Litchfield enquirer., 1857-05-21
Avalanche at Bereges.

1 In long narrow, bleak Pyrenean valley
and at height of four thousand feet above
the level Of sea, there springs from the rock
hot sulpherous water, reputed to be the mosl
eficacious Of the many mineral springs of thu
Pyrenees. There is, naturally, an etablisse
ment DIES bains and, in spite of the cold, in
thospitable sight, a long irregular street, which
is called Bareges.
The avalanche does not fall from the moua
tains which tower above the village, but down
an ominous cleft in the rocks on its right bank
and on the opposite side of the valley. Aud
the Inconvenience is, that not content with rush.
ing from the snowy submits and sweeping bare
the face of the rocks, and marking its desolate
| tracks with the scattered pines which it has
uprooted, and choking the noisy river, it pushes
up the opposite bank, and SO through the very
centre of Baregcs. Of course the Inhabitants
OF Bareges know this expect it and are prepar-
ed for it. In winter there is great gap in
one long street-no house, no shed, no tree,
nor bush being visible. This is the road left
for the avalanche, which sometimes travels
that way five or six miles during the winter.
In the spring. when his visits are supposed to
be at all end, the disjoiited street is united by
wooden houses, or baraques, in which the va
rious merchants from neighboring towns dis
play their wares.
There is something to an Englishman almost
Incredible, and quite incomprehelnsible, in erect
ing village in the very teeth of an avalanche.
Why not put the houses lower down the val
ley in safety the walk or ride, in summer, to
the establishment being so easy. Why not
convey the water in pipes? Why not in
fact fifty other things? But no-thc Bernais
of the mountains is familiar with the danger,
he does not depise it, but he considers the be-
ing buried under an avalanche as one of the
necessary Conditions of life, and at all times,
the possible termination of it, Even in Bere-
gcs, where, as Pierre Palassou, the guide, will
tell you, they take such good precaution, it is
not always found a sufficient one and the av-
alanche Will swerve to the right or left, aud
cover part of the village or it will exceed the
dimensions deemed desirable, aud oyerwhelm
the houses Oh both sides Of it.
In May, of last year, the winter which haG
been an unusually fine one, was supposed to
be at an end, and many of the merchants be-
gan to erect their baraques. Thirteen were
completed, aud Others begun, when the weath-
er changed suddenly, and snow storm came
on. All that day it showed, aud IN the even
Jig the long sweep Of the wind was heard at
intervals through tue valley
There is snow enough up there to bury
the whole village +" said the old men who
were in groups consulting together as to what
was 10 be done.
"Well, well, the baraqucs must be lcft-;or
who will help to pull them down with this dam
ger threatening us p
Depend on it, this will be no Fight affair, +"
Sai6 another anI h. Al.
euu houses had better come to us for to night. "
AUG they separated each. who considered
himseIf safe from danger, offering shelter to
those who might he overtakeh by Titus 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 regardless Of the danger
--one consisted Of father aud mother, and
three children the other was an auberge, a
little inn fiequented by Spaniards and noun
tanners in their contraband excursions and
on the night in question, there were thirteen
persons under this roof. Iu both cases they
relied for safety Oh the fact that the houses
were built against projecting rock which
would afford SHELTER from the wind that
proceeds the avalanche The snow is a minor
Inconvenience that no one troubles himself
much about.
The evening wore into night, aud nothing
came OF any ones expectation, so every body
went to bed aud to sleep. Not everybody.
for one man sat listening intently for sounds 10
the upper regions which might indicate the ap-
proach Of danger At length he rose, and
went into the little room where his only child,
q youth Of seventeen years was sleeping.
Jules, mon ami, get up I"
Jules slept soundy, and ouly pulled the bed
clothes over his head at this appeal
"Jules |" said his father more loudly, "make
haste-get up, and run to neighbor Henri !;
tell him / AM sure the avalanche is on the
point of falling and he must catch up the chill
dren and come with his wife at ouce-I feel
quite certain they are not safe. Make haste !;
it is midnight and very dark" Jules had
hastily thrown on his clothes aud, as his father
was speaking the last words, he went out of
the house.
A few minutes only elapsed when there was
. terrific sweep of the wind and crash of obsta-
cles opposing it, which tells Of the avalanche.
The father who was straining his eyes through
the darkness thought he could see the pale
spirit that followed silently and swiftly, and
drawing its white mantle over the desolation
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 ia the village were under
the snow, among them, the two which were in
hablted The father of Jules stood by, and
watched the work in silence. Few words
were uttered by anybody, for who could tell
what thesresult Of the search might be?
They had begun to work. as near as thew
could DOSSibly iuflge inst cva. u,.:, 49,