The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-07-06
From Tail's Magazine.
n Night under an Avalanche.


ibs piifi5oss ofifayefsiHs tire Great ~, B1f-
nnrd al tho exaggerated dangers Of which
Pass lIe laughed heartily, Accidents, he adj
/ Wiited, did sometimes oteTihke travellers ~
thai part oflhe Alps but generally, ho said,
tho Pass of tho ~. Bernard whA open and
throughout The year, except during tho con-
l,HugHga 0f sg0ss-slofiBs, lis had ihimselfs =
iaw yelrs previously, Ia another Pass, ihs
name OF which forgot, been oyerlaken by
ono Of these IN company with an English
ianiily returning from lialy, and been wit'
ness Of Iho way 10 whie!. tho elements soine'
/ tunes perform the office Of sexton They
Ael out early ~ the morning, and arrived
/ liulO before Hghtial az part Of the pass
which, owing 20 lhe driving Of tho snow, ea-
silly chokcd up. The snow had begun 10
! ihIl about an hour aud a halt previously, and
was now pouring down tho raynos before
the blast ,blludinF both horses and positions,
aud bringing along with IL premature night.
! They had hoped 10 reach tho summit before
darkness set in; but ihe horses furnished them
were weak, aud the snow for the last hour.
NJ lohHl, had gradually retarded their progress,
/ How hu came a. bo Ia the Englishman's enr-
rage, ho did not explain. ! fancy our eouHr
! iryuau lad invited hin out of sheer poli,9-
Hers The party consisted of Eve in all tho
husband and wiie,the nurse aud the little bn.
! by.
! How Il comes TO pass, know not, but {,
generally happens that tho English, when
Oyeraken by danger, display qualities which
Fustuuish foreigners On the occasion IN
queAiion, all ibs sOlicilude Of tho husband
D,cmcd concentrated la his wife, while nll
hers Was Ia tho baby, Self seemed equally
absent Ia the minds ofboih. Tho nurse, ioy
her part, displayed Ihs utmost sioinisin, "a.
cept that M The cold increased md the snow,
drillA beat more and more against tic car
rngo wipdows, she pressed Iho cliild mora
closely 10 her breast, and protected u from
| the influences Of the air with greater allow
nucc Of Hhawls. Our friend from Aosln,wh
understood thoroughly llo peTils Of the posjy
ton, went on talking To the husband, whD,
while his eyes wcrc fixed upon his wifn and
child, appeared calm aud COLLECTED, though,
from certain Numbering noises above, II np,
pearcd probable that The Rynlanehes we're IN
motion, AZ every ten yards tho carriage wng
sIopPod hs ll'e accumulated snow.
"Juuc,' sHid the husband nl length % his
wife, "tic up your ihront carefully, Ne mny
have to walk prcscnjyI and YOU. nurse, mako
the baby comfortable, and give him to me"
Tho nurse oboyed. The mother, looking
auSiousy nt her child, inquired, with sups
pressed cnrncsturss--
civilian, II there any dangerY"
"Ncs, a liulc, love, jus, enough TO import
an mir ct romance to our adventure
"llurk 81 exclaimed tho wife, ,"whnI's ,hat'H
Only God ~ criod the nurse, "thc iponnialg
has iillcn on us."
Just nt that instant loud shout was honrd
fiom the men, followed 10y suppressed s,rugs
gle Hnd gToan, and then the most complete
silcsco. Al motion was nt tho same iim0
arrested Ia tiio Carriage. and, on applying tha
lamp to the carriage wiuduw, II gRs pnrcGiys
ed Tint they were inbcdcd Ia thick snow,
"NhaI Is to bc done i"cSclnimcd the Eng,
lshmuu; "cHn your experience suggest any
means ofoXltartiug ourselves from this poo
Siliuu' IL We force our NHy oui do you think
il possible we could reach some place OF
sholtcr"
"No," answered ne "thnt is jmpossibio.,-
Al we can do, is 10 remain where We prcI
they will dig us out in the morning"
"And the drivers" observed the English
man, "a aililden- Thought flashing -aeFess iis
mind, "whnl will become Of Them they viii
die OF cold"
"rhcy nrc dead already" answered tho
Aoslnn, "tho first stroke of tue avalanche eKs
linguishcd life in them; what you have heard
was their death groan."
"lmpossible," cried our conn,ryman, ~
must force my way ouLand epdeavor 10 drnB
them hiiher.H
The confined space in which they hnd.tn
breathe wonld have rendered II necessary 10
let down tho windows, al the risk OF admit
ting quantity Df snow; hut all egress w0g
they were entonibcd,ns IL wcrg
In Tho avalanche, which, fortunately for ilem,
was soft aud sl'ongY permitting air TO pass
through its porssyet the heat became aImos!
tft-ttfi-ral-, ttitl- -et,ee ttiti+g the night tltt
lady tainted. Travelling carriages jn ihB
4 ps arc always supplied with provisions and
wine, brandy, &r.y and ns puF
never once lost his presence OF
mind, everything practicable wps done foT
wife, and nurse, pnd child
What their laugunge and feehngs wcrs
may possibly be imagined. All our friena
from Aosta could say wns that ii was very
terrible, which he uttered in tone more aigs
licnnt Than his words
Well, morning came nt last, MS tiIoy knaW
jy consulting their wntehes but il brong}t
no light with IT, md for some tipJc no sound,
At length confused tumhling wns heard
hreHHh- the snow, (which died Away and
.n,uo agnip 10y Gts, ill at length IT, bccaino
'vidcnt that it was the voicos of mon, AiteF
protractod interval, gloRm ofdayiighi OPP
cred the carriage the snow WIS cleared pnrs
iaily nway, aud the woicnno fiice of rtstiq
vas hchcld pceriug down upon hem, TheW
wns now speedy, and thoy wers
conveyed half dead to II chalet, together viii
he bodies of the driver aud postillionS.
"Such accideDts," snid our friend, "ars
are"
"It is 10 ho hoped go" exclaimed Madame
'arii; "ani what became Of tho English IOs
"Oh, the whole party escaped WITHOUT inr
ury mud next year ] raw lhfnl ass again
no Irnly So litlIe had they -hcsn donnled by
ie perils they escaped"
~ The following question is Dxpectodtq
,mc up for discussion al tic next N. i,
owl Conventions (which is The mother. Of
brood or chickens, the hen thai lays tbs