The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-09-14
WHITE MOUNTAINS.


WHITE MOUNTAINS.
The Saco (Me) Palladium of "Wednesday,
gives the following account Of the shocking
catastrophe which lately happened at the
White Mountains Of New Hampshire:
On Monday night the 27th August, most
melancholy and heart rending catastrophe
occurred in Coss county, y. IL. near the
Notch, so called, OF the White Mountain
The particulars Of the shocking occurrence,
are as near as we can ascertain them, as fol-
lows A sudden and powerful fall of rain
on the day previous, occasioned an over
whefming and appalling GvGlanche or slip
from the mountain, into Saco river, which
carried devastation and death il its course.
On the night above mentioned, about = o.
clock, the family of Capt. Samuel Willy,
consisting Of himself, his wife, five small
children, and two hired men, named Allen
and Nickerson, were alarmed by the bolster
ons elements, and rushed out OF their house
to save themselves from its ruins, in case it
should be swept away: But, alas they were
all carried down and crushed to death by the
mass OF sliding earth, rocks, timber, &C.
The bodies (says letter of the Sd inst. to a
gentleman Of this place,) of Mr. aad Mrs.
Willy and Allen, were found on Thursday
afternoon, about two O'Clock seventy or egh-
tv rods below the house. amid mass
of water, mud, wood and stones, mangled in
most shocking manner--too horrid to de-
scribe particularly Allen. who, it appears,
from the situation in which he was found,
was cndeavourng to save the lTe Of Mrs. W.
as they were bat few feet apart Neither
the bodies OF che children. or that Of Nick
| nd ,ca E,ifjut ,ob lac+
and little hope OF their ever being found, as
many of the inhabitants Of the neighbour
hood had used their utmost exertions fcr
that purpose.
The writer of the letter above alluded 10
gives .he following additional particulars of
this truly melancholy event - The place is
most awful--past describing by an: enc. If
! | should say the mountain had fallen on Ell
ther side, perhaps should not say too much.
| The sides of the mountains have como in
contact for nearly two miles in length, which
has raised the bed of the river many feet
From the best ejaculation we could make.
the slide which swept off Mr.. WHY'S family
was the last that came from that part of the
mountain: it started directly back Of the
house, two hundred rods up the mountain,
and came down in body within four or six
feet Of tie house it then divided and one
part went n few feet south and the other
north of the house and took with it about so
feet OF the stable the two wings immcdi-
atcly closed in front of the house. In all pro-
liability the most Of the family if not all OF
them we're III bed, for most of their clothes
were found lying as is usual on retiring at
night. At this awful moment, amidst thun-
derings of rocks, the crushing of trees and
rushing of mud and water, these nine souls
! fed out Of the house for refuge. But, alas
destruction was their lot for when they had
come to the door the two wings of the slip
were ready to receive them--a horrid eight
an awful sccne--who can think Of it and
not sigh-whose eyes could look upon the
spot and not overflow with tears
The Boston Courier says, the house Of Mr.
Willy was about Two miles below the Notch
The dcfile below his dwelling and thence up
to the Notch was very narrow, and the
mountains on either side of such a height
that one could not look at their sleeps many
seconds without a painful sensation. The
slide which fell from the mountains On the
Goth of June lodged within few rods of hi.
house. The editor passed through the
Notch on the 18th of July, and spent abou,
two hours at Mr. Willey's, where he dincd
in company with two or three friends, ant
reserved shelter from heavy thunder show.
er. We have seldom seen more interest
ing family There we're several children
/; the eldest CT which was a boy eight or nine
6 years old. All appeared remarkably intel
, llgent, well-hehaved, cententcd and happy
! The mother was their instructor, as mothers
should always be. To our inquiry whethe,
she was not terrified when the slip cam,
z down, she replied, Yes--and had caught tw,
of her children in her arms to escape do7y,
thevalley; but she soon perceived by the di
, rection it took, that it would not touch the
house. She added.hat she did not feel ther
was any more danger of their being buried a
live by these slides than there was of th
strangers who passed through the Notch suf
| fering the same fate; and expressed perfec
reliance onthe protection of Providence, an,
an acquiescence in whatever they might b.
ordained to bear. Virtuous and interesting
woman! if the fate we fearhas overtaken the
and thy innocent babes, we cannot doubt tina
; Providence sustained thee in the last horrib
moment, which nature shuddered to antici
| 2, 10 v,t .. <,T& 81 l.