New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-05-18
The Avalanche at Hareges.


. s4 The Avalanche at Bareges. a
: HOW IT COMES DOWN. FL
In long, narrow, bleak Pyrenean valley, and q
height Of four thousand feet above the level of thu
sea, there springs from the rock hot, sulphurous
water reputed to be the most efcacous of the man,
mineral springs Of the Pyrenees. There u.s. naturally
an etabssement des bains and in spite Of the cold
inhosptable site long irregular street, which is
II called Bareges
The avalanche does not fall from the mountains
which tower above the village, but down an oninous
cleft in the rocks on its right bank, and on the oppo
that not content with rushing from the snowy sum.
mits and sweeping bare the face Of the rocks, and
marking its desolate track with the scattered pines
which it has uprooted, and choking the noisy river,
PUSHES up the opposite bank and SO through the very
center Of Bareges. OF course the inhabitants Of
Bareges know this expect and are prepared for it.
In the winter there is great gap in the one long
street-no house, nor she'd nor tree nor BUSH being
visible. This is the road left clear for the avalanche
which sometimes travels that way five or six times in
the course Of the winter In the spring, when his
visits are supposed to be at an end, the dsionted
street is united by wooden houses, or baraques in
which the various merchants from neighborng towns
display their There is something to foreigner
almost incredible and quite incomprehensibe, in
erecting village in the very teeth of an avalanche.
Why not put the houses lower down the valley in
safety? the walk or ride in summer, to the eblsse-
ment, being so easy. Why not convey the water in
pipes? Why not in fact, fifty other things? But no
the Bearnias of the mountains is familiar with the
danger be does not despse it, but he considers the
being buried under an avalanche Of the neces-
sary conditions Of life, and at all times the possible
termination of it. Even in Bareges where as Pierre
Palassou, the guide, will tell you, they take such
good precaution, it is not always found sufficient
one and the avalanche will swerve to the right or
left and cover part Of the village or it will exceed
the dimensions deemed desirable, and oVerwhelm the
houses on both sides Of it.
In May Of last year, the winter which had been an
lima tn hpo
many Of the merchants began to erect their baraques
Thirteen were completed and others begun, when
the weather changed and snow storm came on. All
that day it showed, and in the evening the long
sweep Of the wind was heard at intervals through the
valley.
There is snow enough up there to bury the whole
village!" said the old men, who were standing in
groups, consulting what was to be done.
- Well, well, the baraqueS must be left-for who
will help to pull them down with this danger threat
ening us ~
depend on it, this will be no light affair."" said
another, and the neighbors in the end houses had
better come TO us for tonight
And they separated who considered himself
safe from possible danger, Offering shelter to others
who might be overtaken by it. Thus it happened
that besides the thirteen baraques, many houses on
either side Of the high road for the avalanche were
left empty. But there were two households regard
less OF the danger. One consisted of father and mo-
ther and three children; the other was an auberge
little inn frequented by Spaniards and mountain.
in question there were thirteen under this roof In
both cases they relied for safety on the fact Of the
house being built against projecting rock, which
would afford shelter from the wind which precedes
the avalanche The snow is minor Inconvenience
| that no one troubles himself much about.
The evening wore into night, and nothing came Of
any ones expectations everybody went to bed aud
to sleep. Not everybody -for one man sat listening
indicate the approach of danger At length he rose
and went into the little ROOM where his only child
youth Of seventeen was sleeping.
Jules, mon ami. get up ~
Jules slept soundly, and only pulled the be-cothes
over his head at this appeal.
Jules ~ said his father more loudly I" make
haste-get up and run to neighbor Henri tell him 1
am sure the avalanche s on the point Of falling, and
he must catch up the three children and come with
his wife at once-I feel quite certain they are not
safe Make haste! It is midnight, and very dark;
Jules had hastily thrown on his clothes and as his
father was speaking the last words he left the house,
few minutes only elapsed when there was that
terrific sweep of wind and crash of obstacles oppos.
ing it, which tells of the avalanche. The father who
stood srnng his eyes through the darkness thought
he could see the pale spirit that followed silently and
swiftly and drew its white mantle over the desoation
| left by the storm.
| As soon as it was daylight all Bareges was at
| work for Jules had not been heard of, and many
houses were under the snow among them the two
which were inhabited. The father Of Jules stood by,
and watched the work in silence. Few words were
| Of the search might be?
t They had begun the work as near as they could
possibly judge, just over Henris house. AT midday
they had reached the roof; and, hastily breaking
through, entered All was sate-Henr and his wife
and children waiting patiently for their deiyerers.
/" All, mon Dieu! y said Henri, we heard a cry
just onelt sounded close to the house. thought it
| was some poor beast swept away by the wind"
! The neighbors broke open the housedoor and
CROPPED about in the snow. There, lying across the
threshold, and crushed by an adjoining wall, which
| had fallen on him. lay poor Jules, dead
The workers left the father to his grief and to the
care of the women, and hurried to the auberge, at
which few had already been occupied since day
break. The snow beneath which it was buried lay so
thicky over it, that it was after dusk before an entry
was effected-of course through the roof The house
was unframed and all within it were safe. Jean Cahase
the aubergste told the neghbors that neither he
any Of the others had heard any unusual noise in the
night, though he fancied he remembered something
like a clap Of thunder. But in the morning he
awoke and said, Wife, it is very dark, and yet
seem to have had long sleep. It must surely be
time to get up!' So, he carries his watch to the
window, intending to open the shutters, but he
could not move them. He went down to the house
door; fast again, in spite of all his pushing. Then
up to the trap.door in the roof and, finding that
he could not lift it, he returned to his wife, and
said, Wife, the avalanche has fallen, SO you had
better get up and make the breakfast"
After breakfast all the men took out their knit
ting, hanging the skens of wool round their necks
the women and children were busy spinning fax
ana mus tney sat round Tue IRE telling tales OF paS
danger till the evening. Then Jean Cahasse said
81 am sure the neighbors would begin to dig a.
soon as it was ight-bnt doubtless the snow lies deep
Wife, if the onion soup is ready, we will have sup
! per"
It was whilst they were at supper that the neigh
bors entered. and greeted Of course with mucl
affection-tears and kisses and loud cries. and alto
gether, in the manner of men who suddenly becam,
aware that they had escaped great danger and dit
not think it worth while to exercise any selfcontro
! in the matter Except the life of poor Jules, nj
lives lost, and no further damage done thai
some four or five stone houses leveed and all tn
wooden baraques swept away.
" 1t is nothing" said Pierre Paassou, the guide
! with shrug Of the shoulders 1t is the foo
avalanche that we are afraid Of All! to hear
come roaring down in summer, when the SHOWS hay
melted in the mountans-roeks and stones and tree
and rivers of mud--one trembles to think of it,"
Fortunately, the flood avalanche descends b.
another rayine which you pass just before reachin
Bareges, and the flood has never yet done more thai
threaten the village and make the approach to it
: most unpromsing one. On the whole, however, W
! may fairly say the avalanche, or rather the ava
lanches, do come down at Bareges in an almost in
conceiyably uncomfortable manner, and with rapid
ity Of recurrence which it takes ones breath away
think of. But those who are most affected by it 9TH
inhabitants) think nothing of it.