The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-01-10

An Avalanche. P assage Of the splugen.

~ Avaiancbes are frequent among the
Alps. where acres and acres Of ice and |
snow shoot from some mountain side,
plunging into the valleys below, damming |
up streams, and sometimes overwhelming |
and destroying whole villages Travels
ers' over the Alps often see them in the
distance. or hear the noise, which is like !
the report Of heavy cannon; sometimes, |
also, they aie buried beneath them, and |
find grave without coffin or knell.
When Napoleon was carving war into |
Italy. he ordered one Of bis officers, Mar
shal Macdonald. 10 cross the Splugen With
fifteen thousand soldiers, and Join them
on the plains below The Splugeu 10 one
Of the four great roads which cross the
Alps from Switzerland 10 Italy. When
Macdonald received the order, Il was
about the last Of November. and the win
ter storms were raging among the noun
tain passes. II was . perilous undertak-
ing. end the men began their terrible
march through narrow de6les aud over
hanging precipices six thousand feet up,
up. up emong Che gloomy soliludes OF the
Alps. -. ~ ~ ...t.. Z
The cannon were placed on sleds drawn
by oxen, and the ammunition was packed
on mules. First came the gnides sticking
their long black poles in the snow in order
to end the path; then came the wofkmen
TO clear away the drifts; then the drag.
oons, mounted on theiv powerful horses.
to beat down the track after which fol-
lowed the main body Of the army. They
encountered severe storms aud piercing
cold. When half way up the summit, q
rumbliug noise was heard among the
clifis. The guides looked at each other
in alarm. for they we'll knew what q.
meant. Itgrew louder and louder. "Au
avalanche. an avaisnche 7" they shrieked,
and the next nomeat a field OF ice and
snow came 'learing down the mountain,
striking the line Of march and sweeping
thirty dragons In wild plunge below
The black forms CT the horses and their
riders We're seen for an instant struggling
FOR life, and then they disappeared for
ever. =, The sight struck the soldiers with
horror; they crouched and shiverod in
the blast. Their enemy was not now
fesh aud blood, but wild winter storms /;
swords aad bayonets could not defend
them from the desolating avalsnshe..--
Flight or retreat was hopeless, for all
around lay the drifled snow, like vast
winding-sheet. On they must go, or
death was certain, and the brave men
struggled forward. o' S-'l..... ' 4.
Soldiers" exclaimed their comm snder.
"Jo~ ere called 10 Italy ksyour5 uveorsl
needs you, Advance and conc first the
mountain and the snow, then the plains
aud the enemy" Blinded by the winds.
benumbed with the cvld. and far beyond
the reach Of aid, Macdonald pressed on .
Sometimes whole companies Of soldiers
were suddenly swept away. On one oc-
cassion, q poor drummer, crawling out
from the mass Of snow which had torn him
from his comrades, began to bea, his drum
for relief The muffled sound came up
from his gloomy resiing-place, and was
heard BY bis brother soldiers, but none
could go to his rescae. '' -a.' "a 'et
j For an hour he beat rapidly; then the
. strokes grew faint and fainter. until they
were heard no more, and the poor drum.
mer laid himself down to die. Two weeks
were occupied in this perilons march, and
two hundred men perished in the under.
taking. p 'asa' OIL. 70 ,.''"'F .'. l'' ,,.