The Multistep Flow 413
Selective Processes 413
Social Learning Theory 414
Cultivation Theory 414
Priming 415
Agenda Setting 415
Catharsis 416
Critical Theories 416
Media and Antisocial Behavior 417
Violence 417
Prejudice 419
Sexual Behavior 421
Drug Abuse 422
Prosocial Behavior 423
Information Campaigns 423
Informal Education 425
Formal Education 425
The Impacts of Advertising 426
Well-Being 428
Understanding Societal Impacts 429
Social Inequality 429
Community 430
Democracy 431
Public Health and Environment 434
The Economy 435
Summary & Review 439 Thinking Critically about the Media 441
Key Terms 441

CHAPTER 16 Media Policy and Law 442


Guiding the Media 442
■ Media Then...Media Now 443
Communications Policies 444
Freedom of Speech 445
■ Media & Culture: George Carlin and the “Seven Dirty Words” 448
Protecting Privacy 450
Protecting Intellectual Property 452
■ Media & Culture: Consumer Privacy Tips and Rights 453
Competition Issues 457
Universal Service 459
Who Owns the Spectrum? 460
Technical Standards 461
The Policy-Making Process 462
Federal Regulation and Policy Making 462
State and Local Regulation 465
Lobbies 466
The Fourth Estate 466
Summary & Review 468 Thinking Critically about the Media 470
Key Terms 470

xvi CONTENTS

Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
CHAPTER 17 Media Ethics 471
Ethical Thinking 471
■ Media Then...Media Now 473
Ethical Principles 474
Thinking through Ethical Problems: Potter’s Box 476
Codes of Ethics 477
Corporate Ethics 477
■ Media & Culture: Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics 477
Making Ethics Work 478
Ethical Issues 479
Journalism Ethics 479
Ethical Entertainment 483
Social Media Ethics 485
Public Relations Ethics 486
Advertising Ethics 487
■ Media & Culture: PRSA
RSA Member Statement of Professional Values 488
Research Ethics 492
Consumer Ethics 493
■Media & Culture: Guidelines for Internet Advertising and
Marketing 496
Summary & Review 498 Thinking Critically about the Media 500
Key Terms 500

CHAPTER 18 Global Communications Media 501


Acting Globally, Regionally, and Nationally 501
■ Media Then...Media Now 504
Regionalization 504
Cultural Proximity 505
National Production 507
The Global Media 507
News Agencies 509
Radio Broadcasting 509
Music 510
Film 511
Video 515
Television 515
Cable, Satellite, and Internet TV 519
■ World View: Soap Operas around the World 520
Telecommunications Systems 521
Computer and Tablet Access 523
The Internet 524
■ Technology Demystified: A Closed or an Open Internet—The Great
Firewall of China 526
International Regulation 527
MEDIA LITERACY 528
Summary & Review 534 Thinking Critically about the Media 536
Key Terms 536

Glossary 537
References 544
Index 560

CONTENTS xvii
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
P R E FA C E

Smartphones are the latest manifestation of media convergence, the continu-


ing evolution of conventional media forms into digital communication plat-
forms. In today’s world, interpersonal communication and the creative efforts
of billions of individual users have been absorbed into the media environment
that was once the exclusive domain of the print, broadcasting, advertising, and
film industries. Media consumption has become a personalized as well as a
mass phenomenon as messages are targeted to ever narrower segments of the
audience and distributed through smartphones and tablets that are with us at
all times, wherever we go.
Our theme is that the evolution of traditional media industries and newer
technologies has created a new communications environment that impacts
society and culture. Our goal throughout this book is to prepare students to
cope with that environment as both critical consumers of media and aspiring
media professionals.
We reach for that goal by providing an approach to mass media that
integrates traditional media (magazines, books, newspapers, music, radio, film,
and television) and newer media (the Internet, tablets, smartphones, and video
games), and emphasizes the intersection of technology, media, and culture.
Change continues apace as the new electronic media of the twentieth century
are challenged by the Internet, which in turn is giving way to a new wave
of disruptive technology embodied in smartphones and tablets. It remains
important to consider the historical trends that got us here and to observe
long-term trends that extend beyond the latest Internet memes and infatua-
tions with tech gadgets. We have already witnessed astounding changes in the
structure of the radio and telecommunications industries and the rapid evo-
lution of the newspaper, film, and television industries as they meet the chal-
lenges of new technologies and new ways of doing business on a global scale.
These are changes that affect our society as well as those across the globe, and
our students need to learn about them in their introductory courses to prepare
them to be productive citizens.

NEW TO THIS EDITION


The tenth edition of Media Now provides the most current coverage possi-
ble of media industries old and new and reflects the field’s latest research
as well as the challenges that confront industries in transition. Social media
and the rapid spread of smartphones represent an overarching trend toward
audience-originated content and mobile media consumption that force media
executives, advertisers, public relations executives, and governments around
the world to rethink their strategies. We believe that these changes afford
“teachable moments” in which students can reflect on the future of the media

xix
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
and their own life plans while recognizing the impact that external events can
have on providers of entertainment, information, and communication. To place
these changes in their proper historical context, we have revised the historical
narratives to emphasize events that have a direct impact on the media today
and to point out that many seemingly “new” developments are really nothing
new but rather paths not taken and choices not made at different points in
time. We have also separated magazines and books (previously Chapter 3) into
two chapters (now Chapter 5 and Chapter 3) because they have distinct indus-
tries composed of different economies, audiences, and technologies.
Chapter by chapter, here are examples of the updates you will find in this
edition:
■ The Changing Media examines how smartphone and tablet apps
expand conventional typologies of communication and charts the end
game in the conversion of conventional media to digital forms.
■ Media and Society considers the new business models that are emerg-
ing in social media and tracks recent trends in the adoption of media
forms old and new.
■ Books traces the evolution of technology, content, audiences, and multi-
ple delivery methods (print, audio, and digital) for books, and the effects
of those changes on the industry and consumers.
■ Print and Digital Newspapers looks at the positive impact of jour-
nalism on the growth of democracy and analyzes the industry as it
evolves with the digital landscape toward immersive journalism, and
experiments with changes in its business model.
■ Magazines is now its own chapter and examines the good influence of
(muckraking) content on society, the expansion of genres, and the shifts
that technology, audiences, and owners have caused in the industry.
■ Recorded Music tracks how the music industry copes with declin-
ing sales by exploring new outlets for music on the Internet, such as
streaming music services.
■ Radio examines the Internet “cloud music” trend, evolving Internet
radio, and their impact on conventional broadcasting.
■ Film and Video analyzes how the industry prospers through pre-
mium ticket sales in 3-D and IMAX venues, while changing global
distribution to fight piracy and maximize growing international
revenues.
■ Television explores how the basic nature of television and its con-
ventional business models is evolving in response to the challenge of
streaming media with new business models even as a new golden age of
television drama fills the home screen.
■ The Internet scrutinizes trends that are leading to a decline in Internet
use in American homes as social media apps challenge the conventional
PC-oriented model.

xx PR E FAC E

Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
■ Public Relations shows how social media present new opportunities,
tools, and ways to communicate to various publics across the country
and to other cultures throughout the world.
■ Advertising examines mobile advertising trends and the growing
threats to consumer privacy the growing.
■ The Third Screen monitors the latest trends in mobile apps and
the evolution of smartphones into an entertainment and advertising
medium.
■ Video Games profiles a rapidly changing industry and anticipates the
impact of virtual reality and augmented reality.
■ Media Uses and Impacts expands coverage of the impacts of new
media with a closer look at the relationship between media consumption
and well-being.
■ Media Policy and Law considers the implications of new FCC rulings
on network neutrality and universal access.
■ Media Ethics expounds on professional responsibility to society, the
processes of ethical decision-making, and the importance of ethical
behavior that has magnified with the new challenges brought about by
social media.
■ Global Communications Media investigates the impact of social
media on democratic revolutions in the Middle East and accelerating
global film, television, and music flows.

UPDATED PROVEN FEATURES


This book comes with a rich set of features to aid in learning, all of which
have been updated to help students better understand the ongoing changes in
media, culture, and technology:
■ Figures: These visuals, some of which were labeled “infographics” in
previous editions, capture key trends and statistics in an accessible and
graphically appealing style common to the new media, updated with
the latest data.
■ Media Literacy: Included within each media chapter, these sections
focus on key issues regarding the impact of media on culture and soci-
ety, encouraging students to think critically and analyze issues related
to their consumption of media. This edition focuses on privacy issues
and changes in media ownership patterns that affect consumers.
■ Glossary: Key terms are defined in the margins of each chapter and
are listed at the end of each chapter, and a complete glossary is included
in the back of the book.
■ Media Then... Media Now: Major events in each medium’s industry
are highlighted. Important dates are also called out in the margins of
the text in each chapter.

P R E FAC E xxi
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
■ Featured Boxes: Four types of boxes appear in the text, each designed
to target specific issues and further pique students’ interest:
■ MEDIA AND CULTURE boxes highlight cultural issues in the media.
■ TECHNOLOGY DEMYSTIFIED
M
MYSTIFIED boxes explain technological information
in a clear and accessible way.
■ YOUR MEDIA CAREER guides readers to the “hot spots” in media
industries updated with the latest projections from the Bureau of
Labor Statistics. New to this edition, these include:
+CAREER PROFILES are thumbnail biographies of successful media
professionals who started out with degrees in media studies.
■ WORLD VIEW expands thinking from beyond the front door to a more
global perspective.
■ Stop & Review: Appearing periodically throughout each chapter, these
questions help students incrementally assess their understanding of
key material.
■ Summary & Review: Each chapter concludes with summary and
review sections, which are presented as questions with brief narrative
answers.

TEACHING AND LEARNING RESOURCES


MindTap Communication for Media Now is a personalized, online digital
learning platform that provides students with an immersive learning
experience that builds critical thinking skills. Through a carefully designed
chapter-based learning path, MindTap allows students to easily identify the
chapter’s learning objectives, read the chapter, test their content knowledge,
and reflect on what they’ve learned. The course is as flexible as you want it to
be: you can add your own activities, PowerPoint slides, videos, and Google docs
or simply select from the available content, and you can rearrange the parts to
suit the needs of the course. Analytics and reports provide a snapshot of class
progress, time in course, engagement, and completion rates.
The Instructor Companion Website is an all-in-one resource for class
preparation, presentation, and testing for instructors. It is accessible by
logging on to login.cengage.com with your faculty account. You will find an
Instructor’s Resource Manual, Cognero® test bank files, and PowerPoint pre-
sentations specifically designed to accompany this edition.
■ The Instructor’s Resource Manual provides you with extensive assis-
tance in teaching with the book, including sample syllabi, suggested
assignments, chapter outlines, individual and group activities, and more.
■ Cengage Learning Testing Powered by Cognero® is a flexible, online
system that allows you to import, edit, and manipulate content from
the text’s test bank or elsewhere, including your own favorite test ques-
tions; create multiple test versions in an instant; and deliver tests from
your LMS, your classroom, or wherever you may be, with no special
installs or downloads required.
■ PowerPoint® Lecture Tools are ready-to-use outlines of each chapter.
They are easily customized for your lectures.

xxii PR E FAC E

Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We wish to thank our spouses, Sandy Straubhaar, Betty Degesie-LaRose, and
Frederic W. Greene, for their patience and valuable ideas. We also want to
thank a number of our students and graduate assistants, Camille Douglas,
Stuart Davis, Josh Gleich, Julie Goldsmith, Nicholas Robinson, and Tim Pen-
ning, for their reviews and comments on the chapters. Also, thanks to Rolf and
Chris Straubhaar, Julia Mitschke, and Rachael and Jason Davenport Greene
for insights into their culture and concerns. Special thanks to Tammy Lin for
reviewing drafts of the video games chapter.
We would also like to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of everyone at
Cengage Learning who worked with us to create an outstanding book and
accompanying learning materials. There are many who have worked tirelessly
behind the scenes. Great appreciation also goes to Andrea Wagner, content
project manager; Sarah Seymour, marketing manager; and our product
manager, Kelli Strieby. The team at Lumina Datamatics did an outstanding job
managing this project, in particular Valarmathy Munuswamy, Manoj Kiran,
and Magesh Rajagopalan. We also gratefully acknowledge the assistance of
Dr. Teresa Mastin, for her previous work on the advertising chapter; Julia
Crouse Waddell, for her excellent work on this book’s MindTap content; and
Stuart Davis and Kevin Tankersley, for their help with the supplementary
resources. Finally, we wish to thank the following reviewers for their
thoughtful suggestions and guidance in the development of the tenth edition:
Arnold Mackowiak, Eastern Michigan University

Tim Moreland, Catawba College

Kevin Tankersley, Baylor University

Dr. David Nelson, University of Central Oklahoma


We also thank the following individuals for their reviews of the previous
editions: Arnold Mackowiak, Eastern Michigan University; Tim Moreland,
Catawba College; Kevin Tankersley, Baylor University; Dr. David Nelson,
University of Central Oklahoma; Robert Abeman, Cleveland State University;
Jon Arakaki, State University of New York, College at Oneonta; Thomas
Berner, Pennsylvania State University; Elena Bertozzi, Indiana University;
Larry Bohlender, Glendale Community College; Sandra Braman, University of
Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Dr. Jim Brancato, Cedar Crest College; Michael Brown,
University of Wyoming; Erik Bucy, Indiana University; Karyn S. Campbell,
North Greenville University; Larry Campbell, University of Alaska, Anchorage;
Richard Caplan, University of Akron; Meta Carstarphen-Delgado, University
of Oklahoma; Jerry G. Chandler, Jackson State University; Tsan-Kuo Chang,
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; John Chapin, Rutgers University;
Joseph Chuk, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania; Dan Close, Wichita State
University; Gene Costain, University of Central Florida; Dave D’Alessio,
University of Connecticut, Stamford; Robert Darden, Baylor University;
Krishna DasGupta, Worcester State College; Staci Dinerstein, County College
of Morris; David Donnelly, University of Houston; Mike Dorsher, University
of Wisconsin, Eau Claire; Michael Doyle, Arkansas State University;
Dr. Jim Eggensperger, Iona College; Lyombe Eko, University of Maine; Emily

P R E FAC E xxiii
Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Chambers's
Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art,
fifth series, no. 137, vol. III, August 14, 1886
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the
laws of the country where you are located before using this
eBook.

Title: Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and


Art, fifth series, no. 137, vol. III, August 14, 1886

Author: Various

Release date: April 2, 2024 [eBook #73318]

Language: English

Original publication: Edinburgh: William and Robert Chambers,


1853

Credits: Susan Skinner, Eric Hutton and the Online Distributed


Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file
was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK


CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL OF POPULAR LITERATURE, SCIENCE,
AND ART, FIFTH SERIES, NO. 137, VOL. III, AUGUST 14, 1886 ***
CHAMBERS’S JOURNAL
OF
POPULAR
LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND
ART.
CONTENTS
THE DEATH-ROLL OF MONT BLANC.
IN ALL SHADES.
COUNTRY JOTTINGS.
A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY.
AN OLD TULIP GARDEN.
ABOUT COBRAS.
MITIS METAL.
MISSION TO DEEP-SEA FISHERMEN.
LOST AT SEA.
No. 137.—Vol. III. SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1886. Price 1½d.
THE DEATH-ROLL OF MONT BLANC.
In these days, when it is the fashion to decry Mont Blanc, in
company with a good many other old institutions, there is one thing
about the mountain which is apt to be lost sight of, and that is how
very fatal it has been to mountaineers. It is quite possible that the
proportion of killed to those who succeed in the ascent—and the
same will hold good in respect of any other Alpine peak—would not
be found to be great, for probably more people have gone up Mont
Blanc than any other high mountain; but no number of successful
ascents will minimise the fact that there can be very real danger on
Mont Blanc. The causes of danger are not far to seek. The mountain
is regarded, and in fact is, comparatively easy of ascent; and from
the days when Albert Smith did so much to dispel the awe with which
it was once the fashion to regard it, the popularity of the expedition
has grown year by year, till quite a considerable percentage of those
who now go to Chamouni consider but the half of their visit
accomplished if they fail to ‘do’ Mont Blanc. Thus it comes to pass
that a great number of individuals are allowed to ascend who ought
not to go on the mountain at all, and who, under certain conditions,
may easily become a source of danger to themselves and to those
who accompany them.
But the danger from this cause is as nothing compared with that
which exists in the inferior quality of many of the guides. At
Chamouni, every one who styles himself a guide must belong to a
kind of trades-union society called the ‘Compagnie des Guides,’ and
presided over by a ‘Guide-chef.’ All who enter the ‘Compagnie des
Guides,’ good, bad, and indifferent, enter it on the same footing, and
are compelled to take their turn for an engagement on a register kept
at the office of the ‘Guide-chef’ for the purpose. Thus, a traveller who
wishes to engage a guide, is not allowed—except under very special
circumstances—to choose his man, but must take him whose name
stands first on the list; and it may so happen that quite an
incompetent individual is given charge of a party wishing to ascend
Mont Blanc, while a really good guide is told off to carry a knapsack
over the Col de Balme.
It is easy to imagine what may result from a system such as this. For
one thing, it has had the effect of utterly demoralising Chamouni
guides as a body; and it has been the means, as we shall see
presently, of some of the worst accidents that have ever happened in
the Alps. It is usual nowadays for members of Alpine Clubs to bring
to Chamouni their own guides from other districts, rather than trust to
the local men; and so it has come about that Chamouni guides have
been reduced to taking casual parties up Mont Blanc, with the result,
that very few of them are of any use out of their own particular
district, and as regards the more difficult peaks of the range, very
little even in it. In fact, it is hardly an exaggeration to say that the
really good Chamouni men may now be counted on the fingers. The
grave scandal occasioned by the desertion of the Russian, Professor
Fedchenko, by his guides—two inexperienced boys—and his
subsequent death on the Mer de Glace, called forth a severe protest
against the Chamouni guide system on the part of the Alpine Club;
but beyond some slight modification of the rules as regards the
choosing of special men, very little has been done; and to this day
the Rules and Regulations of the ‘Compagnie des Guides’ of
Chamouni remain a byword with all mountaineers.
Finally, there is the danger—and this perhaps greatest of all—from
weather. Easy though Mont Blanc may be as long as the weather is
good, there is not a mountain in all the Alps which can become so
dangerous in a storm. Every one who has had experience of
climbing, knows how weather can affect a mountain, and how an
ascent which is easy enough one day, may become dangerous if not
impossible the next. It is quite a mistake to suppose that because a
mountain offers no physical difficulties, that there is no risk attending
the ascent. We have Mont Blanc as a case in point. Easiest of all the
Great mountains, he has proved himself the most fatal of any.
The first accident within our knowledge which occurred on Mont
Blanc was that to Dr Hamel’s party in 1820, and being the first
accident to Alpine climbers, it created at the time an immense
sensation. From accounts published by the survivors, it seems clear
that the accident was caused by ignorance of the state of the snow—
ignorance excusable enough in those days, when as a matter of fact
the art of climbing was very little understood. On August 18, 1820, a
Russian professor, Dr Hamel; two Oxonians, Messrs Durnford and
Henderson; a Genevese named Sellique; and twelve guides, left
Chamouni, and in twelve hours—about double the time now taken—
reached the rocks of the Grands Mulets. Here they pitched a tent
which they had brought with them, and passed the night. Bad
weather came on after sunset; and as it did not clear next morning in
time for them to start, they had to pass another night in the tent. It
came on to rain again in the evening; but the following morning,
August 20, was fine, and it was determined to make a push for the
summit. At this juncture, M. Sellique was overcome with ‘scruples’ on
the subject of making the ascent, and declined to accompany the
others, so he was left behind in charge of two of the guides. The rest
of the party set out at five a.m. The weather kept fine; but the snow—
to quote one of the survivors—was found to be ‘rather too soft.’ They
would appear to have followed the line of ascent usually adopted in
these days, until opposite the Dome du Goûté, and on a level with it,
when they branched off sharply to the left, and commenced to
traverse a steep snow-slope, directing their course straight for the
Mont Maudit. They were not roped, and were apparently proceeding
in Indian file, when suddenly the snow gave beneath their feet, and
carried them away bodily down the slope. They were all carried a
great distance—some accounts say twelve hundred feet—and then
the whole avalanche buried itself in a great crevasse. The three
leading guides were completely overwhelmed; but the rest of the
party stopped short of the crevasse, and were saved. The survivors
made frantic efforts to rescue their unfortunate companions; but the
poor fellows must have been buried under many tons of snow, and
these efforts were unavailing.
It was scarcely thought probable that trace of them would ever again
be found; but after the lapse of nearly half a century, the glacier
yielded up its dead. In 1863, or forty-three years after the
catastrophe, portions of human bodies, the débris of a lantern and
Alpenstock, and the leaves of a Latin book, were found imbedded in
the ice on the surface of the Glacier des Bossons and near its foot.
They were recognised as belonging to the lost guides of Dr Hamel’s
party. Further discoveries were made in the two following years; and
of the relics thus brought to light, some are preserved to this day by
the Alpine Club in their rooms at St Martin’s Place.
This accident afforded strong evidence in favour of the fact of glacier
motion, for the remains were found to have been carried by the ice a
distance of nearly five miles from the spot where the catastrophe
occurred.
Almost simultaneously with the finding of the relics of Dr Hamel’s ill-
fated expedition, occurred another accident on Mont Blanc. On
August 9, 1864, a young porter named Ambroise Couttet, while
accompanying two Austrian gentlemen in the ascent of Mont Blanc,
fell into a crevasse on the Grand Plateau. This was an accident
attributable entirely to carelessness, for it appears that at the
moment of the catastrophe Couttet was walking apart from the
others and quite unattached. His companions did their best to effect
a rescue; but the crevasse was of such great depth that they could
not come near him. A party of guides subsequently went out with the
object of recovering the body; but although two of their number
descended ninety feet into the crevasse, they failed to reach it. It is
almost certain, from the terrible nature of the fall, that the unfortunate
man’s death must have been instantaneous.
There were two sad accidents on Mont Blanc in 1866. The precise
cause of the first is somewhat obscure, but the facts as far as they
are known are these. Sir George Young and his two brothers,
unaccompanied by guides, set out to ascend Mont Blanc on August
23, and succeeded in reaching the summit in safety. They had not
proceeded far in the descent, when, for some reason unexplained,
one of the party slipped and dragged down the other two. They slid
for a short distance, then fell a height of twenty feet or so, and were
finally stopped by soft snow. Sir George and his second brother
escaped serious injury; but the youngest brother, Mr Bulkeley Young,
was found to have broken his neck.
The accident to Captain Arkwright’s party was of a different
description, and in many respects bears a close resemblance to that
in which Dr Hamel’s guides lost their lives. On the 13th of October—
unusually late in the year for such an expedition—Captain Arkwright
with one guide, Michel Simond, and two porters, started from the
Grands Mulets to ascend Mont Blanc. At a little distance they were
followed by the landlord of the Pierre Pointue, Silvain Couttet, and a
porter—these two having apparently come for their own pleasure—
on a separate rope. The guides, probably by reason of its being a
shorter route, and, as such, likely to save time—an important matter
at that season of the year—chose the route adopted by Dr Hamel’s
party, and which had come to be known by the name of the Ancien
Passage. They had almost reached the spot where the disaster of
1820 occurred, when the roar of an avalanche was heard. Couttet
and his companion, realising the danger, fled for their lives. They
were a little way behind the others, and were so fortunate as to
escape; but Captain Arkwright and his guides were caught by the
avalanche and swept away. This accident arose from precisely the
same cause as that which happened to Dr Hamel’s party—ignorance
of the state of the snow; but it differed in one respect: whereas Dr
Hamel’s party started the avalanche, the avalanche which proved
fatal to Captain Arkwright and his guides fell from above.
The fact of a second accident occurring at the same place and from
a similar cause, has given to the Ancien Passage the reputation of
being essentially unsafe. It is not necessarily more dangerous than
other routes, and indeed it may even be the safest route from
Chamouni up Mont Blanc. It is only really dangerous when the snow
is in bad order; and this is a point upon which a guide is—or should
be—competent to give an opinion. On the day of the accident, the
snow was not in proper condition, and it was because a right
discretion was not used, that Captain Arkwright and his companions
lost their lives.
We now come to an accident which ranks as by far the most terrible
which has ever happened to Alpine climbers, for it resulted in the
loss of no fewer than eleven lives. On September 5, 1870, a party
consisting of two American gentlemen, Messrs Beane and Randall,
and a Mr MacCorkendale, with eight guides and porters—with one
exception, all Chamouni men—left Chamouni with the intention of
ascending Mont Blanc. They passed the night at the Grands Mulets,
and next morning started for the summit. Early in the afternoon, a
violent storm burst over Mont Blanc; and as the weather became
very bad and they did not return, it was resolved to send out a
search-party from Chamouni. The weather, however, continued for
some days of such an unfavourable character that it was not until the
17th, and when all hope had been abandoned of finding any of the
lost party alive, that a discovery was made. The dead bodies of Mr
MacCorkendale and two of the porters were first found. They were
lying on the snow quite uninjured, head uppermost, a little way
above the Mur de la Côte; and from the torn condition of their
clothes, it seemed probable that they had slid some distance to the
spot where they were discovered. Higher up, lay the bodies of Mr
Beane and another porter, with the greater portion of the baggage
beside them. Of the remaining six, no trace could be seen. A few
small articles which must have belonged to them were picked up
subsequently in the direction of the Brenva Glacier; but that was all.
To this day their fate remains a mystery.
The only light thrown upon the catastrophe was that which could be
gathered from the pages of a diary found on Mr Beane, and written
by him. Some doubt at first was cast upon the authenticity of the
entry, but there seems no reason at all for disbelieving its
genuineness. What it told was as follows: ‘Tuesday, September 6.—I
have made the ascent of Mont Blanc with ten persons—eight guides,
Mr Corkendale, and Mr Randall. We arrived at the summit at half-
past two o’clock. Immediately after leaving it, I was enveloped in
clouds of snow. We passed the night in a grotto excavated out of the
snow, affording very uncomfortable shelter, and I was ill all night.
September 7 (morning).—Intense cold, much snow, which falls
uninterruptedly, guides restless. September 7 (evening).—We have
been on Mont Blanc for two days in a terrible snowstorm; we have
lost our way, and are in a hole scooped out of the snow, at a height
of fifteen thousand feet. I have no hope of descending. Perhaps this
book may be found and forwarded.... We have no food; my feet are
already frozen, and I am exhausted; I have only strength to write a
few words. I die in the faith of Jesus Christ, with affectionate
thoughts of my family; my remembrances to all. I trust we may meet
in heaven.’
The diary ended with instructions to his family as to his private
affairs.
It is to be regretted that poor Mr Beane gives us so little information
of any practical value; but meagre as his diary is, it sheds light on
one or two points. First, we gather that the party actually reached the
summit; and next, that it was about half-past two in the afternoon,
and immediately after leaving it, that the storm caught them. Now,
how was it, we may fairly ask, that so little progress was made on
the downward path?—for the ice-grotto of which Mr Beane speaks
was constructed at an altitude of fifteen thousand feet, or only seven
hundred and eighty-one feet below the summit. How was it that the
guides failed completely to find a way back over ground which they
had traversed so recently? Mr Beane does not tell us if any attempts
were made on the 6th and 7th to find the way down—what little
evidence we have tends to prove that there were none—he merely
says, ‘We have lost our way.’ To sit down and wait where they were,
as they appear to have done, showed a want of judgment which,
without being better acquainted than we are with the facts of the
case, seems quite inexplicable. Nothing is more common in the high
Alps than to be overtaken by bad weather; but out of the Chamouni
district there has not been an instance of a whole party perishing
from this special cause. It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the
guides were not equal to their task, that they lost their heads at the
very approach of danger, and gave themselves up for lost at the
moment when they should have made the most determined effort to
escape.
There was another circumstance, too, which was held at the time to
reflect somewhat upon the conduct of the guides—not one of their
bodies was found. The five bodies recovered were those of the
heaviest members of the party, and there can be little doubt that they
must have been left behind, while the rest made an effort to save
themselves. Mr Beane, however, makes no mention of any division
of the party, and it is charitable to suppose that no division actually
took place until after the weaker members had succumbed to the
exposure. What led to the division, will never be known; neither will it
be known what motive impelled the guides to act in such an utterly
incomprehensible manner. That the leaders of the party ought to
have been thoroughly up to their work, is emphasised by the fact,
that neither Mr Beane, Mr Randall, nor Mr MacCorkendale had had
previous experience of mountaineering, and were quite incapable of
giving advice of any practical value when difficulties arose. As a
matter of fact, it does not appear that any one of the guides held a
foremost place in his profession. Judging by their actions, they
certainly proved themselves singularly wanting in many of the most
important qualities of good guides; and it is impossible to believe that
they could have been other than very second-rate. But should the
blame of the disaster be laid to their charge? Should it not rather
attach to a system which rendered such an accident only too
probable?
In the same year (1870) there was yet another accident on Mont
Blanc. A gentleman and two ladies, accompanied by a guide and a
porter, were out on the mountain; and the gentleman wishing to go
further than the ladies cared to, took the guide, and left them in
charge of the porter. With what object, it is not known, the porter
promptly proceeded to conduct his charges across a snow-field
which was well known to be honeycombed with concealed
crevasses. Under these circumstances, it would have been only
wonderful if an accident had not occurred, and unfortunately that
took place which might have been predicted. The porter had given
his arm to one of the ladies, and was leading her across, when the
snow gave way beneath them, and they both fell headlong into a
deep crevasse. Here was a case of two lives wantonly sacrificed.
That any one calling himself a guide should have shown such gross
ignorance of the very first principles of mountaineering as this porter
did, is almost inconceivable. It is perfectly clear that he did not
understand his business, and was certainly not a fit person to have
been sent on expeditions above the snow-line.
A still later accident on Mont Blanc took place on the south side. On
the 30th August 1874, Mr J. A. G. Marshall, with two Oberland
guides, Johann Fischer and Ulrich Almer, left Courmayeur with a
view to attempting the ascent of Mont Blanc by way of the Brouillard
Glacier, an ascent which had not at that time been effected. They
camped out upon the mountain at a height of about ten thousand
feet, and the following day worked their way a considerable distance
upwards till they found themselves finally stopped by an impassable
wall of rock. This occurred somewhat late in the afternoon, too late,
indeed, to attempt any other route, and accordingly they turned back.
The descent was difficult, and night overtook them before they
reached the spot where they had bivouacked the previous evening.
They were crossing the last bit of glacier, when Fischer inquired the
time, and Mr Marshall drew out his watch, while the others came up
to him with a light. As they stood thus close together, the snow gave
way beneath them. Fischer fell first into a crevasse which at this
point was some thirty feet deep and five feet in width; and Mr
Marshall was dragged on to him; while Almer alighted upon a
hummock of snow but a few feet below the mouth of the crevasse.
Mr Marshall’s head came in contact with the side of the crevasse,
and in his case, death must have been instantaneous; while
Fischer’s injuries were of such a character that he, too, could not
have lived for any time after the fall. Almer escaped with a severe
shaking, but was rendered insensible by the shock of the fall. Upon
coming to himself, he found that both his companions were beyond
help; and as soon as there was sufficient light, he struggled down to
Courmayeur with the intelligence of the accident. The dead bodies
were recovered the same evening, and brought back the next day to
Courmayeur.
Of all the accidents which have happened on Mont Blanc, this was
perhaps the one most deserving the term. Mr Marshall and his
guides were first-rate mountaineers, and it was scarcely from any
fault of their own that the catastrophe occurred. From a sketch of the
spot taken by M. Loppé the artist a few days after the occurrence,
the crevasse looks curiously narrow, and if the party had only been
standing but a few paces to right or left, they would have been in
perfect safety. Moreover, the scene of the catastrophe was not five
minutes’ walk from the moraine.
Thus Mont Blanc is responsible for the loss of no fewer than twenty-
four lives; but it is when we compare him with other mountains that
we realise how much more fatal he has been than any of his fellows.
The following table, compiled from the Alpine Journal, will best bring
home this fact:
Accidents. Lives lost.
Mont Blanc 7 24
Matterhorn 3 6
Lyskamm 2 6
Monte Rosa 2 4
Monte Cevedale 1 4
Dent Blanche 1 3
Haut de Cri 1 2
Titlis 1 2
Jungfrau 1 2
Wetterhorn 1 2
Aiguille Blanche 1 2
Single lives have been lost upon each of the following mountains:
Riffelhorn, Gross Venedeger, Schreckhorn, Piz Tschierva, Diablerets,
Blumlis Alp, Piz Bernina, Grandes Jorasses, Meije.
Of accidents which may fairly come under the head of Alpine
accidents, such as accidents upon glaciers and subsidiary peaks,
there appear to have been thirty-five—making a total loss since
1859, when climbing became a recognised form of amusement, of
ninety-eight lives, or, inclusive of Dr Hamel’s accident, one hundred
and one. When we come to consider that Mont Blanc is responsible
for nearly one-fourth of the whole, we may well question whether the
depreciation of the mountain is quite justified. Is it not rather a case
of underrating the enemy?
No reasonable person can deny that there is at times danger on
Mont Blanc, and when we consider from what a variety of causes it
may arise—from weather, from the state of the snow, from the
unfitness of many of those who attempt the ascent, and last, but not
least, from the guide system of Chamouni—we feel inclined to
wonder not, indeed, that the loss of life has been great, but rather
that the death-roll is not much greater.
IN ALL SHADES.
CHAPTER XL.
Even as Delgado stood there still on the steps of the piazza at
Orange Grove, waving his blood-stained cutlass fiercely about his
head, and setting his foot contemptuously on Mr Dupuy’s prostrate
and bleeding body, Harry Noel tore up the path that led from Dick
Castello’s house at Savannah Garden, and halted suddenly in blank
amazement in front of the doorway—Harry Noel, in evening dress,
hatless and spurless; just as he had risen in horror from his dinner,
and riding his new mare without even a saddle, in his hot haste to
see the cause of the unexpected tumult at the Dupuys’ estate. The
fierce red glare of the burning cane-houses had roused him
unawares at Savannah Garden in the midst of his coffee; and the
cries of the negroes and the sound of pistol-shots had cast him into a
frantic fever of anxiety for Nora’s safety. ‘The niggers have risen, by
Jove!’ Dick Castello cried aloud, as the flames rose higher and
higher above the blazing cane-houses. ‘They must be attacking old
Dupuy; and if once their blood’s up, you may depend upon it, Noel,
they won’t leave him until they’ve fairly murdered him.’
Harry Noel didn’t wait a moment to hear any further conjectures of
his host’s on the subject, but darting round to the stables
bareheaded, clapped a bit forthwith into his mare’s mouth, jumped
on her back just as she stood, in a perfect frenzy of fear and
excitement, and tore along the narrow winding road that led by
tortuous stretches to Orange Grove as fast as his frightened horse’s
legs could possibly carry him.
As he leaped eagerly from his mount to the ground in the midst of all
that hideous din and uproar and mingled confusion, Delgado was
just calling on his fellow-blacks to follow him boldly into the house
and to ‘kill de missy;’ and the Orange Grove negroes, cowed and
terrified now that their master had fallen bodily before them, were
beginning to drop back, trembling, into the rooms behind, and allow
the frantic and triumphant rioters to have their own way unmolested.
In a moment, Harry took in the full terror of the scene—saw Mr
Dupuy’s body lying, a mass of hacked and bleeding wounds, upon
the wooden floor of the front piazza; saw the infuriated negroes
pressing on eagerly with their cutlasses lifted aloft, now fairly drunk
with the first taste of buckra blood; and Delgado in front of them all,
leaping wildly, and gesticulating in frantic rage with arms and hands
and fingers, as he drove back the terrified servants through the
heavy old mahogany doorway of the great drawing-room into the
room that opened out behind toward Nora’s own little sacred boudoir.
Harry had no weapon of any sort with him except the frail riding-whip
he carried in his hand; but without waiting for a second, without
thinking for one instant of the surrounding danger, he rushed up the
piazza steps, pushed the astonished rioters to right and left with his
powerful arms, jumped over the senseless planter’s prostrate body,
swept past Delgado into the narrow doorway, and there stood
confronting the savage ringleader boldly, his little riding-whip raised
high above his proud head with a fierce and threatening angry
gesture. ‘Stop there!’ he cried, in a voice of stern command, that
even in that supreme moment of passion and triumph had its full
effect upon the enraged negroes. ‘Stop there, you mean-spirited
villains and murderers! Not a step further—not a step further, I tell
you! Cowards, cowards, every one of you, to kill a poor old man like
that upon his own staircase, and to threaten a helpless innocent
lady.’
As he spoke, he laid his hand heavily upon Louis Delgado’s bony
shoulder, and pushed the old negro steadily backward, out of the
doorway and through the piazza, to the front steps, where Mr
Dupuy’s body was still lying untended and bleeding profusely. ‘Stand
back, Delgado!’ he cried out fiercely and authoritatively. ‘Stand back
this minute, and put down your cutlass! If you want to fight the
whites, you cowardly scoundrels you, why don’t you fight the men
like yourselves, openly and straightforward, instead of coming by
night, without note or warning, burning and hacking and killing and

You might also like