The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-02-12
BRANDON, Thursday, February 10, 1916.


and 400 feet high, on basis of 90
, feet, behind which the waters of tn
; ORANGE had accumulated, and formed
} lake above 1000 feet long. M. Venet
the engineer oflhe VaIlais, was consutec
and he Immediately decided upon cu,tn
gallery through this barrier of ice, 81
feet above the level of the water at tn
time of commencing, and where the dix
was 600 feet thick. He calculated upo
making tunnel through this mass befor
this water should have risen 60 feet high
er in the lake. On the 10Th of Nav, ih
work was begun by gangs of fifty men
who relieved each other, and worked
without intermission, day and night, with
uncomfortable courage and perseverance
neither deferred by the daily occurring
danger from the falling OF fresh masses o
the glaciers, nor by the rapid Increase oil
The waters of The Lake, which rose SO fee
IN "a days-on an average nearly two
feet each day but it once rose five feet in
one day, and threatened each moment ;o
burst the dixie by its increasing pressure
or, Using in more rapid proportion than
the men could proceed with their work
render their efforts abortive, by rising a
bove them: Sometimes dreadful noises
were heard, as the pressure of the water
detached masses Office from the bottom,
which floating, presented so much of their
bulk above the water as led 10 the belief
that some ofthem were 70 feet thick. The
men perSevered in their fearful duty with
out any serious accident, and, though SUI
fering severely from cold and wei, and
surrounded by dangers which canno! be
justly described, by the 4lh of June they
mad accomplished an opening 600 feet
long; bat having begun their work Oh
both sides of The dixie at the same timc, the
place where they ought 10 have met was
20 feet lower on one side oil the loke than
on the other it was fortunate that !allerly
the increase of The perpendicular height of
the water was less, owing 10 the extension
of its surface. They proceeded TO level
the highest side VI the tunnel, and com
peted it just before. the waters reached
them. On the evening Of the 18Th the
water began 10 flow. AT first the OPP
ening was not large enough to carry off
the supplies of water which the. lake re-
ceived, and it rose two feet above the tui-
mel; but this soon enlarged from the ac-
lion of the water, as it melted the Il lor of
he gallery, and the torrent rushed thro'.
In 80 hours The lake sunk 10 feet, and
turing the following "a hours 20 feet
n ore; in few days it would have been
'mptied; for the floor melting, and being
lElven of'as The water escaped, kept itself
below the leyel of the water within; but
he cataract which issued from the gallery,
melted and broke up also a large portion
II The base of the dixie which had served !
s lis buttress-its resistance decreased |
lster than the pressure ofthe lake lesson.
d. and at o'clock in the afternoon OF
he 5jh of June the dixie burst, and ia half
n hour the wafer escaped through the
reach, and left the lake empty.
"The greatest accumulation of water
ad been 800, 100000 Of cubt feet; the
lnne, before the disruption, had car-
led off nearly 100000, 600 fischer
'ys 270,000,000 bat he omitted to add
100000 which flowed into the lake in
Tree duys. IL half an hour, $50 1000, 900 |
ubt feet of water passed through the
reach, or so, 600 feet per second; which
five times greater in quantity than the
thine at Basic, where it is 1900 English
'el wide. Il Que hour and a half the wa
r reached Manigoy,a distance of eight
'agues. Through the first 10000 feet it
lssed with The velocity Of SO feet per :
or five times faster than the {
ost rapid river linown; yet it was charg'
with icerociis, earth, trees, houses, cat
E and men; thirty-four persons were lost, t
10 cottages swept away, and the damage
)ne in the two hours of its desolating c
over exceeded a million of Swiss Iivers. ,
II the people of the valley had been eau
)ned against the danger Of sudden ir-
Iption; yet it was fatal TO so many All
t bridges in its course were swept away,
I'd among them the bridge Of Mau- {
,isin which was elevated more than 90 q
el above the ordinary height of the =
rance. If the dixie had remained IN -,
uched, it could have endured the pres. q
re uatlI the lake had reached the level i
its top a volume of I,7O0,0 100000 Gu y
c feet of water would have accumulated
ere, and devastation much more ex- n
lsive must have been the consequence. n
rom this greater dangers the people Of i,
e valley Of the Dfance were preserved l.
The hereoism and devotion OF the brave II
en- who effected the formation Of the gal n
Y, under the direction OF l.. Vene'z, | o
low no instance on record OF courage e. n
al to his: their risk Of life was not for IF
ne or riches-lhey had not the usua ex
ements 10 personal risk, in worlds
plaIse or gazetted promoton-lheir de. %
ted courage was to save the lives and ~
operty of their fellow men, not 10 des- W "
y them. They steadily and her"icalIy r
rseverpd in their Inbors amidst DANCERS "