The
Rescuers
7 February 1999
Bern has a natural
history museum, which is much like those museums elsewhere around the
world mainly lots of stuffed animals posed in little habitat
dioramas behind glass. But Bern's museum also has Barry.
Barry
(18001814) was one of the most famous rescuers who worked out of
a monastery in the treacherous and snowbound Great Saint Bernhardt Pass
over the Alps, devoting his life to searching for wayward travelers trapped
in the icy mountain pass. It's estimated that Barry personally saved more
than 40 people before retiring to Bern at the age of 12 presumably
to while away the rest of his days in comfort, drinking whisky from the
little wooden thermos around his neck. In honor of Barry and his selfless,
heroic breed of rescuers, they will forever bear the name of "St. Bernard"
after the infamous mountain pass they once patrolled.
The
monastery is still there, the monks still run a hospice for weary travelers,
and they still organize search-and-rescue patrols. But though a century
ago the St. Bernards were the famous key figures in Alpine rescue crews,
loping out to lost mountain climbers with a teensy barrel of hard liquor
strapped to their collars in the 19th century, a bellyful of scotch
and a big fluffy dog to snuggle next to in the cold were considered "first
aid" now the monastic S&R teams use surer-footed Alsatians.
But
it turns out those hardy monks are real softies after all. In honor of
the breed's faithful historic service, the monastery maintains a kennel
of (rather pampered) St. Bernards, just for old time's sake.
Copyright
© 1999 by Reid Bramblett. All rights reserved. |