Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-08-01
ntlslellanp.
the Freeman
The Great Avalanche from Lin
coin Mountain.

The Great Avalanche from Lin |
coin Mountain.
Nature, in hsr whole range of operations,
.ives, with the single exception of earthquakes
nd volcanoes, no exhibition of such tremen-
1us power displayed in the largest-sized
.7alanche. This phenomenon, as may be in
=rred from the definition of its name, is pecu-
.lr to mountainous countries and especially to
nose where the mountains rise high and alb
| -lp.ly from the surrounding levels.
Ia Europe the steep and towering Alps are
" especial regions of avalanches. l do not
lde to the frequent snow avalanches which
l Ire conparatively harmless, but the great land
| ..iies that spread death and dssolation over
1 -v-rvth.ng they encounter in their rapid de-
scent 70 the country below, sweeping away
/ houses. hamlets, and even whole villages, in
| tusir destructive progress.
WlJ has read, with shudder, of the
4 terrible avalanche which overwhelmed and ut
teri, destroyed the devoted village of Goldau,
uz9,e sd fate sas celebrated by the graphic
L pen & Lord Byron Here was a village at
IN loot Of tue Swiss Alps, containing about
| ity houses, with four or FIVE times that num-
5er of inhabitants, located more than four
| mics rom the precipItous mountain peak from
slch the avaanche started bat such was
| .l- amazing force it gathered in its descent,
mat il mpeiled forward, after coming to the
| gently sioping lands below, volume of earth
snd stones which not only reached the distant
| village, but overwhelmed aud buried it far out
o. ight in an instant, leaving not single in
d.7idual Of its fearfuIIy doomed Inhabitants
\ ...ye 90 tell the tale.
In AmericI, the W hte Mountains OF New
| Hampshire have oeen the most noted for ava
1 -ucn-s, the most widely known and disastrous
4 Of which the one that overwhelmed the
Wiley family, consisting of nine persons of
Il. sexes, not one of whom escaped the awful
t4te Of being crushed to death in an instant, or
n Of suffering a more prolonged agony by being
inextricabIy buried alive twenty feet below the
surface Of the mingled torrent of rock, tree
and water that shot down from the mountain,
at the foot OF which they resided, too suddenly
and swiftly TO permit their escape.
The Green Mountains of Vermont, for a
general thing, have not been much noted for
phen omenon of this kind. The one however
indicated by the heading of the present article,
ana which doubtless the greatest that ever
occurred in this State, was certainly remarka-
b. Z enough TO merit a particular description
for the eye Of the public, to whom it was COM
parative.y never but little known, no account OF
H. strange to say, ever having been published.
Three conditions seem to be requisite to
produce the avalanche First, that the incl-
nation Of tie side of the mountain producing
n, must De, at the starting point, over 45 +;
second, tae surface and subsoi downwards be-
yoDd the roots OF the trees must rest on beds
of rock OF clay and third, there must be a
fall 0f water sufficient TO reach that bed and
s--urate the whole mass of earth above it. All
inese conditions appear to have been combined
"a tbe avalanche about to be described, which
occurred. believe, IN the summer of 1928.
The locality of this great avalanche on
Tue eastern side of the precipitous, deeply
wooded mountain, which, beginning to rise in
Fayston, asceuds some distance within the bor-
dsrs OF Lincoln, and hence usually passes under
the appeliatIon Of Lincoln Mountain. 1t start
ed, under the circumstances above emu merated
near the iedgy summit of that bold heig bit
when an entire tract of thick green woods,
embracing full forty acres of ground, was
swept bodily, and ell standing, down to the
loot OF the mountain, and then, by the impetus
thus gathered, driven through, and over the
Tees OF long ravine of less rapid descent down
nearly another two hundred rods into the town
Of Fayston, making the whole path of the ava
4acle about mile and quarter long, and
zsving all the upper half broad belt of rock
" clay, ss bare of all vegetation as the floor of
louse, though up to that night it was densey
covered with giant forest, seemingly as little
-zely to be removed as the solid mountain on
Snica il had stood probably for untold centu-
ues
During the night previous to this startling oc-
clrFelce, and all the forepart OF the day, there
nlt been falling a heavy general rain, which
ceased sometime in the afternoon. Towards
asht however, dark and threatening masses
o. clouds were seen gathering over Lincoln
Mountain, and it soon became evident that the
ran was beginning to fall there in no ordinary
Quantities. So heavily and unremittingy, in
47el, did It pour down over and around that
"fe't-girt mountain, that its deep, sullen roaI
rs distinctly audible the three adjoining
owns OF tayston, W aitsfeld and Warren. Ihli
'ohInued till night closed in; when the lnhao
@nt' OF those towns were startled by a low
navy rumbiag sound, followed BY percePtibit
'oTAtIons o the ground and the Paipable jar
mug OF their houses and furniture, which they
III supposed could have proceeded from no 9th
cause than shock of an earthquake. Th'
morning, however, furnished them new
''slon Of the phenomenon that had the even
before disturbed end startled them
nose whose locality permitted the view, then
- 'ner surprise, beheld wide, bare belt dowr
Oush the forest from the top to the bottom
Lincoln Mountain, at once apprising then
1' ther supposed earthquake was no othel
Ni'a Tremendous landslide.
'uch the effect and such the appearance o
phenomenon at distance, and if go grea