Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-07-11

4LAND.SLIDEIN IN SWITZERLAND.

In the year 1906 there was frightfu land
slide in R0ssour5 Mountain, Switzerland, and
several villages were catirey buried up in the
earth In one of these towns lived Joseph
WIgcld and his r4mily. lie was one of the
few that escaped with life, and on his recovery
of health, after The fearful trial he had suffer
3D. he wrote out the following narrative of his
experience during the catastrophe. 1t is trans
4.ed from a Swiss book entitled The Noun
II ANS"
A Il was on the second of September, about
vi UOciOck in the afternoon when | told my
# -. daughter, Louise, 10 take her pitcher
# C. bring us in some water from the spring
III ss took the vessel and proceeded Oh her err
Hi l0I bnt came back again i'll y few minutes
Al aul told me that there was no water in the
NJ pang-it had ceased to flow. a the spring
n s4S Only on the other side of the garden,
N r,nt myself to examine this strange phenome-
ION, aud found that it was as she had said the
a,n was dry. With my spade | set about
emoying little earth, with the Idea of per.
maps finding wate" below, or of discovering the
cause Of lis failure. Al that moment it seem
9 to me that the ground trrmhlad be-
Meath nv feet and Oh letting 20 oS the spade
from my hand, | Was amazed at seeing it Sha@e
10 and ro as it stood untouched upright in the
soil ! heard III the same moment the scream
og cries Of flock Of hi, DIS flying over head in
cloud As was gazing up at their wild and
hurried motions, saw some heavy masses of
r0ck part from the side of the mountain and
commence rolling down. Thinking my eyes
III we're playing me false, FASTENED to return TO
The house but, on turning round. found my.
+i on the brink of ~ hinge rift in the earth, SO
M 1epD that ! could not see the bottom of it, and
# 7uca had suddenly opened across nv path. |
s] a.ed over it in IL state of bewildernent, and
M Mowards the house, under the impression
'a the mountain had left its foundation and
'Hcomug after me.
C.o,e 10 The door | saw my father in the
a Of filing his pipe. He had often predict
q some terrible disaster, and | now tCd him
'Ia' the mountain was staggering like drunk
man, and was about TO fall aud bury U.s.
WI lie probably taking my words for a joke. rails
t4 bis head, and merely aying " Pooh | shall
nave time to light my pipe" went into the
'lSe At the same instant, something flying
''oaIh the air euvelopel ME ia deep
,,'ao" | Looked up and beheld huge mass
rock rushing along like cannon ball it
gu about five hundred yards from the village,
'1'I'eFing house to pieces.
Al that moment caught sight of my wife,
'"o win three Of our children, was turning
's corner OF the street ran towards her,
-l' I ANmg two Of the children in my arms,
Wv ner 10 follow me but she cried out. Ma
''"e poor Marianne she is left in the
.Ne with Frances aud she would have
WV" 10 tna house, but | held her Ivy the arm
.u prevented her, for at that instant saw
i, muse itself whrled round like top Ny
1''' VINO was standing on the threshold, was
"'u 70 the otherside of the street drag
# NV, ssg "y vile away, aud forced her to come
w me when of a sudden there arose most
.''ole noise, and the whole valley was swal-
u up Ia a cloud of dust 1t seemed now
"y vile was forcibly torn from my side
@ ,,. ","eu 10 look for her, but she had vanished,
p's'"er with the child she led it Us un$peak
o,... "SfF'0Ie to think of, but the ground had
MI Sr.J SII beneath her feet, and after it had SwaI
s,osI, "er up, had closed so completely that
= on. 'u ~ not have known where she was, but for
.,,,t "ano' which yet raised itself ont of the
tsn5 threw myself upon the poor, dear
res T"Ich was gripped by the earth as in
cbi5,. Saonld,not have left the spot but for INV
for NV VINO cried and walled and camored
md ~, until started up like one frantic,
rbrsss s,Hhs :. one IN each hand, fed for life
uss Eas 1 thrown down by the vic.