Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-11-04
ADDeal TO the Swiss and to the Friends
NJ switzerland In the United States.

A calamity has befallen the Cantons Of
Tessin. Valais, Grisons, st. Gall, and Uri
which. in it's immensity, stands unequaled
in the annals of Switzerland. On the zIIh
of September rain commenced to tall IN tor
rents along the northern and southern
slopes of the Alps, and continued to descend
With but little intermission for eight days:
During all this time powerful south WIND
raced furiously amidst the masses OF snow
and ice which had lain undisturbed for cen
turies in their inaccessible Alpine strong
holds
Every mountain rivulet swclled into
rushing stream, every stream into torrent,
CARRYING appalling destruction IN Its course
The rivers of Tessin, the Rhone, the Reuss,
the Rhine and the Inn, in their relentless
power, obliterated many of the cholcest
beauties of nature, impoverished thousands
of families, and hurried hundreds to wa
terry grave.
Heart-rending and vain was the struggle
of human hands against the overpowerlng
force of the watery element. On 1t came III
the dead of night, terrible in its might, scat
tering destruction far and wide, and plllng
nm in the meadows the mountain debris OF
a6es Rocks weighing hundreds OF tons
were torn from their resting places, and IN
their course Joined the revelry Of destruc-
tion. Whole forests, vineyards, and mead
| ows stacked with grain, have disappeared,
and, in many places, not vestige OF roads,
| bridoes. and fences are left; houses, mills,
and factories are torn from their tounda-
lions, and even cemeteries and charnal-
houses have been invaded, and their con
tents scattered along the course OF the de-
vastation. Thousands Of cattle lie ehoked
in mud, and thousands Of our fellow beings
are reduced to abject poverty.
| Along the Rhine, village upon village lies
| half-buried in mud and debris, and every
article of bedding and wearing apparel has
either been swept away or rendered useless
in houses where comfort, and even plenty
reigned whilst their verdant meadows,
productive orchards, and beautiful gardens
are one mass Of grayish mud.
Sixty millions of francs will fall far short
of the loss sustained. On such extraordi-
nary occasions it is meet that unusual meas
ures be adopted to alleviate, at least in part
the sufferings of our brethren. The Fede-
raj Government of Switzerland, prompted
by a feeling which it knew would meet with
hearty response from its people, at once
dispatched it's President to the suffering To-
calities, and ordered to the scene Of devas-
tation the various corps of sappers and mi
ners to render all possible assistance
Ere this, one million of francs have
been appropriated by the Federal Govern
ment and a like sum will, no doubt, have
been contributed by the several CantOns.-
Already convention Of delegates from al
Cantons have assembled in Berne, and Re
lief Associations have sprung up in every
section Of the land whose offerings will be
distributed by the Central Relief AssOcia
ton, organized under the auspices of the
Federal Government. Many individuals
have given most literally, and the people
of adjacent countries are also busy, heart
and hand in the noble work Of relieving
want Among others, the King and Queer
of Wurtemburg made at once remittance
and organized Relief Society, over which
they will preside.
And we, fellow -countrymen and broth
rem, shall we stand aloof? Shall we leave
UNDECIDED the cry of distress, the pleading
eye cast over from beloved Switzerland
No, no, must be the ready response of every
heart. The painful tidings from our sOrely
visited brethren will find an echo in bOunt
fully lest America. A mite from every
feeling heart, q gift from every generous
hand and this visitation of Almighty Goo
will afford another proof of the truthful
ness of our country's motto, Gone for al
and all for one"
The unusual cxigencies of this nationa
calamity mako an appeal to the philanthro
py of his countrymen and his country
friends, on the part of the undersigned
virtually obligatory,
Fellow countrymen in the United States
up, then, and be doing in the noble work o
relieving our suffering brethren Organize
and let us labor promptly, unitedly, anC
earnestly.
Donations can be sent, by mail or eX
press, to the undersigned, or intrusted tC
the Swiss Consulate at New York, Phila
delphia, Charleston, New Orleans, Calves
ton, Cincinnati, Chicago, st. Louis, or Sar
, Francisco, by whom they will be transmit
ted to the undersigned, for remittance t.
the Central Relief Association in Switzer
land God bless the giver
JOHN HITZ,
Political Agent and Consul General o
Switzerland, Washington City, d, c.
Any one wishing to contribute can senC
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